Dave Eckerson and his father, Tom
Duty and service run deep in the Eckerson family.
Identical twins Dan and Dave Eckerson and their father, Tom, have invested decades of their lives serving their country.
Tom served with the 48th Assault Helicopter Company in Vietnam (1970-71) and then joined the Montana Army National Guard, where he worked as an aircraft mechanic. He was deployed to Iraq at the same time as Dan, in 2004-05, as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom – III. Dan was serving as the personnel officer for the National Guard as well. It was his responsibility to account for the battalion’s soldiers and any injuries they sustained during the tour.
Dan and his father
During that one year in Iraq, there were moments when Dan and their dad would have a brief meetup.
“Traveling in and out of the different areas, we were able to see each other for brief moments,” Dan said. “I was really fortunate for those moments and very happy to see him.”
Dave Eckerson
Dan left Iraq the day before Dave arrived. Dave, who was already on his second tour of Iraq, had a week and a half overlap with his dad before he left for home.
“It was certainly great to see him, but at the same time, it’s kind of unusual meeting up with your dad in a combat zone,” Dave said.
Dave, who was a Chief Warrant Officer for the 57th Medical Detachment unit, flew helicopters on supply and medevac rescue missions, and ended up serving an additional two tours in Iraq in 2011-12 and 2017-18.
“There was comfort in knowing my brother and I were in the military at the same time,” Dan said. “And while we didn’t have a lot of the same experiences, in many ways we have had the same opportunities as identical twins to experience the military in a general way, in terms of working in the same environments, with the same struggles and work expectations.”
Their father retired in 2011 as a First Sergeant of the A-Company, 1-180 Aviation Battalion. Before his passing in 2020, he also volunteered as a member of the Honor Guard. Today, Dan and Dave both continue to work full-time as a Human Resources Officer and Chief Warrant Officer, respectively, at the National Guard’s state headquarters in Helena. Both are scheduled to retire at the end of this year.
Dan Eckerson
“While our father neither encouraged nor discouraged us from joining the military,” Dan said, “he was sure proud of us when we enlisted. Serving was just a normal thing for our family.”
In fact, the brothers’ younger sister and her husband served as physician assistants for the National Guard. Other aunts, uncles and cousins also served in the various military branches through the years. Dave’s eldest son, 22, has enlisted and will receive his branch assignment about the same time his father retires.
“The exposure you get to society in the military, as well as the reality that the rest of the world is living in, really makes you realize how good things really are here in the United States,” Dan said. “There’s so many areas of the world that need help and I think the military gives you a reinforcement of empathy and the want to provide stability for those around you.”
For individuals contemplating joining the military, Dan has some advice.
“It’s not necessarily about what your friends or your family want you to think the military will be, but more of what you will make of it,” he said.
