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Local Brothers Find Themselves Deployed To Same Base In Afghanistan
July 16, 2010
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Two brothers from Atmore have been been deployed to the same base in Afghanistan.
Many armed services personnel are separated from their families for a long period of time on a regular basis due to deployments. Although some military members have a spouse or other family member that is also in the military and deploys frequently, rarely are they deployed at the same time or to the same location.
In Afghanistan, two brothers have found themselves deployed, not only at the same time, but to the same location as well. U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Dempsey Walker, supply support activity platoon sergeant, Company A, Task Force Workhorse, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Falcon, from Atmore, Ala., has spent 24 years in the Army and is currently on his fourth deployment. His brother, U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Nicholas Walker, a computer systems manager with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan, also from Atmore, has spent 17 years in the Air Force and is currently on his third deployment. Both are deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.
“This is the first time we have been deployed to the same base,” said Dempsey. “We were stationed in Korea at the same time and deployed to Iraq at the same time, but to different bases.”
“When I got here, my brother had already been here for six months,” said Nicholas. “It makes life here a lot easier, having a family member so close who can relate to what you are doing.”
Dempsey said he was anxious to join the military and chose the Army because it was able to let him join three months earlier than the other services. Nicholas, however, was not as anxious and made his decision based on the experiences of his brothers.
“We have an older brother that used to be in the Air Force,” said Nicholas. “After I talked to both my brothers, I decided the Air Force was right for me.”
According to Dempsey, the brothers get together at least once a week. They spend their time talking, going to church or just hanging out together. They usually eat at least one meal together whenever their schedules allow.
“It is nice to have a family member here to talk to,” said Dempsey. “Someone who is in the same location and situation and who can understand and relate to the types of problems that can pop up from time to time. In times like these, it is good to have your brother by your side.”
Pictured: U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Nicholas Walker (right), a computer systems manager with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan, sites and talks with his brother U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Nicholas Walker (left), a computer systems manager with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force – Afghanistan recently at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Photo by U.S. Army Sft. Robert Healy, Task Force Workhorse, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
19 Responses to “Local Brothers Find Themselves Deployed To Same Base In Afghanistan”
Hey guys! Glad to see that you are together. Praying your safe return!!
I AM HAPPY TO SEE TWO NICE AND INTELLIGENT YOUNG MEN SERVING OUR COUNTRY. MAY GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU FROM ALL DANGER AND HARM. MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
America’s Finest right there. Tip of the Cap and a Bravo Zulu to these fine men.
Be victorious and come home safe to us.
Thank you for serving our nation.
I am so proud of both of you. Gaines Chapel Church has produced some of the finest young men in Atmore Alabama. I am very proud to know you both. My prayers continue to follow you where ever you go. I know you have done Mrs. Walker and your entire family along with your church family proud. We will see both of you when you arrive back in Atmore.
THANKS GUYS FOR ALL YOU DO FOR OUR COUNTRY. THE SACRIFICES THAT YOU ALL MAKE. I HAVE A SISTER THAT IS DEPLOYED AND MY FAMILY AND I ARE SO PROUD OF HER. YOU ARE ALL HEROES IN MY BOOK. STAY PRAYERFUL IN ALL YOU DO AND KEEP GOD FIRST.
GREAT STORY.
LINDA JACKSON
ATMORE RESIDENT
The two of you (as well as everyone else who is or has been in the Armed Forces) are in my prayers! Thank you so much for all that you have done, are doing, and will continue to do everyday for our country! GOD BLESS YOU!
(:
@airforcewxguy…you’ll have lots of brothers and sisters going with you. Also, lots of good wishes. I am the mother of a 2 time Iraqi vet…he is also in the Air Force. God bless all our troops!
I wish I had a brother or any family member going to Kandahar, Afghanistan with me in November.
i just wanted to send out a big “THANK YOU” from everyone to the gentlemen in the story
wpnod,
I understand your sentiment, but to bring them home would require us to secure our border COMPLETELY. We have never really exhibitied the testicular fortitude needed to make that happen.
We need to read immigration as an economic / nat’l security issue; not as a measure of our hospitality.
stay safe guys! thank you!!!
“where would our country be without these courageous men and women doing their best to keep us safe?”
I’ve got a better question: where would our country be without us being involved in two so-called wars (Iraq and Afghanistan), where there is no real appreciation for our efforts from the local population and no real historical indication that we could ever achieve any of our “goals” there?
The answer is: with a much lower Federal deficit and with a lot happier military family. Not to mention lots more LIVE soldiers as opposed to casualties. Sorry Judy, they’re not fighting for our freedom. That’s military propaganda. They’re fighting a political agenda. Our home soil is no more or less safe regardless of how many of our children deploy and die overseas. This isn’t WWII.
Thanks JW,
My first thoughts were “they can’t do that”. Now that I think about it I think I have heard stories on TV about brothers serving at the same time over there. I also remember thinking “they can’t do that can they”.
Was it a WWII thing when families lost all of their male family members that these “misunderstandings” about new laws came into the picture.
Personally, volunteer or not, I don’t think more than one family member should be at risk at a time. My first thoughts of your information on current procedure is who are they kidding! Making soldiers apply for the policy; they can’t convience me that in this day and time there is not any computer software that can track every military member regardless of which branch they are in.
It would be real hard to not send family members to the same deployed location, especially since they are in different services (AF vs Army).
(I’m about to go David Huie Green on ya’ll, please forgive me)
Thinker…this is what your talking about, The Sole Survivor Policy or DoD Directive 1315.15 “Special Separation Policies for Survivorship” describes a set of regulations in the U.S. military that are designed to protect members of a family from the draft or from combat duty if they have already lost family members in military service
It is widely thought that this policy protects “only sons”, “the last son to carry the family name”, and “sole surviving sons” of a family from the draft. However, the policy in fact states that they are only protected from draft during peacetime. In times of war or national emergency as declared by Congress, this provision does not apply to any of the above.
Also, this provision is voluntary, meaning that the member wishing to be sent home has to apply for the policy and get their application approved. Furthermore, it does not apply strictly to the sole surviving son, but to all surviving sons….(from Wikipedia)
Bagram is a “hot” base, it does get attacked by in direct fire (IDF) quite frequently.
Not cool to deploy brothers to same base. If base is destroyed by attack, the family could lose both. I thought this was against military policy.
“Thanks” seems so small, compared to the task these brave men and women sacrifice every minute for ALL OF OUR FREEDOM. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate the military, and the families of those serving. It’s what makes this country what it is!!!
God bless these two men and ALL of our military men and women!! Thanks guys for your service
great story! they are REAL heros…may God bless them both and get them back safe and sound! ….. im visiting my daughter right now, prior to her afgan deployment on sunday… where would our country be without these courageous men and women doing their best to keep us safe? i so appreciate all of our vets and military folks!
Thanks guys for what you are doing to help keep America free!