Face of Defense:Twins Serve Together in Afghanistan

By Army Sgt. Robert Yarbrough 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, May 29, 2013 - Army 1st Lts. Joseph and Joshua Mouré, twin brothers from Covington, Ga., are both deployed to Forward Operating Base Shank here with the 3rd Infantry Division's 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Army 1st Lts. Joshua, right, and Joseph Mouré pose for a photo May 24, 2013, at Forward Operating Base Shanks in Afghanistan's Logar province. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert Yarbrough  Joseph, about two minutes older than Joshua, is the fires support officer with the brigade's Company C, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, and Joshua is the liaison officer for the brigade's 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment."It was nice always having someone there to hang out with," Joshua said, about growing up with a twin. "We always were on the same football team, baseball team, things like that," added Joseph. "We grew up playing war and stuff like that, so we decided, I guess, we'll make it a career," Joshua said. Their parents, Joseph and Tammy Mouré, both served in the Army's Signal Corps, and the lieutenants said that was a factor in their decision to join. The twins joined the Georgia National Guard in 2006, attended the Georgia Military College, and were commissioned in 2008. They finished their degrees at North Georgia College and State University, where they met their wives, Abby and Ashley, who were roommates at the time. Joseph attended the field artillery basic officers leadership course at Fort Sill, Okla., and Joshua attended the infantry basic officers leadership course at Fort Benning, Ga. After their training, they were assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division's 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, also known as the Vanguard Brigade. "Since Josh was going to be infantry, I figured he needed somebody to protect him," Joseph joked. "It's good being the fires support officer so I can call in air assets, artillery, and mortar fire to help out the guys. It's pretty interesting de-conflicting and controlling those assets while the infantry are maneuvering around." As a liaison officer, Joshua is responsible for keeping the communication and information networks flowing between his battalion and the brigade. "I see what goes on at the brigade side, and I can help to translate down to the battalion, and vice-versa, so there's a clearer picture," he explained. The Mouré twins said being misidentified can be a challenge. "People come up and start talking to you, and you have no idea what they're talking about," Joseph said. "It gets old fast," Joshua added.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

Face of Defense:

Army Civil Engineer Serves in Afghanistan

By Karla Marshall Army Corps of Engineers, Afghanistan Engineer District South KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, April 1, 2013 - Linda Murphy said her passion to use her expertise to help Afghans improve their quality of life caused her to trade-in her designer pumps for some steel-toed boots. Afghanistan-deployed U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civilian employee and civil engineer Linda Murphy, right, meets with Afghan Minister of Energy Ishmael Khan as part of her duties as the Afghanistan Engineer District-South Water and Infrastructure program manager. Courtesy photo  Murphy is a civil engineer, and she serves here as chief of the Water and Infrastructure Project Management Branch with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Afghanistan Engineer District South.Competition spurred Murphy from a young age, she said. "My best friend and I were always competing in math grades and science fairs," she said. Those experiences, she said, taught her the value of working hard, living up to promises and commitments, and doing her best. So following her dream, she said, was not scary or particularly difficult. "I liked architecture but my best friend's dad was a Purdue University engineering alumnus and he convinced many of us from our high school to go into engineering at Purdue," Murphy said. Pursuing engineering at Purdue was a logical choice for Murphy, who said she figured out in high school that she wanted to be self-sufficient. Murphy reasoned that attaining a science, technology, engineering and math degree would help ensure that her future was wide open and that she'd always be employed. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., Murphy began her career as an engineer with the USACE Louisville District in Louisville, Ky., in 1983. Working her way up through the ranks at her home district, Murphy was chief of the Civil Project Management and Programs Branch of the Louisville District when she deployed to Kandahar Airfield in January 2012. "Now that I had gotten both my daughters off to college as fairly self-sufficient women, I decided to deploy to provide assistance to the women and men of the coalition forces and particularly to the women and men of Afghanistan," she explained. "I knew that I could contribute to the mission and grow as a person at the same time." One year later Murphy doesn't regret that decision and she has opted to extend an additional nine months to manage one of the South District's most challenging programs. She leads a team of project managers who oversee construction projects that directly contribute to the improvement of Afghanistan's infrastructure. Water and electricity availability, bridges and roads, university facilities and medical clinics all fall under Murphy's purview and leadership. "I have never been one to back down from a challenge," she said. "Working in Afghanistan has broadened my experiences, allowed me to do something outside my comfort zone, and given me a greater appreciation for what I have back home." In addition to a successful career with the Corps of Engineers, four of Murphy's best female friends are also engineers at the Louisville District. Having that core group of friends, Murphy said, has made her career a rewarding one. "For young women, engineering probably doesn't seem like a very glamorous career but if they are given opportunities to see engineers at work, ask questions, and are encouraged to enjoy math and science, more would probably show interest," Murphy said. "I am grateful that my core group of friends shares a similar background with me. As women who are engineers, we look for opportunities to mentor younger women and share our careers with them." The important thing is to be passionate about what you want to do, Murphy said. For her, coming to Afghanistan has enabled her to continue her passion. She believes that she and her fellow women engineers deployed to Afghanistan all serve for a common purpose and goal which emulates the Corps of Engineers' motto, -- Essayons, which means "Let Us Try." "We are daughters, sisters, aunts, nieces, mothers, and even grandmothers -- coming together here for one cause -- to make a contribution for a better future for not only the women of Afghanistan but for everyone here," Murphy said. "And like our Corps' motto states, -- we will try. We will try our hardest."

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force