Written by Spc. Brian Smith-Dutton
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs
Paktiya Province, Afghanistan – Family is and has always been considered one of the most important subjects within the Army.
The Pagan twins are one example.
U.S. Army Spc. Janice Pagan, an automated logistical specialist assigned to Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team “Rakkasans,” 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), was granted a 3-day pass to reunite with her twin sister at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan.
The twins have not been able to come together in more than two years due to being in different units within the Army.
“It has been about two years since I last saw my sister,” stated Janice. “She went to Germany and I went to Fort Campbell.”
“Both of us being in the Army as well as her being in another country made it hard to be home at the same time,” said Janice.
Shortly after being told of her trip to see her twin, Janice was overwhelmed with excitement and called her sister to tell her the news.
“I got deployed in September and she got deployed in October,” said Janice. “I never thought we would get to see each other in Afghanistan.”
When hearing the news, Janice’s twin sister U.S. Army Spc. Janet Pagan, a unit supply specialist assigned to 72D Expeditionary Signal Battalion assigned to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, could not believe she was being afforded the opportunity to see her twin.
“I was so excited when I heard the news,” said Janet. “Even my command is excited and happy for me to be able to see my sister.”
“I was able to tell my family that Janice was coming to BAF,” said Janet. “They were so happy we were getting to see each other.”
Despite being in different units both sisters were deployed to eastern Afghanistan, separated by a mere, one-hour flight.
In addition to enlisting in the Army together, both sisters worked at the same job facilities in their hometown of Tampa, FL.
“We both worked at an eye clinic back home,” said Janice. “Janet was a transcriber and I worked an administration position.”
“We are those types of twins that do everything together,” said Janet. “It was her idea, but I couldn’t let my sister join the Army alone.”
“We were always doing everything together,” said Janice. “We are not identical but a lot of people would confuse our names because we were always around each other.”
In addition to looking very similar to one another the twins had also displayed their near perfected “twin talk.”
“We haven’t done anything this big together since our Quincenera,” both twins said at the same time.
“We have to go shopping today,” both twins declared.
“Yes we do,” agreed Janet. “We have always shopped together since we were kids.”
Despite being in a combat zone, the Pagan sisters enjoyed the time together they were afforded.
“We were able to call our family together,” said Janice. “It was a great feeling being able to call them with my sister.”
“It was as if we were never separated,” said Janet. “We did everything we could together while my sister was here.”
“The only time I spent at BAF was on my way to my area of operations,” said Janice. “It was exciting being able to see and do everything here with my sister.”
It was an extraordinary experience for both sisters, being able to spend quality time together while deployed.
Both agreed, these couple of days will never be forgotten.
