Courtesy Photo | Brothers, Spc. Taries Walker, medic, 3rd Inf. Div., 1st Battalion, 76th Field...... read more read more
Pfc. Jason W. Dangel
4th BCT, 4th Inf. Div. PAO
BAGHDAD --For many Soldiers, family is the driving force, a channel of support during hard times. Going home to be with family, as most Soldiers would attest, is the ultimate reward after a long deployment in a combat zone.
As the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, assumes battlespace from 3rd Infantry Division, one "Vanguard" Soldier, Spc. Taries Walker, discovered he doesn't have to redeploy to have that support and wants to stay another year. His reason is â?¦ family.
After completing a year-long deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 20-year old medic assigned to the 3rd Inf. Div.'s 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team made the decision after hearing his older brother's unit would relieve his battalion, currently operating out of Forward Operating Base Union in the International Zone.
"I thought about staying here for another year when I found out he was coming here " and especially when I found out he was going to be on this FOB," Taries said, a native of Las Vegas, Nev.
Taries" decision to stay could prove to be a huge test for his new family. Taries and his wife, Shantell, were married before he left for Iraq in Jan. 2004. He also has a 2-year old daughter, Saniya.
"When we were growing up, it was just basically us brothers, and we didn't see much of our cousins or anything," he said. "If I were able to stay and change over to his unit, our kids would be growing up right around each other."
Spc. Marquis Walker, a radio and communications specialist assigned to the 704th Forward Support Battalion, 4th BCT, 4th Inf. Div., arrived at FOB Union three days before Christmas, where he was greeted by members of his brother's unit.
"It was funny, because when I got here people were telling me, 'Hey, your brother is here. He's looking for you,"" said the 23-year old Walker. "It was really weird to see him."
Marquis, a native of Thomaston, Ga., sent e-mails to his brother virtually everyday from Fort Hood, Texas until his departure for Kuwait Dec. 4.
He didn't realize that within the coming weeks he would reunite with Taries in Baghdad.
"I kept looking on the vehicles for the numbers, and I noticed the 1-76 (FA)," Marquis said, looking up at his brother and laughing. "I remembered that it was his unit, but I really didn't think I'd end up seeing him here."
A former Marine, Marquis knew the importance of staying in touch with his younger brother, who deployed with the 3rd Inf. Div. in Jan. 2004.
"I had a ton of questions before I got here," Marquis said, "and some of the information that he gave me I went ahead and passed it on to my battle buddies."
With a year of work in the combat zone already under his belt, Taries took every opportunity to help his brother out with any questions he had about his deployment.
"I wanted to pass my knowledge onto him," he said. "I spent a whole year out here, and I figured I could tell him everything I know before he got here."
The Walker brothers have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Their close bond stems back to childhood.
Their father served 15 years, and their mother four, in the U.S. Army. Like many military families, the Walkers moved as their families changed duty stations, constantly redefining what the brothers called "home."
When Marquis graduated high school and left their home for the U.S. Marine Corps in 2000, the brothers did not drift apart but became closer than ever.
After three years of splitting time between college, the Marine Corps and his wife, Marquis decided to join the Army and follow in his younger brother's footsteps.
"I figured it was the best thing to do at the time," said Marquis, who attended the University of Mexico. "I was kind of burnt out and wanted my life to get started."
While Taries had already completed his Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training, his brother Marquis had just started his tenure in the Army.
The former Marine attended his AIT at Fort Gordon, Ga., and coincidentally, his younger brother was stationed just four hours away at Fort Stewart, Ga.
"I didn't know that I would end up at Fort Gordon for my AIT," Marquis explained. "We ended up hooking up almost every weekend at my dad's house. It was pretty nice."
Two years later, the Walkers once again find themselves together in a military setting, but this time under entirely different conditions.
As if one year deployed in a combat zone wasn't enough, Taries wants to stay in Iraq with his brother and is pushing hard to put the "Ivy" Patch on his left shoulder.
"I was a lot more ready to go before he got here," Taries said. "I mean, I want to go home to my family, but I kind of feel like if I left I would be abandoning him."
As much as Marquis wants Taries to stay, he believes his brother deserves to go home and be with his family.
"He's been over here a year, and no matter how much I feel like I'm the big brother, he has the experience," Marquis said. "Whatever he says can help me, and it holds some weight."
"Obviously, he was doing something right because he's safe and sound, but truthfully, I want him to go home and spend time with his wife and daughter," Marquis explained.
As Taries awaits word on whether his request will be approved, both brothers agree upon one thing.
"We are family and everything, but at the same time, we're Soldiers," they agreed. "We have a job to do."
| Date Taken: | 01.06.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 01.06.2006 10:02 |
| Story ID: | 4294 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 313 |
| Downloads: | 33 |
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