Highlands Ranch – Deanna Mobley is counting down the days to Thanksgiving and counting a little harder since one of her twin sons in Iraq had a close call with an insurgent’s bomb this week.
Still, she feels blessed that they’re both relatively unharmed, still planning to be in Dallas in November to give thanks with their parents and extended family.
“We feel fortunate; a lot of soldiers pay the ultimate sacrifice,” Mobley said Thursday.
Ryan, a 21-year-old Marine squad leader, called his father Wednesday to say that his squad had encountered an improvised explosive device in Anbar province.
One team member had been hospitalized by the blast, and Ryan was knocked briefly unconscious and suffered a concussion and injuries to his back and ears.
His identical-twin brother, Matt, is an Army paratrooper also serving in Iraq.
“I’ve known since they signed up that they could both end up in Iraq,” their mother said. “And sure enough, that’s exactly what happened.”
Ryan’s second tour ends next week. Matt is on his first deployment. He was hurt by a homemade bomb in February.
The two boys were never ones to seek drama or risk while growing up in Highlands Ranch, where they attended Highlands Ranch High School, their mother said.
The boys were determined to be soldiers, however.
“They’re doing what they want to do, and I support that,” she said.
