Seeing Double: Twin Brothers Cross Paths aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4) By Petty Officer 2nd Class Brad Kaminksi, USN, USS Boxer (LHD 4)
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n October 17, 1991, Robin Trainor gave birth to a set of twins, Tyler and Phillip at Naval Medical Center San Diego. Besides the three minutes of separation that lay between Tyler being born slightly before Phillip, they were identical. Now in their early thirties, the similarities remain: both are serving in the U.S. Navy, aboard the same ship, and both are aviators. Their close tie to one another has not faded in the slightest. If anything, it’s only become that much stronger. They were raised in San Diego as their father, CAPT Stephen Trainor, USN (Ret.) also served in the Navy as a helicopter pilot. After relocations Tyler and Phillip Trainor, twin brothers and Naval Aviators serving aboard USS to Virginia and Pennsylvania for their Boxer (LHD 4). Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brad Kaminksi, USN. father’s military career, the Trainor twins moved to Annapolis, Maryland, where their father served as a As they entered the Naval Academy as midshipmen in 2010, military professor at his alma mater, the United States Naval they began to experience the new challenges and demands Academy. Settled in Annapolis, Tyler and Phillip found their that would be placed on them as future Navy officers, but stride in school and athletics, following each other closely as none of this was without the support of one another. While they navigated their way through adolescence together. they may have been separated into different companies, they were still together regularly, spending weekends with each “Being a twin has its own unique experiences. We definitely other and friends, participating in the same marathon club pushed each other but weren’t overly competitive with one team and even running together after class to work in a few another,” said LT Tyler Trainor, the Passenger Mail Cargo more miles during off hours. Officer assigned to Tactical Air Control Squadron (TACRON) 11, embarked aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4). “We just got along After graduation, Phillip checked in to flight school in May together really well which helped a lot.” 2014 with his brother following close behind him, arriving only a month later. Once again, the Trainor twins found They shared the same advanced placement classes, were in themselves back together again, undergoing the new set of the same friend group, and shared many of the same interests. challenges that awaited them in flight school. From primary They both ran cross country and participated in track and flight school to both selecting helicopters as their first choice field events, running both the 800 meter and the 4x800 relay of aircraft as their father did during the start of his career in together. Advancing through their high school years brought aviation, Phillip and Tyler continued to tap into that close many experiences and challenges to the twins, but what really knit support they had for one another. was on the forefront of their mind was their future after graduation. One thought in the back of both of their minds Years of running and hundreds of miles spent together was following in their father’s footsteps as a pilot. During their taught them valuable lessons; lessons that they would pull senior year, they finished the application process for the Naval from and refer back to as they navigated the multiple levels of Academy and were accepted together. qualifications, milestones, and benchmarks each student must achieve before earning their wings and officially becoming a “Once I got into the Naval Academy reality set in, then Navy pilot. Tyler got in and I knew this was going to be an awesome opportunity for multiple reasons,” said LT Phillip Trainor, “Just like running, you have to put the work in,” said Tyler. Boxer’s Safety Officer. “Not only was I going to be able to go “It might be more of a marathon than a sprint in some cases through it with someone I’m very close to, but my Dad also and it’s not always easy to see the finish line. We definitely went to the Naval Academy. It was an opportunity to serve pushed each other to get through that.” and eventually fly as a pilot, which I wanted to do, so there were a lot of positive things that lead me to that decision.” 65
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