We Stick Together

GULF OF ADEN

08.24.2021

Courtesy Story

3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

GULF OF ADEN – Five years ago, during ship selection at the U.S. Naval Academy, then-Midshipman Mari Eves selected guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) without realizing her twin sister had already chosen the same ship just moments before. They had not previously spoken about being stationed together; the thought never crossed their minds. And now, upon graduation, they would both be headed to Yokosuka, Japan, to serve onboard Stethem.

Not long after ship selection, the sisters were brought together and offered separate ships with similar schedules. By that point, however, they had already decided they wanted to stay together.

For almost three years, the Eves sisters, who call Bentonville, Arkansas, home, served together on the same ship until it came time for their next tour. "Whenever someone finds out that my sister and I served together, they almost always mention the Sullivan Brothers," said Lt. Ashley Eves. "When I saw my desired job available on The Sullivans, I put it as my first preference for my slate."

The Sullivans is named to honor five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, who served together on the light cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52) during World War II. The Sullivan brothers: George, 28; Francis, 27; Joseph, 24; Madison, 23; and Albert, 20; lost their lives during the Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. They were adamant about serving together despite the Navy wartime policy to separate family members.

Five years since their 2016 ship selection, Lt. Ashley Eves is currently the anti-submarine warfare officer aboard The Sullivans (DDG 68). Lt. Mari Eves is the training officer stationed 4,654 miles away aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The two sisters assumed their time spent at sea together had ended, but it had not.

In May, The Sullivans began a global deployment with United Kingdom (UK) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 21. Not long after, Halsey deployed with the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group (CSG 5).

On July 12, they again crossed paths in the Gulf of Aden during a multilateral interoperability exercise with the Royal Navy-led strike group. While the event highlighted the ability of the UK, U.S. and Dutch navies to seamlessly work together, it also gave the Eves sisters a chance to connect again at sea. The sisters who were born ten minutes apart in Charlottesville, Virginia, were now just mere yards from each other and were able to wave to each other from their bridge wings with only 500 yard separation between their ships.

"After spending four years together at the Naval Academy and then being stationed on the same forward deployed Naval Force-Japan ship, it's crazy to see her on another destroyer from Florida with a Royal Navy strike group, on a separate deployment. And now here we are, looking at each other through binoculars, just a couple of hundreds of yards away," said Lt. Mari Eves. "All are unique experiences that I've enjoyed and will always cherish."

"We Stick Together" references the five Sullivan Brothers who insisted on being stationed during World War II. Their spirit and mantra continue through USS The Sullivans (DD537), USS The Sullivans (DDG 68), and now, the Eves Twins.

• Date Taken: 08.24.2021
• Date Posted: 08.23.2021 21:29
• Story ID: 403774
• Location: GULF OF ADEN