Here's how you know
 **Official websites use .mil** .mil
 **Secure .mil websites use HTTPS** lock () https://


Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 Toggle navigation
            
            
            
            
            National Guard
                        Always Ready Always There
                    National Guard
            
            Search National Guard:
                        Search
                    Search
                        Search National Guard:
                            Search
    Home

    News
    
        Guard News

    Overseas Operations

    State Partnership Program

    News Features

    RSS Feeds

    Press Releases

    Transcripts

    Features
    
        Features by Year

    Posture Statement

    State Partnership Program

    Special Features

    About the Guard
    
        How We Began

    Air National Guard

    Army National Guard    
    
        DEERS Soldier Journey

    Leader Development Program

    History and Heritage

    I am the Guard

    NGB Official March

    Leadership
    
        CNGB

    VCNGB

    SEA

    DANG

    DARNG

    Joint Staff    
    
        J-1

    J-2

    J-3

    J-4

    J-5

    J-6

    J-7

    J-8

    Personal Staff    
    
        Inspector General

    General Counsel

    Public Affairs

    Executive Support Services

    Legislative Liaison

    Special Staff    
    
        National Guard Office of Special Victims' Counsel

    Office of the Provost Marshal

    Office of the Joint Surgeon

    Director of Acquisitions

    Small Business Programs

    Chaplain

    Senior Leader Management Office

    Diversity Equity Inclusion

    Comptroller

    Resources    
        National Defense Strategy Implementation Guidance

    Community Engagement

    FOIA

    Fact Sheets

    Helpful Links

    Image Gallery
    
        News Images

    Graphics

    Historical Paintings

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

    Legislative Liaison

    Small Business Programs

    Social Media

    State Websites

    Videos    
    
        Featured Videos

    On Every Front

    2019 Videos

    2020 Videos

    2021 Videos

    Suicide Prevention

    Family Programs

    Environmental

    Trial Defense Service

    Holistic Wellness Challenge

    Contact Us  Home
  News
  News Features
 
 Download
 Details
 Share
 NEWS
 National Guard Enables Twins to Support Family, Start Career By Terrance Bell,
                Fort Lee Public Affairs Office
 FORT LEE, Va. – Separation can wait, at least for now. Team Gregory – 18-year-old identical twins Jaiden P. and Teagen N. Gregory – braced themselves to part ways as they headed into the Army National Guard earlier this year. They thought the move would jumpstart their entries into adulthood – a gentle nudge toward pursuing individual interests after a childhood of twin closeness. Unexpectedly, what was supposed to happen did not. By happenstance, the two privates spent 20 weeks shouting distance from one another during basic combat training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and advanced individual training at the Ordnance School at Fort Lee. At each stage of initial training, the close-knit pair steeled themselves for what they thought would be a break-up — and rejoiced each time they were afforded another opportunity to be together. It was proof Gregory love runs deep. “Honestly, she is one of the biggest parts – if not the biggest – part of my world,” said Teagen of her sister. “She has always been beside me every step of the way. Even with this journey, she’s been right there.” Separation seems foreign to the Gregory twins. They have always had a strong connection and have never been away from each other, said Jaiden, taller by half an inch and older by 10 minutes. “I actually never really imagined a future where I wasn’t directly next to her,” she said. The Gregorys can be described as a team with individual traits – Teagen is extroverted while Jaiden is reserved – and the two balance each other in complementary ways. “I think we’ve grown up so synchronized we can finish each other’s sentence,” said Jaiden. “For me personally, I know I’ve always struggled to speak or look directly at people, so I used her to finish my sentences at times.” The eldest of five children, the Gregory twins grew up in a single-parent household in the Pittsburgh suburb of Homestead, Pennsylvania. They have been caretakers for their younger siblings and still see themselves in that light. That was especially the case during the pandemic. “Our mom needed to go back to work, and someone needed to take care of the baby,” said Teagen, “so, we dropped out.” Of high school, that is. To the former junior ROTC students, nothing was more important than family, and the sacrifice seemed small compared to what their mother was up against. “We would take our baby sister off of our mother’s hands at night after she worked a 12-hour shift,” said Jaiden. The “baby,” now a toddler, and the other youngsters still aren’t content with commercial care providers. And the twins are not ready to move on as they embrace the obligation of supporting their mother. “That’s why we’re National Guard,” said Jaiden, “Because I feel like they’re not ready to let us go, and we’re not ready to leave them.” The National Guard offers flexibility for those not ready for full active-duty service commitments. After basic combat and advanced individual training, the state-based military force generally requires Soldiers to report for duty one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. Guard units are subject to activation at any time. Team Gregory liked what the National Guard offered, accommodating the time needed to address family issues and sort out career goals. When they decided to join, their recruiter helped them through the process of earning general education diplomas and advised them about job training and college tuition assistance. “It was the opportunity to experience (different things) and education, really,” said Jaiden, who with her sister, trained as a 91B wheeled vehicle mechanic. “I wasn’t too sure what to do with myself, so I put myself in the Army to push me into the right direction.” “It gave me opportunities I probably wouldn’t have come across had I not joined,” added Teagen. The Gregory twins graduated as mechanics in early October. They will be assigned to Bravo Company, 128th Brigade Support Battalion, Pennsylvania National Guard, based in Pittsburgh. Though the twins skated through initial training in the company of each other, future military training or life events may separate them. “Before coming here, I kind of adjusted myself to the thought of, ‘Yeah, I’m going to separate, and that’s going to be OK,‘ ” said Teagen with a slightly trembling voice. “I know that we will always keep in touch if we do.” Said Jaiden, “Even when we separate, we will be able to pick up on the conversation when we see each other again.”
 SHARE
 PRINT
  Pennsylvania Army National Guard
 Fort Lee
 NY Army Guard Band Performs for Netherlands King and Queen News Features • yesterday
 Chaplains Address Guard Soldiers’ Spiritual, Mental Health News Features • 6 days ago
 Guard General Retires After Final Watch at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier News Features • 7 days ago
 Young Cancer Patient Made Honorary 1st Sergeant in Illinois Guard News Features • 7 days ago
 80 Years Ago, National Guard Units Played Key Role in D-Day Landings News Features • 13 days ago
 2024 (47)  2023 (107)  2022 (121)  2021 (119)  2020 (203)  2019 (208)  2018 (165)  2017 (164)  2016 (109)  2015 (52)
 Home
 Site Map
 Privacy & Security Policy
 Link Disclaimer
 Web Policy
 DOD Information Quality
 DOD Open GovernmentFOIA
 No FEAR Act
 Accessibility/Section 508
 Contact Us
 Army Guard Careers
 Air Guard Careers
 USA.gov
                    
Staying Connected
    XYouTubeFlickrFacebookInstagram
                 
                
                

Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil