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News | July 20, 2022

DLA Energy customer account specialist reflects on serving with his twin

By Connie Braesch DLA Energy Public Affairs

Defense Logistics Agency Energy Customer Account Specialist Terry Poole has an identical twin, Perry.  

The brothers grew up sharing a love for hunting, fishing, and playing football. After high school graduation, they also shared a love for the U.S. Air Force. 

Enlisting together in 1988, the brothers attended basic training at the same time. 

“We were in the same flight at basic, reporting to duty every day in the same uniform with same name and looked exactly like each other,” Terry Poole said. 

The Military Training Instructors had the brothers report for duty in unison, but they had to take turns saying every other word in perfect harmony. Terry, laughing at the memory, said it took a lot of practice but by the end of basic training they had it down pat.

After basic, the brothers attended tech school together, entering the fuels career field and receiving the identical first assignment to England Air Force Base, Louisiana. Again, finding themselves reporting to work each day looking exactly the same. 

Terry said the brothers never had many problems with people telling them apart except for those that didn’t know them very well. 

“I often run in to people that Perry was stationed with at other locations or maybe met while TDY and they swear that I know them,” Terry said laughing. 

Fast forward 20 years, and the brothers found themselves once again serving together at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, in what would be their last assignment before retiring from the Air Force.  

After retirement, they returned to their roots in Southeast Texas, about 100 miles east of Houston. Terry is a customer account specialist for DLA Energy Americas East in Houston and Perry works for Exxon Mobil in Beaumont, Texas. 

Terry said DLA Energy felt like a natural fit for him. 

“I knew a few buddies throughout my career that were working for [Defense Energy Support Center],” he said. “It was the same as what I was doing in the military, so I was familiar with terms, systems being used and the military customers. It was very comfortable, and it was something I enjoyed.”

When asked what he likes most about his job, he said “supporting the warfighter.” 

“It’s what I’ve done my whole life...Moving gas. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

The DLA Energy mission is to enable mission readiness by providing globally resilient energy solutions to the Warfighter and Whole of Government. Learn more about the DLA Energy mission and its global presence on the DLA Energy website

If you are interested in a career with DLA Energy or Defense Logistics, learn more about internship opportunities through the Pathways to Career Excellence Program or search for DLA Energy job vacancies on the USAJOBS.gov website.