Photo By Sgt. Jacob Tucker | U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to Company D, 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, 48th...... read more read more
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FORT STEWART, Ga. — Few Soldiers have the honor of serving alongside a family member in uniform. For U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Edward Barlowe, he is privileged to call his three sons brothers in arms. Barlowe and sons Caleb, Jacob, and Daniel serve together in 3rd Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, a unit of the Georgia Army National Guard’s 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The 48th IBCT is at Fort Stewart, Georgia, this week for annual training, seconding as a family reunion for the Barlowes.
“It does present proud feelings as a father,” Barlowe said. “I would be proud no matter what they chose to do as long as they were productive citizens.”
Barlowe enlisted in 1994 at 18 years old. After completing the Ranger Indoctrination Program, he was assigned to 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, and later served with the 10th Mountain Division, deploying multiple times before transitioning to civilian life.
In 2015, he returned to service with the Georgia Army National Guard, where he now serves as readiness noncommissioned officer and interim first sergeant of Company C.
Although his sons grew up hearing stories about Army life, Barlowe never pressured them to enlist.
“When Jacob wanted me to sign for him to enlist at 17, I told him that’s a commitment you must make on your own,” he said. “It’s your service commitment, not mine.”
That approach helped shape three Soldiers who now serve in the same battalion as their father.
“My father served on active duty in the 1990s and later in the [Georgia Army National] Guard,” said Sgt. Caleb Barlowe, an infantryman assigned to Company D.. “Seeing that as a kid, I think that really propelled me to make the decision.”
What makes Barlowe most proud is not that his sons followed him into uniform, but the leaders they are becoming.
“The two oldest are NCOs now, and what impresses me most is how seriously they approach teaching, training and mentoring Soldiers,” he said. “Daniel isn’t an NCO yet, but his desire to learn is shaping his future.”
While annual training offered another opportunity to serve together, one of Barlowe’s proudest moments came during the battalion’s 2024 deployment. While Caleb and Jacob deployed overseas, Barlowe remained stateside with the rear detachment.
Throughout the mission, he regularly received praise from leaders who described his sons’ ability to excel in demanding situations, often outside their normal training and comfort zones. Hearing how they adapted, performed and represented the battalion reinforced his pride as both a father and a senior noncommissioned officer.
For Barlowe, the experience reinforced something he had already begun to realize: his sons were no longer simply following his example. They were becoming leaders in their own right.
One day, his military career will end, but the legacy he has built through service will continue.
Their shared experience reflects the values the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team seeks to build through annual training: commitment, leadership and investment in the next generation of Soldiers.
“It’s a rare occurrence that a father has served with three sons in the same battalion,” he said. “I am proud of each and every one of them.”
| Date Taken: | 06.10.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 06.10.2026 13:19 |
| Story ID: | 567277 |
| Location: | FORT STEWART, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 279 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Service Runs Deep in the Barlowe Family, by SPC Ayanna Tillman and SPC Julia Hart, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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