Herald/SARAH MOORE KUSCHELL A born 'rebel,' Command Sgt. Maj. Lawrence Wilson recently ended his time as senior noncommissioned officer at West Fort Hood's Operational Test Command. The 51-year-old is on his way to Iraq to join Gen. Raymond Odierno, where he'll serve as the senior noncommissioned officer in Iraq.

The two oldest Wilson boys were identical twins – Larry only four minutes older than Robbie.

Larry was the rebel, a loner.  Robbie was the lady killer, the guy everybody liked.

Robbie followed Larry into the Army and quickly rose in rank.  He made it to specialist faster than his big brother.

Then tragedy struck.  It was the late 1970s and 21-year-old Larry had just made sergeant.  He was having a few beers in the post bowling alley in Germany when his commander walked in and asked to speak with him.  Larry gave him a hard time.  He was trying to enjoy some time off.

The commander told Larry his brother died.  He immediately thought of his little brother, Tommy.  After all, there was no way it was Robbie.

But it was and the Wilson family took Robbie's loss hard.

"That was a tough time," Larry said last week while sitting in his nearly empty office at Fort Hood.

Larry left the Army to spend time with his parents and younger sister and brother, but it wasn't for long.  After 18 months he re-joined.  While Robbie's life and military career was cut short, Larry's continued.

He served all over the world, graduated from Jump Master Course and Sapper Course, was awarded the Legion of Merit, three Meritorious Service Medals, eight Army Commendation Medals, the Bronze Star with valor and one oak leaf cluster, was inducted into the USAREUR Sergeant Morales Club in 1984 and is an honorary member of the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club.

But he's not done.  Command Sgt. Maj. Lawrence Wilson recently ended his time as senior noncommissioned officer at West Fort Hood's Operational Test Command.  The 51-year-old is on his way to Iraq to join Gen. Raymond Odierno, where he'll serve as the senior noncommissioned officer in Iraq.

Still, with the enormous tasks ahead of him, Wilson thought back to his brother and the influence his family had on his career.

"Being the rebel, I probably should've been the one to pass away first," he said.  "He was a really, really good guy."

Family service

Wilson's father was in the Air Force and the family followed him all over the world until he retired in 1975.  Wilson was born in Austin, but North Carolina was home.

Robbie's death affected Wilson's father and he changed, but in a good way.  He was always a "dynamite mentor," Wilson said, but devoted his life even more to helping young people through his church.

Though health problems has affected his father, Wilson said he will always see his dad as a 6-foot, 1-inch, 215-pound man who looks like a linebacker.

"He has always been inspiration for me," he said.  "He still is today."

Wilson told his father about his upcoming position and "he's happy."  People might question why Wilson chose to take that position and go back to Iraq, but it's a decision about which he and his father feel confident.  Wilson said he can always talk to his father because after nearly 30 years after retiring, he still thinks like a military man.

The Wilson kids never felt pressure to join the military because as their father put it, "The military's not for everyone."  But, all three Wilson boys joined the military – the twins in the Army and Tommy spent four years in the Navy.  Their sister, Faye, married a career airman.

Wilson met his future wife, Cathy, during his 18-month stint as a civilian.  She brought two sons – David and Jeremy – to the marriage and the Wilsons had two more – Robbie and Zachary.  The third son, of course, named after Wilson's brother.

"They kept me straight," Wilson said of his new family, adding that he was a "little wild" back in the day.

David is currently a contractor in Afghanistan and is set to return later this year.  Jeremy is a major in the Army.  Robbie and Zachary are college students in the Fort Hood area.

Wilson, like his father, didn't push his sons to join the military, but he doesn't shy away from giving them advice.

The Wilsons and the Odiernos have a history that goes beyond the two men serving together in the 4th Infantry Division.

Jeremy and Odierno's son, Tony, served together as officers in the 1st Cavalry Division's 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment.  Tony was a platoon leader under Jeremy.  Wilson recalled a time when all four were in Iraq together.  The 4th Infantry had just transferred authority to the 1st Infantry Division and the squadron had just arrived.  The four had dinner together at what was Camp New York.

Odierno later chose Jeremy to serve as his aide and he went to Iraq for a second time.

Back with Odierno

Wilson said he felt blessed and humbled to be picked by Odierno.

"He's a soldier's general and that's the big thing about the man," he said.

Wilson is ready for his new position, but it's not just about "working for a four-star (general)," he said.  It's about going to Iraq and helping the soldiers and the other Coalition Forces make sure they get what they need, he said.

Serving as the top noncommissioned officer in Iraq is going to be different and Wilson said he isn't 100 percent sure yet what to expect.

"I probably won't know for sure how I'm going to handle that until I get on the ground (in Iraq)," he said.

Wilson will shadow his predecessor for a week before officially taking over Nov. 15.  He told Odierno he just wanted to live up to the general's expectations.

"All you have got to do is just be yourself," he was told.

That shouldn't be too hard for a man known across post for his electric personality as much as his leadership.

"I know what a sergeant major is supposed to do," he said.  "I got that."

Wilson is set to board a plane this week for the Middle East.  He'll fly out of Texas with soldiers returning to war from leave.

"To me, it always has been and always will be the soldiers," he said about the job.