By Dan Rachal

NTAG Portland

Every year, families do their best to get together and celebrate the holiday

season. This isn’t the easiest thing to do because of distance, or work, or the inevitable

flight delay. For a Navy family, it can be even harder, especially when the Sailors double

as siblings, stationed in parts of the country.

This Christmas, Jonovan, Ethan and Ayden Turpin were back in the same house

in which they grew up in city of Gresham, which is about 20 minutes east of Portland,

Oregon. AD2 Jonovan Turpin was on leave from the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74)

while ETSA Ethan Turpin was home for the holiday en route to ET “A” school. The

youngest, Ayden Turpin, will leave for basic on June 30, 2025, shortly after graduating

from Reynolds High School.

Since he was young, AD2 Turpin knew that he wanted to serve in the military.

Joining the Navy was, for him, a lifelong dream. For Ethan Turpin, it was a bit different.

“I joined primarily for him (Jonovan) and the benefits,” he said. “I thought it was pretty

cool a lot of our older family members, like grandpas, had been in the Navy and

Marines. I just thought it would be cool to join and follow in my brother’s footsteps.”

Ayden Turpin pondered joining the Navy for years and when he did, it came as a

bit of a surprise to the middle brother.

‘Honestly, I was kind of surprised but when I heard that, I was proud of him,” Ethan

Turpin said. “I wanted him to go for it. I thought it would give him something more than

just going to school, doing homework all the time. When he told me I really wanted to

help him out, what he needed to know for boot camp, what exercises that can really

help him, I just wanted to really motivate him to get in.’

The three brothers have always been there to motivate each other, look out for

one another and now to ensure they all have success in the Navy. This comes as no

surprise to the eldest member of the Turpin family – their father.

“They have always been best buds, always hanging out, always paying

basketball, riding bikes, doing sports together,” Ryan Turpin said. “It doesn’t surprise

me that they’d all want to do the next level together, too.”

The brothers have talked about the possibility of being stationed near each other,

perhaps being stationed together in a place like Florida, or on the west coast.

“That would of course be nice and something I’d want in the future,” Ayden

Turpin said. “It’s good to stay close with family”

For now, they must settle for playing Black Ops 6 or Call of Duty together and

weekly FaceTime sessions.

In the Navy, Jonovan Turpin stressed that the ‘Turpin Boys’ are in this together

and that success is a team effort. While his sentiments are echoed by the most junior of

the trio, Ethan Turpin hints that there is still a lot of competition.

Currently, Jonovan is a Second Class Machinist Mate, though he has expressed

an interest in earning an officer commission, and Ethan is headed to Electronics

Technician A School. “My rate, they rank up pretty quick,” he said. “(Jonovan) better

watch out I’m coming for you.”

“It’s a group effort.,” AD2 Turpin said. “Until I go Officer and you have to call me Sir.”

Jonovan Turpin thinks about that for a second, looking at both of his brothers seated

around the kitchen table.

“I wouldn’t want that, that’d be so weird.”

Navy Talent Acquisition Group Portland is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and

operates two Navy Officer Recruiting stations and 17 Navy Recruiting stations located

throughout northern California, western Idaho, Oregon, northern Nevada and southern

Washington, covering more than 210,000 square miles. NTAG Portland is staffed with

more than 130 Sailors and civilians whose mission is the recruitment of high-quality

men and women to fill the officer and enlisted ranks in the U.S. Navy. Follow NTAG

Portland on Facebook and Instagram @navyjobsoregontrail.