Interservice sisters reunite at Kirkuk

Published Nov. 21, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Daniel Martinez
506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs

KIRKUK REGIONAL AIR BASE, Iraq -- Two sisters, one an Airman and the other a Soldier, recently reunited here after not seeing each other for more than three years.

Spc. Julie Boggs said she was surprised her deployment allowed her to cross paths with her sister, Tech. Sgt. Miranda Minshew.

"It is kind of a long shot chance with her being in the Air Force," said the soldier assigned to the 263rd Quartermaster Company. "The chance wasn't very big that we were going to be deployed at the same time and actually see each other with all the different bases and our jobs being completely different."

Sergeant Minshew, a public health technician assigned to the 506th Expeditionary Medical Squadron, shared her sister's surprise and enthusiasm for the unlikely reunion.

"It's nice to have a familiar face here while you're away from your family," Sergeant Minshew said. "It's like a part of home is here."

When able, the sisters spent time catching up over coffee, watching movies and eating at the dining facility.

"We did a lot of just hanging out together," the sergeant said. "We spent time working out together as well. It was pretty much my daily routine with her tagging along. It was great."

Sergeant Minshew and Specialist Boggs, born 19 months apart, grew up in the small town of Arthur, Neb. They attribute the close bond they developed to the dense population of their hometown where they often socialized in the same circle of friends.

"We grew up in a really small town and a really small community so we did a lot of stuff together," Sergeant Minshew said. "Every memory I have, she's in it. She was always there."

Even though they chose different branches of service, they insist there is no friendly interservice rivalry between them. However, Sergeant Minshew made light of the different career paths they chose.

"She knows the Air Force is better," Sergeant Minshew said with both sisters laughing.

She then added, "I think the Army was a perfect fit for her and the Air Force was a perfect fit for me."

Sergeant Minshew enlisted in March of 1998. Her job in preventive medicine includes performing food inspections and setting up mosquito traps to help find and prevent the spread of diseases. Specialist Boggs joined the Army a year after her sister where her primary duties take her outside the wire setting up laundry and bath equipment for fellow Soldiers.

Specialist Boggs was told her unit would be reassigned to a different base in Iraq. Despite that, the sisters both said they were happy to have time to catch up with one another.

"I'm only here for a week so it's a really short visit," Specialist Boggs said. "(But) it's definitely nice having someone here that I know."