FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — For many new Army lieutenants, finding out their first assignment can be nerve-wracking. However, when 2nd Lt. Kenny Corsetti received his orders to Fort Campbell the stress was replaced by the familiar feeling he recognized the unit he would be going to. After a call with his brother 1st Lt. Nathan Corsetti, his suspicions were confirmed. He would soon arrive to the same unit where his brother served as a platoon leader; even further he would be succeeding his brother’s platoon.
“When I got my orders, and I saw Fort Campbell, and the unit’s name, I said ‘no way that’s Nate’s company,’ so he was the first person I called,” said Kenny Corsetti, the platoon leader for 1st Platoon, 42nd Combat Engineer Company-Infantry, 39th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “When he answered, he was actually in what is now my office talking to who is now my platoon sergeant.”
Nathan Corsetti upon receiving that call initially assumed his brother had gotten something wrong.
“I thought he must have somehow got a copy of my orders but, sure enough, he sent me a copy and he was coming to us,” said Nathan Corsetti, the executive officer for 887th Engineer Support Company, 39th BEB, 2 MBCT, 101 ABN DIV (AA). “We assumed when we got to our units that would probably be the furthest, we’d ever live apart. The Army could have sent us anywhere in the world but we’re working in the same building.”
The brothers, natives of Hollis, New Hampshire, grew up following in each other's footsteps.
“The two of them kind of went together as a package,” said retired Col. Ronald Corsetti, civilian aide to the secretary of the Army for New Hampshire. “They were pitchers on their baseball teams and were frequently together in their sporting endeavors.”
As those shared sports teams passed the brothers by, they would soon join their respective college Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs where they would choose the same basic branch.
“I always make fun of him for following me,” said Nathan Corsetti. “We’re both engineer officers who went active duty and then he took my job from me. I like to tell him he needs to do something original.”
Despite the playful fraternal mockery, Nathan Corsetti has worked to set his brother up for success.
“It’s been great to hand the platoon off to him and see what he’s done with it,” said Nathan Corsetti. “I know it was really helpful for him at the start to have someone to ask questions to and figure out the process.”
That helpful presence, which many new platoon leaders may not have access to, also came with a unique hurdle. Not only would Kenny Corsetti have to fill his brother’s boots, but he would also need to live up to the name he had built.
“There was some pressure coming in because I think really highly of him,” said Kenny Corsetti. “I knew I needed to come in and do a good job as well because people are already going to have an impression of me based on the last name.”
From Nathan Corsetti’s perspective, his brother lived up to the reputation he had left behind.
“He’s done really great,” said Nathan Corsetti. “Sometimes I’ll see him make a decision and I want to step in because I would have done something different. That just shows that we have different styles and that can work out well. He’s taken the platoon to new heights and it’s a really rewarding experience to see that.”
That legacy the two brothers enjoy is also shared by their father who sees his sons treading the same road he did.
“I’m very proud of the direction they’ve run in,” said Ronald Corsetti. “They’re better lieutenants than I ever was and so I’m really pleased with that. What’s nice for me as a father is that they’ve embraced the important things about being a Soldier. It’s not about the badges you wear; it’s about the Soldiers you’re with and leading them on their mission.”
Past the legacy, the unique hurdles and the stress, the brothers still try to appreciate the serendipity of their circumstances.
“Things have a way of working out,” said Kenny Corsetti. “I might be the least stressed second lieutenant because, from the moment I got here, I had someone to help me and bounce problems off of. I had someone who shared the same office and even some of the same Soldiers who could relate to problems I had in the same way as me. Being able to lean on him has made things a lot easier.”
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