KANSAS CITY, Mo. - All of their lives, Taylor and Tyler Adair, twin brothers, have made a conscious effort to be different. All of that is beginning to change.
Recently the brothers, who look nearly identical but are fraternal twins, now share a common bond and will resemble each other even more so from their combat boots to the name on the their uniform. The juniors from Southwest High School here recently joined the Missouri Army National Guard.
"I thought it was a good opportunity," Tyler said. "It sounded like a good deal. Two days, pay, benefits — it was all there. That, added on to the enjoyment of it — it was a no-brainer for me."
Tyler takes the credit for being the first to have the idea of joining the military, which somewhat negated the brothers' plan to stay out of each other's way.
"I accidentally talked him into it," Tyler said. "I was trying to gloat about my decision and I ended up talking him into it. I didn't think he would actually join."
Taylor, the older brother by seven minutes, said it is common for people to lump the two together and consider them as the same individual.
"I was already thinking about joining but we try our best not to get into each other's way," Taylor said. "For instance I was in debate so he didn't try to be in debate. This is the first time that, wow, I actually joined the same thing as him."
Though they strive to be different in all things, there will be a lot of similarities between the brothers, at least initially.
Both soldiers leave in May, one day apart, for basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and both will later train to be unit supply specialists though they will ultimately drill with different units in different cities.
Taylor will serve with Detachment 1, Headquarters Company, 35th Infantry Division in Lexington. Tyler will be with Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 1-138th Infantry Regiment in Kansas City.
It's possible the brothers may be in the same unit during basic training, but they are not sure how that will pan out.
"They may actually put us together," Taylor said. "We're not sure."
"A lot of people like to get a laugh by putting us together and comparing us to each other," Tyler said. "So, I wouldn't be surprised if we had the same room even."
Tyler said he's simply looking forward to the experiences he will encounter at Fort Jackson.
"I think of it as a win-win," Tyler said. "If I bunk with Taylor then I don't have to change my style too much, but if I bunk with someone else then I have the chance to make a new friend."
As coincidence would have it, the Adairs also share the same military job in supply but for different reasons.
"I chose my job first because he couldn't make up his mind," Tyler said, jokingly. "I went with supply because I can handle guns. That is a thrill for me because I want to be a mechanic one day. I thought that's a great idea and I can be around machinery more."
"I went with supply because I like doing inventory," Taylor said. "I can do inventory all day."
With one more year of high school still to complete, the Adairs will go to basic training this summer and upon high school graduation in 2014 they will attend their advanced individual training to become supply specialists.
Both have aspirations of becoming officers and plans to attend college.