Lucky deployment reunites brothers in Iraq

Courtesy Photo | Army Spc. Eric Hargarten and Air Force Senior Airman Chad Hargarten share a laugh during a chance meeting at Sather Air Base, Iraq, April 20. The two brothers had not seen each other since Christmas 2004.  

SATHER AIR BASE, IRAQ

04.28.2006

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

SATHER AIR BASE, Iraq " Senior Airman Chad Hargarten heard his brother was at Camp Striker, Iraq, April 20. He had not seen his brother since Christmas 2004. He jumped into a truck and went on a search to find his brother.

Army Specialist Eric Hargarten, who's based in Kuwait, had just arrived in Iraq on temporary duty to a forward-operating base. He knew his brother was based somewhere in Baghdad. So he called his mother in Hawaii to ask what base the Airman was at. When she told him Sather Air Base, he still didn't know the base was close. He asked several people where Sather Air Base was relative to Camp Striker. When he heard it was down the road about 10 minutes, he jumped on a shuttle bus and went to the 447th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron third-country national escort office.

The brothers literally passed each other on the road. One of Airman Hargarten's coworkers called him on the radio and told him his brother was in his work center. The Airman turned around and went back to Sather Air Base.

"He's there talking to my supervisor (when I walked in)," said Airman Hargarten. "He pretty much ran and gave me a big hug."

Like many siblings, they didn't learn to appreciate each other until they went their separate ways as adults.

"We fought all the time. It was like he was on my turf," said Specialist Hargarten. "We went our separate ways and got close."

They kept in contact via e-mail. Except for that last Christmas together in 2004, their military careers kept them apart. However, their respect grew.

"I appreciate my brother a lot more than before," Airman Hargarten said.

The brothers" followed a long family heritage of serving in the military. Their father was an Air Force officer. Their grandfather was a Navy officer. So the two " the youngest of five siblings, and the only boys " felt it was a calling to continue the tradition.

"We love what we do in the military," Specialist Hargarten said.

However, Airman Hargarten, who's deployed from the 31st Logistics Readiness Squadron, Aviano Air Base, Italy, said he feels a lot of concern about his older brother, because Specialist Hargarten is going to be patrolling the Iraq roads as a 50-caliber gunner in an M1-Abrams tank.

It's a job he trained for in technical school, but he's been working in a support role for the last two and half years.

"For him being outside the wire, it's a lot more dangerous," the Airman said. "I think about it a lot"what if I get that phone call. There's always that chance. I pray for him all of the time."

Specialist Hargarten said although his younger brother is not working outside the wire, he's still very proud what the Airman has achieved since joining the Air Force.

"He's gone from a boy to a man, which the military helped him to do," the Specialist said.

The two brothers don't know when their next chance meeting will occur, so they planned to spend the evening together talking and enjoying each other's company. And Specialist Hargarten has one other thing he plans to do while at Sather Air Base.

"I want to see how the Air Force lives."

• Date Taken: 04.28.2006
• Date Posted: 04.28.2006 11:24
• Story ID: 6164
• Location: SATHER AIR BASE, IQ