Photo By Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde | Lance Cpls. Aaron (left), and Adam Voelker, both machine gunners - Aaron with the...... read more read more
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FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHER WALI, Afghanistan – Like many twin brothers, Lance Cpls. Aaron and Adam Voelker do everything together.
As children and throughout high school, the two played on the same sports teams. When one joined the Marine Corps, the other decided he was going to do the same. They are both machine gunners. The brothers even deployed to Helmand province, Afghanistan within weeks of one another to partake in Operation Moshtarak with their respective battalions.
Unfortunately, this deployment has also separated the close-knit brothers from Wantage, N.J., for almost five months.
Aaron, with the Combined Anti-Armor Team, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, and Adam, with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, had not seen each other in several months despite the fact that their battalions' areas of operations are both in Marjah and border each other.
"This deployment has actually been the first time we've ever been apart from each other," said Aaron. "We were rack mates at boot camp and [the School of Infantry]. At SOI, they didn't want us in the same platoon but we both ended up going machine gunner so we got put together — again."
Even after Adam left for Afghanistan in December, the twins met up again at Camp Dwyer, Helmand province in January as both battalions were preparing to push into Marjah.
Then, Operation Moshtarak began and the 19-year-old brothers separated as 1/6 cleared southern Marjah and 3/6 took care of the north. The twins would think of each other as they heard gunfire and explosions in the other battalion's area of operation.
"I'd be on a patrol or on post and hear stuff popping off in 3/6's AO all the time," said Adam. "It's nerve-racking but kind of cool to think, 'hey, that's my brother."
The brothers continued to do missions with their respective battalions and remained separated for almost five months. Then, a unique opportunity presented itself.
"Convoys are always going back and forth between our FOB and 3/6's," said Adam. "My first sergeant knows that I have a brother [with 3/6] and he basically just said, 'if you want to jump on the convoy your brother's going to be [at Forward Operating Base Sher Wali.]' He really hooked it up for me."
Finally, the twin brothers reunited June 6 in Marjah at FOB Sher Wali for the first time since January.
"I was sleeping when I heard somebody come into my tent this morning and start calling my name," said Aaron. "I opened my eyes and saw that it was my brother standing there. I got up and dressed faster than I had ever before."
"In five months, a lot has happened. I wanted to get all the stories out," added Aaron. "I wanted to see how he's been, find out what's been going down in southern Marjah, tell him what's been going on in northern Marjah."
Despite being separated for the majority of their deployments, the brothers feel blessed to have both taken part in the push of Marjah.
"After being over here, going home and seeing family is going to be great, but you can only tell them stories and they can only listen," said Adam. "They're not going to know how things really were. [It will be cool] to be able to go to my brother and say, 'hey remember that one time?' and he's going to be able to relate.
| Date Taken: | 06.09.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 06.09.2010 06:27 |
| Story ID: | 51108 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHER WALI, AF |
| Web Views: | 1,265 |
| Downloads: | 742 |
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