FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- Although there is about a 4-inch difference in their height, on a first glance, people often confuse brothers Brent and Bryan Wright, who were born only three minutes apart.
While the twins admit that they have similar qualities, mannerisms and interests, they also are individuals, just as any other siblings would be. What makes them stand out is that they are part of a heavily Army-affiliated Family.
Born in Burlington, N.J., the 13-year-old Wright brothers have seen their share of the trials and tribulations that come with being an Army kid. They have experienced their share of moves -- from Kansas to West Virginia to Kentucky -- and have been settled at Fort Drum since 2010.
With a father who has been deployed four times and two older brothers who joined the Army, the boys have seen the impact that Army life has on the home front.
Although they were young for most of Master Sgt. Verle Wright's absences, Bryan, the jokester of the Family, said his most vivid memory of a deployment comes from last year when his father, a Soldier with Operations Company, Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 10th Mountain Division (LI) came home on leave sporting a mustache.
Brent, the more serious of the twins, noted that he remembers the first few days of a deployment always require a lot of adjustment.
"Then it becomes normal. You just get used to it," he explained.
During deployments, the boys become a support system for their mother, Teresa Wright.
"(Mom) gets sad. We comfort her," Brent said, noting the boys also try to help their mom lighten her load by doing more chores.
"(Brent and Bryan) obviously had more responsibilities this last deployment," the twins' father explained. "Being older (during the most-recent deployment), they were able to do a lot more things that I would do if I were here."
The boys admit that although they have to step up when their father is away, they don't mind doing additional tasks, and they even continued helping out once he redeployed.
"We use teamwork," Brent noted.
Their "teamwork" dates back their toddler days. However, they were less productive when they got together then.
Wright said the boys would pull a prank and then run in different directions, giggling the whole time because they knew it confused their parents.
Bryan says he enjoys having a twin brother because his best friend is always around, no matter where they move to.
The boys' mother noted Brent is more independent than Bryan, but Brent appreciates the perks of having a twin.
"You can't play football with yourself; usually you have to have someone else to play with. It's always good to know you have a brother to play with," Brent said.
Fort Drum is the Wrights' 12th assignment in 24 years. The boys' father noted that although they are used to moving, it is still stressful for the Family each time.
"When it comes to my kids, I always make sure I point out the positive part (to them), and they've always done pretty well," Wright said of her Family.
While Brent accepts his mother's positive outlook on relocating, Bryan -- the skeptic -- takes more time to get used to the idea of moving and settling in to their new home.
Although multiple moves can make it difficult for a child to adjust in a new school, the pressure of military life doesn't seem to weigh heavy on the brothers when it comes to their education.
As eighth-grade students at Carthage Middle School, the twins boast impressive academic resumes, as well as numerous scholastic medals and trophies.
They have spent most of their school careers on the honor roll, and both are members of the National Junior Honor Society.
To be part of the prestigious club, Brent and Bryan had to demonstrate characteristics such as responsibility, trustworthiness and good citizenship.
The brothers' twin gene is prominent when it comes to school. Both favor science and dislike English; however, they differ slightly because Brent also prefers to learn Spanish and Bryan likes social studies classes.
Although Brent claims to detest English, he also takes a 9th grade English Honors class. To remain in the higher-level class, he must maintain a grade point average above 85 and read an additional five books each year.
He looks to the future, noting he chose to take the advanced course because it will allow him to have an extra time slot once he gets to his senior year, which gives him the option to take additional classes.
"If I have that extra year in English, I would (have) a better chance of getting into a good college," he said.
If Brent remains in the honors classes throughout his high school career, he has the opportunity of taking higher-learning classes for college credits through Jefferson Community College.
When the Wright brothers aren't excelling at school, they can be found pouring their hearts into community service. Although it's not mandatory to put in volunteer hours to be part of Boy Scouts of America, the boys jump at most opportunities to help out.
Bryan and Brent have worked on a plethora of volunteer projects through Scouts, including serving at a church dinner and collecting gardening materials for underprivileged families.
They also donated their time to help out on post. They have landscaped Fort Drum's Memorial Park, served Thanksgiving dinner to Soldiers, and welcomed home HHBN Soldiers by decorating the barracks for redeploying Soldiers and putting up cup art on the fence along Route 26.
The boys said that even though they are not required to volunteer as much as they do, they want to show their support to Soldiers.
"Although I do feel (Bryan and Brent) are very polite, courteous and caring boys, I also think they need to be recognized for some of the extra work they do for others," the boys' mother said. "I believe our children should also be rewarded for (the) volunteering they do."
Bryan and Brent, who have become jacks of all trades, note that they owe a lot to military life because they have been able to get involved in different types of activities.
"You get to try new things as you move around," Bryan noted.
One activity both boys have taken a liking to is taekwondo. In February, both boys competed in the AAU Taekwondo Championships in Albany. The championship served as the qualifier for the Junior Olympics.
Bryan earned gold and silver medals, while Brent took home silver and bronze medals, which made them eligible to head to Florida in July for the Olympic competition.
Bryan also has been involved in archery, which he took a liking to when the Family lived in Kentucky. Since they moved to the North Country, he has been on a mission to form a school team.
Both agree that another positive aspect of being a military child is being able to bring activities to a new place each time they move.
The boys also share an interest in music -- Bryan plays trumpet in the band and Brent took up piano earlier this school year.
Although the boys believe they owe a lot to being part of an Army Family, neither brother has future aspirations of joining the military.
Bryan, who has a passion for science, hopes to become a pathologist. Brent, who also shares the science gene, said he wants to become a high school or middle school science teacher.
The boys note that they don't see themselves any different from their friends and classmates who are not military children.
"They're typical 13-year-olds, but I think they are a little more mature and responsible than their friends," Wright said of his sons. "When I'm away, I know I don't have to worry about them. I know they're helpful."
"The greatest compliment I've received is other parents saying that they're glad (my sons) hang out with their kids, because they make their kids better," he added.
The boys said they believe that volunteering time to help their community is just part of being a good citizen.
"They're good boys. They're pretty smart -- they take after Mom," Wright said of her sons.
Bryan agrees, joking, "I get my book smarts from Mom and my street smarts from Dad."
(Editor's note: Following is the last in a four-part series highlighting exemplary military youths at Fort Drum.)
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