Brothers in Arms: Bond Strengthened on 41st IBCT Deployment

HOHENFELS, Germany - For Soldiers living abroad on deployment, family is usually a limited phone call and thousands of miles away. This is not the case for brothers 2nd Lt. Lincoln Miller and Spc. Markian Miller.

The Millers, assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oregon Army National Guard, are living in the same barracks and preparing for the same mission. The 41st IBCT is training for a nearly year-long deployment to Kosovo to support Kosovo Force, also known as KFOR.

Military service runs in their family, with their father previously serving in the U.S. Air Force and older brother also serving in the Oregon Army National Guard.

Lincoln Miller, 25, knows that deploying with a family member is an uncommon experience.

"It's really special. A lot of people don't get that chance ever," said Lincoln Miller. "We're not just on the same deployment; we're on the same team."

The brothers are part of Liaison Monitoring Teams (LMTs), specialized teams that interact daily with communities in Kosovo to provide KFOR senior leadership with an understanding of the well-being of the Kosovo people.

The brothers are passionate about their mission and supporting the people of Kosovo. Although this is the first deployment of the brothers' military career, this is not the first time they have been out of the country, especially for Markian Miller.

The Miller family has spent a lot of time in Europe and a certain country holds a special place in their hearts: Ukraine. Markian Miller, 20, was born in Ukraine and adopted into the Miller family at 2. He has a unique perspective on the opportunity to support the 41st IBCT during the KFOR mission, where the brigade provides a safe and secure environment to the people of Kosovo.

"Now, since I'm older, the conflicts that's been happening, especially in Ukraine, and seeing how it's affected the civilians … it's really putting a deep cut in their hearts as well as their souls," said Markian Miller. "Nobody's really ready to lose something they actually hold dear, right?"

Lincoln Miller says he has been looking forward to deploying to support KFOR for a long time and understands that to be successful during an LMT mission, a Soldier must possess empathy.

"I prepared myself in just preparing my emotions in a lot of ways," said Lincoln Miller. "So that when someone's sitting across from me, I can empathize and show them that they're heard, it's important, and hopefully that translates through what we do."

The brothers feel they have found an extended family with the 41st IBCT, and their leadership takes notice of their dedication to the mission and their teams.

"It's been a privilege to have 2nd Lt. Miller and Spc. Miller under my command," said Capt. Tai Danh, their Liaison Monitoring Team commander. "Their dedication to the mission is unwavering and they share a unique bond that strengthens not only their performance but also the morale of the entire unit."

Danh recognizes they both have individual strengths but similar qualities of leadership and teamwork.

"Having brothers serve together is a rare and special dynamic," said Danh. "It is inspiring to see how they support one another while keeping their focus on the bigger mission. They truly embody the spirit of service and commitment."

Lincoln and Markian Miller view this deployment as a chance to strengthen their relationship. They have not been able to see one another often in the past few years due to life circumstances.

Lincoln Miller says he is looking forward to having some time to bond with his brother during the deployment and enjoy the contributions they'll be able to make together throughout the mission.

Lincoln and Markian Miller are looking forward to leaving the training phase here at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, and landing in Kosovo, where they can initiate interactions with the local communities. They want to understand the world through the lens of a Kosovo citizen. They feel the more they speak with the people, the better they will perform as LMT members.

"You can't change the world," said Lincoln Miller. "But we have a very small sliver of it and can maybe change that tiny sliver. If enough slivers get changed over enough time, the world may start to look a little different, and that is extremely close to my heart."

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