Published: April 05, 2011
Brother, Where Art Thou?
By Capt. R. L. "Ed" Edwards
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq - One or two stoplights, a Methodist church, a Baptist church, and Gentry's-a combination full-service gas station and small restaurant that serves hamburgers and milkshakes. This is the world that Scott and Kevin Smira, two brothers from Florence, Miss., grew up in.
"Dad would always take us for a free milkshake if we hit a homerun," Kevin Smira said. "Of course, we were always watching the other kids get the free milkshake," he added with a grin.
Although their world has changed from those simple days playing baseball and growing up in a small Mississippi town, the patriotism instilled deep within these two men has not.
Sgt. Maj. Willie Ross (left) of the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade's 1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment, and his cousins; brothers Sgt. Scott Smira (center), who is also a member of 1-185th AHB; and Kevin Smira, a Hawker-Beechcraft Project Manager.
Photo:Capt. R.L. "Ed" Edwards |
Two prior generations of "Citizen Soldiers" in the family ensure that patriotism is kept alive by these two sons of the South.
Both men speak with deep pride when they mention their grandfather; a man who retired from the U.S. Navy and then put in almost 20 years as a technician with the Mississippi Air National Guard. They also speak with that same pride about their father; a man who also was with the Mississippi Air National Guard for over 25 years.
Scott Smira is a sergeant and aircraft engine mechanic in the Mississippi Army National Guard's 1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment-called Task Force Griffin-which is currently deployed to Contingency Operating Base (COB) Speicher, Iraq.
Back home, Scott spends time with his wife Trish and sons Jacob and Matthew, and works as a technician with the Mississippi Army National Guard in Jackson. In Iraq, he's the lead mechanic in his section, spending his time repairing Black Hawk helicopter engines.
Sgt. Scott Smira (right) shares a laugh with his brother, Kevin Smira, at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq. Scott is a UH-60 Black Hawk engine mechanic for the Mississippi National Guard's 1st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 185th Aviation Regiment.
Photo: Capt. R.L. "Ed" Edwards |
His brother Kevin is a technical sergeant in the Kansas Air National Guard, having reenlisted last week. Kevin is not deployed to Iraq as a Guardsman on this trip. This time, Kevin is in Iraq as a civilian contractor.
Kevin is Hawker-Beechcraft's project manager for the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) at COB Speicher. His employer is responsible for training Iraqi Air Force instructor pilots.
Back home, Kevin is called dad by Madelaine, Lizzy, Lee and Peyton. Kevin's wife, Amanda, has moved the family back to Mississippi to be closer to family while Kevin is away.
Although serving in different capacities this deployment, Scott and Kevin have deployed before. Kevin has deployed to Iraq twice and Scott has deployed to Kosovo.
Both men are now part of Operation New Dawn and both said they believe in what they are doing. Their battalion is attached to the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, which is conducting full-spectrum aviation operations in Iraq during a critical drawdown year in the country.
Kevin arrived on COB Speicher first, in late January. Scott arrived in February with Task Force Griffin.
"It was nice to see my brother when I got here," Scott said. "Of course, since he has a car, I got him to take me to the PX to get stuff for my CHU (containerized housing unit). Kevin still takes me and his best friend from growing up, Sgt. Edward Raymond, to the main dining facility a couple of times a week."
Kevin's face turned solemn for moment after mentioning that his grandmother passed away a week before. "It was very different having family here than it would have been had either of us been alone. ... We had each other here for support."
Their father told them they should not go back to Mississippi for the funeral because everyone understood what they were doing and that they could say their goodbyes to their grandmother on their return.
Scott and Kevin Smira are a story that is not uncommon in Iraq, but theirs is unique because it doesn't stop there.
Willie Ross, the command sergeant major for Task Force Griffin, is a cousin. Kevin recalled how Willie "kept us in line" growing up in rural Mississippi.
"Willie's driveway is exactly a mile from mine. I know because that is where I turn around when I go for my training runs!" Scott laughed.
The brothers will be joined by their youngest brother in June when he is deployed as an individual augmentee for the Mississippi Air National Guard. Then things will really get interesting.
Sgt. Scott Smira (left) looks on as his brother, Kevin, a Hawker-Beechcraft project manager, shows him the storage compartment in an Iraqi Air Force T-6 where an American Flag was flown to commemorate Kevin's recent reenlistment.
Photo: Capt. R.L. "Ed" Edwards |
Kevin Smira (right) looks on as Randy Dotson (left), of L3 Vertex of Madison, Miss., explains the operation of the Iraqi Air force T-6 trainer to Sgt. Scott Smira.
Photo: Capt. R.L. "Ed" Edwards) |
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