By Staff Sgt. Regina Machine
Third Army/ARCENT Public Affairs
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait -- Being deployed with a family member can reduce the stressors of being away from home. For two servicemembers, being deployed with their family members have others seeing double.
Identical twins, Sgt. 1st Class Yolanda Scott, Third Army/ARCENT, logistics, transportation coordinator, and Sgt. 1st Class Wanda Scott, Army Field Support Battalion, maintenance supervisor, natives of Rochester, N.Y. and residents of Atlanta, have spent most of their 18-year military career stationed together.
Wanda and Yolanda, who refer to themselves as the oldest or the youngest, still cannot escape being known as the twins.
Up until they were 15, people really didn't know their names, said Wanda. "It was always, the twins. People are always asking questions like, can you feel her pain."
"We stopped doing that twin thing when we were old enough to dress ourselves," said Yolanda, who is one minute older.
After joining the Army two days apart, they both set out on their own separate military careers, but somehow they always seemed to end up stationed on the same post with one always following a few months behind the other, even with deployments.
In 2003, Yolanda and Wanda were deployed to Iraq a month apart. They are currently deployed here in support of Operation New Dawn. This marks Yolanda's fourth and Wanda's third deployment.
"It is good we deploy together," said Wanda. "I have my sister and I can always find her if I need to talk to someone. The bad part is that our mom has both of her daughters gone."
"Our first deployment was tough on our mom," said Yolanda. "But now she is used to it."
With the advances in technology, deployments are a lot easier on their mom, reiterated Yolanda.
"Now we can call anytime we want to and let her know how we are doing," Wanda stated.
Wanda and Yolanda's permanent change of station with Third Army/ARCENT in May 2010 marked the first time the sisters were in the same unit and the same section by choice. Being afforded the opportunity to deploy with family members is a luxury many Soldiers do not have.
They are one of few siblings serving with Third Army. Their support in logistics and maintenance helps ensure the war fighter receives the support they need to continue their missions.
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