| CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, July 10, 2007 — Together since conception, Capts. Jordan and Jonah Burfield were finally separated when they deployed to Iraq. However, the Army also brought them back together for their promotions to captain at the Al Faw Palace here July 1, 2007.
Jordan is based at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad; Jonah is at Camp Falcon on the Iraqi capital’s south side, but thanks to mutual friends and each of their chains-of-command, the identical twins were able to celebrate this milestone together at Camp Victory, on Baghdad’s west side.
The Burfield twins have come a long way from their home in Lacrosse, Wis., since beginning their military careers only eight years ago.
“We were battle buddies in basic training, and the drill sergeants loved that,” said Jordan, a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. “I wasn’t the best soldier right away. I was probably the worst private there.”
“Jordan lacked discipline in the beginning,” said Jonah, who serves with the 47th Ordnance Company, 79th Ordnance Battalion. “I was constantly getting smoked every time he screwed up.”
“The drill sergeants tried to get us to hate each other because they wanted us to box each other at the company boxing match,” Jonah explained. “It didn’t work, though. We have such a unique bond that it just made us closer.”
When the boxing match finally came, the two brothers just tapped each other back and forth, refusing to actually come to blows, Jonah said. Looking back on it, they now argue about who would have actually won the match.
“He is a little bigger than me, but I have more fight in me,” Jonah said, measuring his brother with a glance.
“I don’t know about that! I think I would win,” Jordan quickly countered.
Back in basic training, Jordan remembered watching his brother being punished for his mistakes and lack of discipline, which inspired Jordan to get his own act together. Jordan finished as the honor graduate for his basic training class.
“Jonah made me a better soldier because I felt such a deep hurt watching him suffer because of me,” Jordan said.
The brothers agree the hardest part of leading nearly identical Army careers is watching the other one suffer during training. Especially the Special Forces training they went through in California, they said.
“But when we were kids we tricked every one into thinking we could (read each other’s minds),” Jonah said. “Jordan would tell the other kids a number, then I would put my fingers on his temples and he would flex his temples the number he was thinking.”
Jordan enjoyed his time reminiscing with his brother, he said.
|
