Identical twins, identical Silver Stars

Army News Service

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Oct. 22, 2003) — Following a Silver Star and Purple Heart award ceremony last week for Capt. Dave Hibner at the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, he and his identical twin Capt. Dan Hibner wear the Army’s 4th highest medal.

The awards recognize the twins’ actions during the 3rd Infantry Division’s assault on Baghdad.

The brothers have been together for most of their careers. They both attended Kemper Military Academy ROTC. Following their graduation and reserve commissioning in 1993, they attended Purdue University and both served with the 423rd Infantry Regiment U.S. Army Reserves where they earned their Expert Infantry Badges. Upon Graduation from Purdue in 1996 they entered active duty.

Their initial active-duty assignments parted them, but they linked up at the Captain’s Career Course at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. Their assignment following the career course sent them both to Fort Stewart, Ga. where Dave would command Company D, 10th Engineer Battalion, and Dan would command Company A, 11th Engineer Battalion.

It was their assignment and their units’ missions in April that brought new meaning to the Hibner twins.

When 3rd ID conducted the final attack on Baghdad, the 1st Brigade combat team attacked from the west along Highway 8 from Baghdad International Airport and the 2nd Brigade Combat Team attacked from the south along Highway 8.

Dave’s company was assigned to Task Force 1-64 Armor. After the armored task force blitzed through Baghdad April 5, the Iraqis bolstered their defenses outside the city emplacing two large minefields. They laid an 1100-meter deep minefield in the 1st Brigade’s avenue of approach and a 550-meter deep minefield in front of 2nd Brigade.

Dan’s Task Force, 3-69 Armor, led the 1st Brigade from the west and 1-64, lead from the south. As the attack began in the early morning hours of April 7 the brothers’ units found themselves lead elements for the division attack into Baghdad by breaching the obstacles on the only avenues of approach.

Dave’s company, with infantry and scouts attached, conducted a covert breach in the south, three miles into enemy territory, while Dan’s company conducted a deliberate breach from the west.

Dave’s Delta Company “provided the combat power of a fourth maneuver force. He displayed tremendous valor during the battle of Rams, Najaf, Karbala, and Baghdad,” said Lt. Col. Eric Schwartz, commander, Task Force 1-64 Armor. “Though wounded in the final hours of fighting to seize Baghdad, he never left his unit.”

The brothers saw each other in Kuwait prior to their attack. Six weeks later they met in Baghdad when Dave’s task force went to Baghdad International Airport to rearm following their “Thunder Run” through the Iraqi capitol.

Dan Hibner received his Silver Star in June for combat actions leading to the assault on Baghdad. He is currently assigned at the New Orleans district office of the Corps of Engineers.