Korea unites brothers in arms

Photo By Master Sgt. Warren Wright | CAMP HOVEY, South Korea – Maj. Tristan DeBord (left), the intelligence officer in charge for 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and Capt. Michael DeBord (right), the information systems manager for 1st ABCT, 1st Infantry Div., spend time together on Camp Hovey Oct. 21. Tristan and Michael, both from Wichita, Kan., are brothers who have never crossed paths professionally until recently when their respective brigades transitioned responsibility for the rotational mission on the Korean peninsula. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Warren W. Wright Jr., 1st ABCT, 1st Inf. Div. Public Affairs)  

CAMP CASEY, SOUTH KOREA

10.24.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Warren Wright 

1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

For many, serving in the armed forces is a family tradition passed down from generation to generation. While many siblings also serve, few get the chance to cross paths during their career. Until recently, such was the same for two brothers until they came face to face during their Korea rotational deployment.
Maj. Tristan DeBord and Capt. Michael DeBord work for different units at different locations and their careers have never had the opportunity to be at the same location at the same time. But a chance meeting occurred when Michael’s unit, the 1st Infantry Division’s 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team replaced Tristan’s unit, the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st ABCT as part of a rotational deployment in the Republic of Korea.
“It was really exciting,” said Tristan, his brigade’s intelligence officer in charge. “He came on one of the earlier flights and I don’t think we’ve spent this much time together since we lived in the same household which would have been in my high school days or maybe going home over the summers during college.”
Growing up in Wichita, Kansas, the brothers took the same route to earn their commission through the University of Mississippi ROTC program, even though it was a few years apart.
“I joined the Army to serve my country, but also as a way to pay for college,” said Michael. “It was a way to pay for school and serve my country; a way to knock out two birds with one stone.”
Even though they commissioned through the same ROTC program and have known some of the same people, the two never got to spend any time together in a professional capacity.
“I haven’t seen him in uniform since I’ve been in the service outside of photos and videos,” said Michael, his brigade’s information’s systems manager. “Our careers have never crossed paths, so one of the first thing I thought was ‘I’m actually seeing my brother in uniform.’”
While they may have joined the Army for a variety of reasons, one of the main reasons the brothers joined was to continue the family tradition.
“I always had a desire to serve my country in some way, shape or form,” said Tristan. “In our family we have a long history of service between my father, both my grandfathers, as well as some uncles who’ve served. So, that’s served as inspiration for me personally to serve.”
For Michael, seeing his brother serve also served as inspiration for him to join up.
“I’ve always looked up to him as a mentor and as a brother,” Michael said. “Seeing how successful he was and the impact it made on his life and our family, it was an easy decision to make to follow his lead.”
While their limited time in Korea has been the only time the two have spent time together in uniform, there have been other times when they missed each other by just a few months.
“We both served in the 3rd Ranger Battalion at Fort Benning,” Tristan said. However, “we weren’t ever working together or stationed together at any point during that time frame.”
“We’ve worked with a lot of the same people,” Michael added. “But we never actually crossed paths until here in Korea. Not even at Bagram or Ramstein where there is a lot of transit. We just missed each other, seems to be, all the time.”
While they only have had a few weeks together in Korea, Tristan used the opportunity to pass on some wisdom to his younger brother on what to expect during his time on the peninsula.
“I’ve tried to explain the battle rhythm here and also highlight how things are unpredictable as well,” Tristan said. “It’s not the same model that you’ve had in Iraq or Afghanistan. It’s a much different adversary, different threat and different expectations in terms of readiness.”
But work wasn’t the only thing the brothers focused on during their short time together.
“We’ve talked about that, but we’ve also taken advantage of the down time when the opportunities present themselves to go see the country and enjoy the culture as well,” Tristan said.
In the coming weeks, Tristan will return to Fort Hood, Texas while Michael continues the mission of helping to provide security to the Korean peninsula.

• Date Taken: 10.24.2016
• Date Posted: 10.27.2016 04:00
• Story ID: 213050
• Location: CAMP CASEY, KR
• Hometown: WICHITA, KS, US