Story & Photo by Cheryl Rodewig
The Fort Benning Bayonet

FORT BENNING, Ga., (August 27, 2009) - The cadre at the 30th Adjutant General Battalion (Reception) aren’t seeing double - they’re seeing triple.

Identical triplets Joshua, Jacob and John Temple arrived at the battalion Aug 17.

The Temple brothers are the first triplets to pass through in more than 20 years, said Erma Thompson, chief of personal affairs, who has worked at the battalion since it opened on Sand Hill in 1983.

“I’ve seen several twins, a father and son going through basic at the same time … no triplets,” said Thompson, who processes about 28,000 to 30,000 new recruits every year. “The triplets are phenomenal for us.”

The El Dorado, Ark., natives signed up for the Army National Guard March 30, 2009, just four days after their 17th birthdays.

“It’s kind of a family thing,” said Jacob Temple, of their mutual decision to join the service.

“Our family has been in the military for a long time,” he said. “Our grandfather was in the Navy. Our uncle is Air Force Reserve. Our dad used to be in the Army. Great-grandfather was in the Army; I have his jacket.”

The brothers also share their MOS as Infantrymen and the reasons behind their decision to join the military, which include a solid career, financial help for college and a good foundation for raising a family, they said.

“When we were younger, we did things together, but as we grew older, we started doing our own thing, got our own friends and kind of went our different ways for a little bit — and here we are now,” John Temple said.

John said he wants to major in computer programming at a West Coast university. After that, he hopes to become an officer.

“I joined because I thought it would help me become a better man and set a future for me,” he said. “Being 17, I still have growing up to do, and I was hoping it would help speed that process up. I want to learn the leadership skills of the officer and maybe that will help me become a better person in life.”

“I’m in it for the experience pretty much,” said Joshua Temple, who has also set his sights on becoming an officer after college. “I’ve been told it’s supposed to be a really fun experience. I think it’ll be worth it.”

Joshua said working with his brothers in the same unit will have its ups and downs.

“We do have conflicts sometimes … very competitive,” he said.

However, their level of competition can be good, said Jacob, who plans to attend South Arkansas University and later become a warrant officer specializing in aviation.

“It helps encourage each other,” he said. “If we’re always trying to outdo each other — do better than him or him — he’s going to try to do better than me, because I’m trying to do better than him. So, it’s always pushing us further.”

Though they greet their new assignment at A Company, 2nd Battalion, 54th Infantry Regiment, with a mixture of emotions, overall, they are happy to launch their military career, they said. John summed up their sentiments: “I’m very excited to be here,” he said.