CAMP TAJI, Iraq — The U.S. Army has hundreds of thousands of Soldiers in its employ, more than enough for an individual to get lost in, which makes Sgt. 1st Class Tina D. Hudson and Sgt. 1st Class Sonya D. Jones' story a lucky roll of the dice.
Both Hudson and Jones attended Asheville High School, in Asheville, N.C., and both played basketball, and are now roommates while deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 09-11 with Headquarters and Headquarters, 10th Sustainment Brigade Troops Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade.
Hudson and Jones don't remember seeing each other from their adolescence, but their family members know each other. "My oldest sister, Vanessa, is friends with Sonya's mom and dad," said Hudson.
Prior to their deployment with the brigade, they didn't really know each other, and only really got to know each other after becoming roommates.
"I got to the unit in December 2007," said Jones. "She got there in March 2008. I didn't really know Tina then; we didn't work together and never really saw each other."
Hudson had overheard Jones talking with someone else about her leave plans, and Hudson picked up on her hometown being discussed.
"Sonya was telling someone about her leave," said Hudson. "I heard her mention Asheville, so I asked her if that is where she was from." After further investigating, the details of their families' relationships with each other came to light, as well as their shared academic background. "Sonya graduated a year after me," said Hudson. "She's old," joked Jones. "She graduated before me."
