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Quadruplets (Plus One) Join Up

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Siblings often follow in each other’s footsteps, but you don’t often see a clan of family members joining the military at the same time – especially when there are five of them who are the same age. 

4 teens pose with parents on roof in New York City
Lees children
Teens from left: Bryce, Yoel, Rose and Mason pose in New York City with their parents, Nick and Lyvonne Lees, while on vacation. Photo courtesy of the Lees family
Photo By: DOD photo
VIRIN: 180525-O-ZZ999-694Y

The Lees family of Ada, Michigan, is different. Their 18-year-old quadruplets all joined up together after high school graduation this spring, and here’s the thing – there’s one more 18-year-old in the family who enlisted.

You see, it’s a bit complicated. 

12 siblings sit in grass
Lees family
All 12 Lees children, and one significant other, pose together at a family photo shoot. Photo courtesy of the Lees family
Photo By: DOD photo
VIRIN: 170921-O-ZZ999-294

To say that the Lees family is dynamic would be an understatement. Parents Nick and Lyvonne have 12 children, including SEVEN who graduated high school in 2018. FIVE of those 18-year-olds joined the military: quadruplets Nevin, Rose, Bryce and Mason, and their adopted brother, Yoel. 

Nevin and Yoel joined the Marines, Rose is in Air Force ROTC, Bryce joined the Navy, and Mason joined the Tennessee Air National Guard.

Nevin Lees stands in Marine Corps uniform
Nevin Lees
Nevin Lees returns home after completing Marine Corps boot camp. Photo courtesy of the Lees family
Photo By: DOD photo
VIRIN: 180512-O-ZZ999-225

And here’s the thing – they didn’t all view the military in the brightest light before they made their decisions. 

“I mean, I viewed it in a bad way at first,” Bryce Lees said.

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But that changed when they learned about the educational benefits and how it could help their futures. And what they learned is something they want all teens still deciding their futures to know. 

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