Marine promoted by identical twin brother while deployed with 15th MEU

The Morelli brothers, similar twins from Wyoming, are generally confused for each other at work.

The pair of Marines are deployed collectively aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship Boxer whereas serving with the fifteenth Marine Expeditionary Unit, which helps conduct routine operations within the Indo-Pacific area.

Earlier this month, Gunnery Sgt. Joseph Morelli was afforded the uncommon alternative to successfully look within the mirror whereas selling his similar sibling, Albert, to sergeant. The latter left energetic responsibility in 2013 for household causes earlier than returning 9 years later.

“With the ability to promote him whereas we’re each on the fifteenth MEU was a bizarre second,” Joseph mentioned in a service launch. “Particularly as a result of he promoted me to sergeant when he was initially transitioning out of the Marine Corps. It blew my thoughts.”

Whereas their profession paths diverged after enlisting collectively in 2009, the duo is now reunited, each of their help of the Marine Air-Floor Job Pressure and in propping one another as much as pursue particular person objectives.

“I wish to see him grow to be a squad chief, and a platoon sergeant when he ultimately completes Infantry Small Unit Leaders Course,” mentioned Joseph, the communications upkeep chief assigned to the fifteenth MEU.

Albert, who now serves as an assistant patrol chief assigned to Bravo Firm, Battalion Touchdown Crew 1/5, returned that encouragement towards his brother.

“He’s already nicely on his solution to grasp sergeant,” he mentioned. “No matter he needs to do I do know he can get on the market and make it occur.”

Precisely what number of instances fellow troops have confused the gunny and the sergeant, or whether or not the siblings ever use their indistinguishable options in pursuit of hijinks, stays unclear.

And whereas they aren’t the one Marines to ever elicit double takes from a passerby, the brothers in arms — and by blood — are appreciating the unusual alternative to serve aspect by aspect.

“I might have by no means anticipated us serving beneath the identical unit and dealing on the identical ship,” mentioned Joseph. “The expertise was bizarre at first, and there have been a variety of shifting items main as much as our shared deployment. It’s superior that it turned out like this.”