Brother escorts brother in sister-service convoy

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class J.G. Buzanowski
  • Combined Air Operations Center Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) --  When Lt. Col. Greg Harbin landed at the airport in Mosul, Iraq, he knew he had to travel to the operational headquarters on the other side of town. He also knew an Army convoy would be escorting him. What he did not know was that his brother would be the convoy commander.

Colonel Harbin was there to talk about precision targeting techniques with Soldiers and Marines. His younger brother, 1st Lt. Eric Harbin, was there as part of the 877th Engineering Battalion of the Alabama National Guard.

“I had never seen my brother in a military light,” Colonel Harbin said. “It was very powerful and emotional for me. Here was my little brother, not only in a convoy in Iraq, but in charge of it.”

The initial meeting was joyous, as the two brothers saw each other for the first time in 10 months. Soon after they settled in to their armored vehicles, the smiles faded away. Colonel Harbin said, it was “go-time.”

“Those Soldiers were pros,” the colonel said. “We hardly spoke to one another the entire trip. They had weapons ready, scanning the crowded streets for possible threats. (They were) all business.”

Lieutenant Harbin’s unit was deployed for the first time since World War II. Besides escort duty, the 877th also helped build schools, roads and airfields.

“The actual execution of the mission wasn’t very different from many we had done in the past,” Lieutenant Harbin said. “But, it was a strange feeling to be responsible for getting my brother and his equipment moved through a combat zone in Iraq. We knew the hazards, and we knew what to expect.”

Fortunately, the convoy made it safely, without a single shot fired.

“They stayed together, had great communication, did everything to make themselves a hard target,” Colonel Harbin said. “They were just so professional; I was really impressed and felt safe.”

Once the convoy reached its destination, the Harbin brothers were able to take a few moments to catch up with one another.

“At one point, I was overwhelmed. I paused and just looked at my brother in action,” Colonel Harbin said. “I realized how big the war on terrorism is, and yet, this personalized it a bit more for me. He and I are on opposite ends of the spectrum, and there we were on the same mission.”