BROTHERS TAKE SHARED WORK ETHIC TO PANAMA

SANTA ROSA, Panama -- The landscape featured rolling hills similar to home, but two brothers from Glen Allen were a long way from Bollinger County last week.

Charles and Sylvester Eaker both are members of the Missouri National Guard and are in Panama together for two weeks with the 1140th Combat Engineer Battalion.

Sylvester, the younger brother, will stay in Panama for the duration of the six-month project. Charles was part of the Jackson unit of the 1140th performing his two weeks of active training.

"My wife likes me more than his wife likes him," Charles said. "That's why I could only come for two weeks."

Charles, a specialist with the National Guard, said he enjoyed working in the outdoors. He was fortunate to be able to leave his job at Lee Rowan in Jackson for two weeks.

While in Panama, Charles and other guardsmen from the Jackson unit have worked in Santa Rosa, a village 20 miles from the base camp building an addition to a school.

Charles has been in the Guard about a year; Sylvester joined the Guard 11 years ago. Sylvester, a sergeant, outranks his older brother.

"But we don't have to mention that," Charles said.

Sylvester typically works with the Jackson unit, but since he will be in Panama for the duration of Task Force Mule, he floats from project to project.

"I just do whatever needs to be done that day," he said. "I'm kind of on 'honey-do' duty here. 'Honey do this' and 'honey do that.'"

Both men said they liked being in the Guard and don't have any plans to leave any time soon.

"I'll put my 20 years in," Sylvester said, "and then maybe I'll put another 20 in."