By Dan Rachal
NTAG Portland
Every year, families do their best to get together and celebrate the holiday
season. This isn’t the easiest thing to do because of distance, or work, or the inevitable
flight delay. For a Navy family, it can be even harder, especially when the Sailors double
as siblings, stationed in parts of the country.
This Christmas, Jonovan, Ethan and Ayden Turpin were back in the same house
in which they grew up in city of Gresham, which is about 20 minutes east of Portland,
Oregon. AD2 Jonovan Turpin was on leave from the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)
while ETSA Ethan Turpin was home for the holiday en route to ET “A” school. The
youngest, Ayden Turpin, will leave for basic on June 30, 2025, shortly after graduating
from Reynolds High School.
Since he was young, AD2 Turpin knew that he wanted to serve in the military.
Joining the Navy was, for him, a lifelong dream. For Ethan Turpin, it was a bit different.
“I joined primarily for him (Jonovan) and the benefits,” he said. “I thought it was pretty
cool a lot of our older family members, like grandpas, had been in the Navy and
Marines. I just thought it would be cool to join and follow in my brother’s footsteps.”
Ayden Turpin pondered joining the Navy for years and when he did, it came as a
bit of a surprise to the middle brother.
‘Honestly, I was kind of surprised but when I heard that, I was proud of him,” Ethan
Turpin said. “I wanted him to go for it. I thought it would give him something more than
just going to school, doing homework all the time. When he told me I really wanted to
help him out, what he needed to know for boot camp, what exercises that can really
help him, I just wanted to really motivate him to get in.’
The three brothers have always been there to motivate each other, look out for
one another and now to ensure they all have success in the Navy. This comes as no
surprise to the eldest member of the Turpin family – their father.
“They have always been best buds, always hanging out, always paying
basketball, riding bikes, doing sports together,” Ryan Turpin said. “It doesn’t surprise
me that they’d all want to do the next level together, too.”
The brothers have talked about the possibility of being stationed near each other,
perhaps being stationed together in a place like Florida, or on the west coast.
“That would of course be nice and something I’d want in the future,” Ayden
Turpin said. “It’s good to stay close with family”
For now, they must settle for playing Black Ops 6 or Call of Duty together and
weekly FaceTime sessions.
In the Navy, Jonovan Turpin stressed that the ‘Turpin Boys’ are in this together
and that success is a team effort. While his sentiments are echoed by the most junior of
the trio, Ethan Turpin hints that there is still a lot of competition.
Currently, Jonovan is a Second Class Machinist Mate, though he has expressed
an interest in earning an officer commission, and Ethan is headed to Electronics
Technician A School. “My rate, they rank up pretty quick,” he said. “(Jonovan) better
watch out I’m coming for you.”
“It’s a group effort.,” AD2 Turpin said. “Until I go Officer and you have to call me Sir.”
Jonovan Turpin thinks about that for a second, looking at both of his brothers seated
around the kitchen table.
“I wouldn’t want that, that’d be so weird.”
Navy Talent Acquisition Group Portland is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and
operates two Navy Officer Recruiting stations and 17 Navy Recruiting stations located
throughout northern California, western Idaho, Oregon, northern Nevada and southern
Washington, covering more than 210,000 square miles. NTAG Portland is staffed with
more than 130 Sailors and civilians whose mission is the recruitment of high-quality
men and women to fill the officer and enlisted ranks in the U.S. Navy. Follow NTAG
Portland on Facebook and Instagram @navyjobsoregontrail.
| Date Taken: | 12.27.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.27.2024 19:00 |
| Story ID: | 488380 |
| Location: | PORTLAND, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 158 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Trio of Brothers Make the Navy a Family Affair, by Daniel Rachal, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
