Two Brothers. Ten Years Apart. One Dream.

When Sgt. Chris Rea, a 12B combat engineer in the Tennessee National Guard, raised his right hand to enlist in 2006, he had no idea that his younger brother, then seven years old, would follow in his footsteps ten years later.
“I remember watching 9/11 happen on TV and watching those towers fall.” Sgt. Rea said. “I was in 8th grade, and that had a profound impact in me. I wanted to go fight back. Three years later, I joined the guard for that reason.”
As a combat engineer, Rea’s life of defusing explosives became a nonstop adventure. Traveling to Ireland, Germany, the Dominican Republic and Afghanistan opened his eyes to other cultures and the conditions of people outside of his community.
“I really learned to not take life for granted; my perspective on life was so enriched by working with the guard in various countries,” Rea revealed. “I was able to see how good we have it in America, and it made me more grateful. I now see small inconveniences and frustrations for what they are — small. It’s a complete mindset change.”
While Rea trained and deployed with the guard, his younger brother, Preston Daly never forgot him.

“Even though Preston is ten years younger, we were always close. We both grew up with a young, single mom and didn’t have much guidance or discipline,” Rea stated. “Preston watched me grow in the guard — he watched me become disciplined, structured and motivated. The bottom line is that he saw me take control of my life and my future in a way we never knew possible when we were growing up.”
In 2016, following the path and example of Rea, Daly raised his right hand and enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard, ten years after his brother’s enlistment.
“I was proud to watch him enlist, graduate and join me in the guard brotherhood,” Rea said with a smile. “We didn’t have a father growing up, so realizing that I was a father figure to him was a humbling and proud realization. The values and discipline I learned in the guard really guided him towards setting goals and taking control of his life.”
Spc. Daly, also a combat engineer, recently returned from a deployment to Poland and attends Carson Newman University in Jefferson City, Tenn.
“I wanted to be disciplined to pursue my goals and basic training gave me that,” Daly stated. “I’ve always wanted to travel Europe, and I experienced it with the guard. I never wanted to be broke again and set myself up for college, and I’m attending a college that normally costs about $40,000 per year, but the guard pays for it completely. If you are willing to put in the work, you will be rewarded beyond what you thought was possible.”


As for serving with his brother, Daly couldn’t be more honored and proud. “My brother set a really high standard and is a great example to others,” Daly shares. “He inspired me to join because he’s always been my role model. His advice guides my career, and I give my best in everything I do now in order to maintain and build upon what he started.”
In regards to his brother, Rea predicts a bright future. “He’s got a great road ahead of him,” Rea said. “He’s majoring in business, he’s doing ROTC, and he’ll graduate with no loans because the guard is paying for everything. I may have motivated him growing up, but now, seeing him succeed and set high goals for himself, inspires me to achieve that next level. We both encourage each other.”
Both brothers agree the guard gave them guidance, opportunities and discipline, but the most valuable gift from the guard is what they had all along — brotherhood.
“The relationships and bonds you form are unlike those in any other job or profession,” Rea stated. “My guard buddies and people I deployed with are by far my closest friends. We’ve shared experiences, been in difficult situations and lifted each other up in so many ways. That bond is both deep and lifelong.”
“I’ve even seen that with Preston,” Rea continued. “Going to college after his deployment, he wanted to hang out with the guys he deployed with more than his college friends. Because they had these shared experiences while deployed, their friendships were cemented, tight and unbreakable. Those friendships are hard to find in civilian life, and we both feel thankful to have these bonds with each other and our fellow guard Soldiers. We’re brothers for life, all of us.”

Story by Content Writer Sgt. Leann Roggensack
