Brothers Serve Together In Bravo Company
(March 31, 2011) |
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CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq (3/27/2011) — A
soldier's comrades are like family in many ways. They train
together, deploy together, and go through some of the
greatest and most stressful days of their lives together.
For four soldiers in Bravo Company, 1st Combined
Arms Battalion, 163rd Infantry Regiment, 4th
Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command
(Expeditionary), this is especially true,
because the unit has two pairs of brothers
serving together. |
Staff Sgt. Evin Hansen and Spc. Kiel Hansen, brothers with the B Company 1st Combined Arms Battalion-163rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and natives of Florence, Mont., take time out from convoy support mission preparation on Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq
on March 6, 2011. |
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Staff Sgt. Evin Hansen,
a Florence, Mont., native, has been in the
Montana National Guard for nine years and is on
his second deployment. His brother, Spc. Kiel
Hansen, also of Florence, has been in the
military for almost three years. This is his
first deployment.
Kiel Hansen said he
joined the Army because he wanted to serve his
country alongside his brother and other people
from their hometown.
“It is an honor to
be here serving with my brother and it is a
great experience,” he said.
Even though
there is a difference in rank between the two,
Evin said there is no awkwardness because he is
not in his brother's direct chain of command;
they serve in two different convoy escort teams.
“It does make it easier knowing there is
Family you can talk to every day, but it doesn't
affect my mindset,” he said. “It's a
unique experience that most people don't get,
and serving is a Family tradition.”
The Hansens
have a long military history within their
Family; their father served in Vietnam.
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Spc. Hansen Paskell and Spc. Kyle Paskell,
both infantrymen and brothers with the B Company
1st Combined Arms Battalion-163rd Infantry
Regiment, 4th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd
Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and natives
of Florence, Mont., pause for a photograph on
Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq on March
11, 2011. |
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Spc. Hansen Paskell, a
Kalispell, Mont., native, joined the Montana
National Guard as a combat medic in 2007. His
younger brother, Spc. Kyle Paskell, joined as an
infantryman while Hansen was doing his Advanced
Individual Training. This is the first
deployment for both soldiers.
“One of the
main reasons I joined was because my brother had
a baby on the way,” said Kyle. “I wanted to be
able to support him and watch his back.”
He said he knew they would serve together
because there is only one infantry unit in
Montana. Now they serve alongside each other in
the same platoon and even in the same squad.
Hansen said he enjoys having his younger
brother serve with him, because he doesn't see
his brother very often when they are home. Being
here together allows them to see more of each
other.
“It's good to see my brother doing
something very positive with his life, and
working with him is going to be one of the
definitive memories I will have of our
relationship,” he said.
Both of the
Paskells' parents have had siblings deploy, |
but
this is the first time their children have
deployed.
“They are having mixed
feelings,” said Hansen. “They feel nervous and
scared, but they're also proud.”
Like the
Hansens, the Paskells say that deploying
together doesn't affect their mindset or their
ability to complete their mission.
“No
matter what might be going on, he will always be
my brother and I will always love him,” said
Kyle. |
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Article and photos by Army Spc. Spring Smith
54th
Sustainment Brigade
Copyright 2011 | |
Provided
through DVIDS
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