Siblings serve together on the front lines on 60 minutes

Siblings serve together on the front lines

(CBS News) Lara Logan goes to Afghanistan to report on a rare situation that the military tries to avoid: siblings serving in combat together. Her report on five sets of real brothers in combat will be broadcast on "60 Minutes" Sunday, Jan. 8 (8:00-9:00PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

There is no rule against it, but the military has tried to avoid having more than one family member serve together in combat since the WWII attack on a U.S. battleship that resulted in the deaths of the five Sullivan brothers. So, when siblings want to fight a war together, there is resistance from the chain of command. Members of the military have to persuade officers, sometimes bringing their parents into the fight, to allow them to go to the front with their brothers.

"60 Minutes" managed to get eight of those brothers together for a group interview. All of these Marines serve in the same battalion in Southern Afghanistan. They are: Lance Cpl. Joshua Beans of Tampa and Cpl. Daniel Beans of Cedar Key, Fla.; Lance Cpls. Cody and Bobby Henrichsen of Katy, TX; Gunnery Sgt. Hector Vega and his brother Sgt. Francisco Vega from Houston; Lance Cpl. Matthew Faseler from Jourdanton, Tx., who never realized his aim of serving in combat with his brother Jonathon, a lance corporal who was hurt in training; Lance Cpls. Will and Raul Hernandez of Corpus Christi, TX.
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