Courtesy Photo | Sgt. David Thresher, left, and Pfc. Christopher Thresher are a father son who, in late...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Eddie Siguenza
1113th Transportation Company
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait – For nearly two months, Sgt. David Thresher debated with his son about military priorities. Will there be a time when he has to make the choice of being a father first or being a Soldier ... what would he do? It was the same for Pfc. Christopher Thresher; a Soldier or a beloved son, what will come first?
The Threshers, newcomers to the 1113th Transportation Company (TC), a California Army National Guard unit out of San Jose, Calif., hammered it out. They talked about responsibilities in Kuwait, where the father-son duo are stationed. They discussed possible situations in Iraq, where the truck drivers will drive to and from while on a year-long deployment. Their talk then returned to their Carl Junction, Mo., home, where the rest of the family resides.
"The bottom line is you've got to be a Soldier first," said Sgt. Thresher, the elder of the two. "Some how you always seem to find the right thing to do at the right time, even if it is a tough decision."
"I'll always be worried about him, wondering if he's taking care of himself. He'll be doing the same thing," said Pfc. Thresher. "But he's right. Here, you've got to be a Soldier first. Even though he's my dad, he's still wearing the same uniform as everyone in the U.S. Army."
They will still be a family, but for the next year or so, they will be siblings, brothers among their unit's family of fortune in at their newly adopted family. The Threshers linked up with California's heralded hard-working transporters, a unit that has logged more than 250,000 miles in their first month supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Both Threshers originated from the Missouri Army National Guard. Their Operation Iraqi Freedom journey began last year, when Pfc. Thresher ran an Internet search for a deploying transportation company and found one. He thought his orders arrived in April, requiring he must attend Soldier Readiness Processing to prepare for deployment. However, the orders were for a Sgt. Thresher, his father.
But rather than correct the problem, Sgt. Thresher accepted the orders. Both Threshers contacted their unit commander, who served up corrected orders for Pfc. Thresher. By mid-July the pair was en route to their mobilization station and finally landed in Kuwait two weeks later.
"Those orders were for him. But when I got them, I was glad because I wanted to keep him from going," said Sgt. Thresher. "He's my son."
"I'm the one who volunteered, but they picked him, not me," Pfc. Thresher said. "This is something that I want to do. Just me. This is my opportunity. I felt like he's stepping into something that's mine. But as time went on, I got used to the fact that he's going."
Within the 1113th TC, the pair is in separate platoons. Each respects the days apart. The separation will do them good; son does need his space, as does dad.
The separation also heals the healthy competitiveness each has against the other. For example, during weapons qualification, Sgt. Thresher was a near-perfect 38 of 40 targets. But Pfc. Thresher upped that by one, earning the family's bragging rights.
"He hasn't let me live that down yet," laughed the father.
"I don't think I will," said his son.
The referee of their jousting resides thousands of miles away at their Missouri home. Julie Parker, Pfc. Thresher's mom and Sgt. Thresher's former spouse, is doubly proud of her family serving a notable cause. Still, "she's twice as worried," said Sgt. Thresher. "She gave me that extra responsibility of making sure Chris gets home safely."
Sgt. Thresher spent eight years in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Iceland from 1986 to 1987. At home, he's a truck-driving contractor.
Pfc. Thresher was attending the Missouri Police Academy prior to this deployment.
Pfc.Thresher is the oldest of three siblings and has two children (Breann, 3 and Aiden, 10 months) of his own. He married his high school sweetheart, Gabrielle, in 2006.
The Threshers see their Kuwait connection as a blessing and a hindrance. Pfc. Thresher's presence "does away with a lot of the homesickness," said dad. "We'll meet up sometimes ... grab a pizza. To me it's more like a dad thing. I'm proud of him. I'm just not going to admit it to his face."
The presence of dad, according to Pfc.Thresher, "is something we can do together for all the times he's been away. Who knows? I may look back and say, 'This is the best time we've ever had together.'"
However, are there disadvantages of having father and son in the same unit?
"I know I'll be worried about him doing some of these things. I'll be wondering if he's taking care of himself out on the road. He'll be doing the same thing," Pfc. Thresher said.
"With me here, he doesn't just have to worry about himself. He has to worry about me," added Sgt. Thresher. "With me going out, I know he'll be asking himself how he can help keep me safe when he's not there."
Whatever outcome, the Threshers confirmed this: here, there or anywhere, the family that plays together stays together, even thousands of miles from home.
| Date Taken: | 08.20.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 08.21.2007 07:36 |
| Story ID: | 11911 |
| Location: | CAMP ARIFJAN, KW |
| Web Views: | 368 |
| Downloads: | 250 |
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