Married Army Couples Reenlist at Rare Double Ceremony in Iraq

Married couple, Sgt. Michael Daly and Sgt. Yeimie Osorio, both of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, recite the oath of enlistment at a reenlistment ceremony, May 27. The oath was administered by fellow married couple, Capt. Jay Johnston and Capt. Jennifer Johnston. (U.S. Army photo/Sgt. 1st Class Chris Seaton, Task Force XII)

Capt. Jennifer Johnston (left), and Sgt. Yeimie Osorio of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, pose for a photo next to their husbands, Capt. Jay Johnston and Sgt. Michael Daly (right), May 27. Osorio and Daly have been married for two years and chose to reenlist together. The Johnstons administered the oath. (U.S. Army photo/gt. 1st Class Chris Seaton, Task Force XII)

Dispatches from the Front:

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, May 28, 2008 -- For proof that the Army can be a family affair, one need look no further than the Daly family. They are a married couple in Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s Task Force XII who reenlisted in a double ceremony. If you’re still not convinced, you can talk to the Johnston family, the husband and wife team who administered the oath.

Sgt. Michael Daly, a native of Tampa, Fla. met his wife Sgt. Yeimie Osorio, from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, a few years ago while deployed to Afghanistan. They married two years ago and have managed to stay together, in the same unit, Headquarters and Headquarter Company, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, ever since. In July, 2007, the couple deployed again, this time to Iraq.

“It’s good having your spouse here, but sometimes it’s a little difficult,” said Osorio. “We’d like to be able to treat each other the same way as we do back home, all ‘lovey dovey,’ but here, we work every day, and we’re soldiers 24 hours a day.”

Their situation is not all that unique. There are several married couples in Task Force XII. Among them are Capt. Jay Johnston and his wife Capt. Jennifer Johnston.

Jay, who now commands Company C, 412th Aviation Support Battalion, spent 1.5 years working as the signal officer for 3rd Bn., 158th Avn. Reg., where he was Daly’s supervisor.

Jennifer works in the air mission request cell of 3rd Bn., 158th Avn. Reg., with Osorio.

“I already knew that if I reenlisted, I wanted him to do the oath,” said Daly. “Since my wife and his wife work together, this worked out really well.”

The two couples faced each other during the ceremony, each pair reciting the oath in unison – first the Johnstons, then Osorio and Daly.

“I’ve done a lot of reenlistment ceremonies,” said Jay. “This one was unique though.”

Upon redeployment, Osorio and Daly will begin a new chapter in their lives as an Army married couple. The two will report to recruiter school at Fort Jackson, S.C.

The two said they hope to share their story with future soldiers who may be interested in joining the Army family. They also hope to work in the same recruiting station, but say they’re ready for anything.

“We both stay in the Army because wherever he goes, I want to be with him – even if it means deploying or working long hours in a recruiting station,” said Osorio.

“I wish them the best of luck,” said Jay. “I know they’ll do great on recruiting because they’re both great soldiers.”

(Story by Sgt. 1st Class Chris Seaton, Task Force XII.)

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