BRISTOL — United States Army Capt. Anne Lero and First Lt. Margaret (Lero) Larson, both in their 20s, share not only the bond of sisterhood, but a life in the military. The sisters grew up in Bristol, but the Army officers are far from home — Anne in Libera, and Margaret is training to fly helicopters in Alabama.
The women are the only children of Joseph and Mary Lero of Bristol, and Mr. Lero said that while he's proud of his girls, their decision to serve their country has sometimes made life difficult back home.
"Three years ago (when Anne was stationed in Iraq) it was a difficult time for Mary and I. We pray a lot and we gave it over, and it made it a lot easier for us. Worrying takes a lot of energy that could be used for more constructive things."
Despite the challenges, he said he and his wife are extremely proud of their daughters.
Both sisters joined ROTC (Reserved Officer Training Corps) in college; Lt. Larson at Notre Dame in Indiana, and Capt. Lero at the University of Vermont. Lt. Larson met her husband Shane in the program, and they married over the 2006 Christmas holiday. He is attending Army medical school and is commissioned as a Medical Service Corps officer. The couple travel to see each other as time and their duties allow.
Lt. Larson is currently learning to fly helicopters at Fort Rucker in Alabama. There, she's enrolled in the Initial Entry Rotor Wing course, and has transferred from the aviation branch of the Army to the Medical Service Corps, which means she will fly only MEDEVAC (Medical evacuation) helicopters for the Army.
"I figured my husband and I could both eventually be in the business of saving lives," she said.
Lt. Larson, 23, is just getting started with her military career, and she looks up to her older sister and hopes to be the same kind of officer.
"My sister served as a wonderful role model and inspiration for me. She is trusted by her peers and respected and looked up to by her subordinates," she said.
Distant horizons
Capt. Lero, 25, is serving in Liberia, Africa, as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force. She began her military career in May 2004 as a military intelligence officer. Earlier in her career she was assigned to the famed "Screaming Eagles" 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, then based in Kentucky. After being deployed to Iraq, she served as a target analyst and a day intelligence battle captain. She has dealt with losing a friend to the war and endured many difficult days, but also remembers bright days in Iraq.
"Many days were challenging, but often rewarding. I recall being given one of our line company's coveted patches, a symbol from the pilots to show their appreciation for our hard work and what we provide for them everyday in attempts to influence the battlefield, and keep them safe and informed," she wrote in an e-mail.
Staying connected
Although the sisters live thousands of miles apart, they manage to stay connected by phone and e-mail. While in Iraq, Capt. Lero would commonly wake up at 4:30 a.m. to talk to her sister, since there was less competition for the phone lines that early. They also have been present for milestones in each other's lives, such as commissioning and promotion ceremonies. Lt. Larson was commissioned in May 2006 as an aviation officer, and her sister was there.
"My sister was deployed during my final semester at Notre Dame, but she was able to take her two-week vacation back to the United States from Iraq in May so she could commission me. Basically that means she read the commissioning oath and initiated me as an officer in the United States Army in front of all my family and friends," Lt. Larson said.
The sisters then headed home on a road trip. Capt. Lero said they try to find as much time together as they can.
"Any time we are together we have a blast. Of course, there are always the occasional fights, but they are over very quickly."
By Cindy VanSchalkwyk
cindyv@eastbaynewspapers.com