Photo By Michael Molinaro | Sgt. Eric Hough, forward observer, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry regiment, 1st Brigade...... read more read more
By Staff Sgt. Michael Molinaro
Multi-National Division - Baghdad
FORWARD OPERATING BASE PROSPERITY, Iraq – The motto of the 4th Infantry Division, "Mission-Soldier-Family-Team," is the glue that holds the Multi-National Division – Baghdad team together. The third cog in that motto, "family," means different things to different Soldiers.
Whether it's the bond between a squad that is with each other 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or the spouse back home that holds down the fort while deployed, it is a vital element to the superior performance displayed by 4th Inf. Div. and other MND-B Soldiers.
For Spc. Shawn Hough, chaplain assistant, 3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., and his brother, Sgt. Eric Hough, forward observer, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Multi-National Division-North, their commitment to the Army and each other is unbreakable.
The identical twin brothers gathered for an Iraqi-style reunion, Sept. 27, 2008, one that took some well-coordinated efforts by many echelons of leadership between the two commands. Shawn said it all began when Lt. Col. James Carter, 4th Inf. Div. and MND-B chaplain, was speaking to Hough and the topic of his brother being in country came about. Carter thought it was only right that the two should get to see each other while they were both serving their country in Iraq.
Hough didn't know if the reunion would be possible until his battery commander and his brother's battalion commander began conversing with each other and seeing if they could make this happen.
The logistics was the main thing they had to overcome and after some unscheduled dust storms delayed Eric's flight from the north, he landed in the International Zone to a long-awaited hug and high-five from Shawn.
"I have never seen Shawn so excited in the year and a half that I've known him," said Capt. Charles Estanol, chaplain, 3rd Bn. 29th FA.
As boys the Hough brothers, from Youngstown, Ohio, played Army and with toy guns growing up, sealing their fate for a military career, Shawn said. They enlisted one year apart in 2001 and '02, with Eric being the first to head-off for basic training. Shawn wanted to go along with his brother but had an injury that delayed his entry.
They have never been assigned to the same unit, or same post for that matter. They have each deployed to Iraq three times, making it extremely difficult to spend quality time with each other and family, Eric said. For example, after Shawn arrived home from his first deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom I, Eric left for his first tour overseas a week later. Before leaving for their current deployments, Shawn made the trek to Ft. Campbell, Ky., from Colorado Springs, Colo., picked up his brother and drove to Ohio to see their parents Martin and Jill. That was the last time they had seen each other until Eric arrived in the international zone.
There is an old-saying that twins have a sixth sense and can think or sense what the other is thinking at the same time. Neither of them said if that is exactly true or not, but it may be more than a coincidence when it comes to the timing of placing an important phone call each week.
"It is weird because we call our parents almost at the same time a lot of the time,"
Eric said. "We don't plan it or anything, but I get off the phone with them and then he calls ten minutes later. It's funny."
Besides their loyalty to each other, no one can deny their loyalty to their country. Shawn reenlisted for six more years on Sept. 11, and Eric enlisted because he felt it's an obligation we have to living in the greatest country in the world.
"We've always been patriotic and loved our country," Eric said. "We wanted to serve our country and give back for everything we've been given. We aren't the type of people who take our country and everything it provides for us for granted."
Eric's unit is scheduled to redeploy back to the states later this fall and soon there after he will begin making arrangements for his next permanent change of station move to Hawaii. Neither of them believes they will get to see each other before Shawn and the rest of the 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div. gets home, making this visit one they will both cherish for some time.
"I reenlisted this month, I found out I was getting promoted and am set to take leave in a few weeks," Shawn said. "But this was the best of a good month. I don't know if my morale could be much higher than now."
| Date Taken: | 09.29.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 09.29.2008 12:47 |
| Story ID: | 24302 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 376 |
| Downloads: | 259 |
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