The respect is there, but the situation hasnít presented itself to put them in the position. Now in Iraq, they can put it off for a while longer.

ìIíd feel weird. It took a while to get used to (being saluted) anyway, much less from my older brother,î Joe said. ìOne of these days Iíll get him.î

Joe has a small window of time left to receive his salute. With his 18-year-mark approaching, Dave faces his next obstacle: retirement.

ìI personally am (afraid of retiring).î Not in terms of getting another job, he explained, but of missing the Corps, his Marines and the lifestyle that goes with it.

ìI donít necessarily lose that when I retire because heíll still be in the Marine Corps,î he said, referring to Joe.

Living vicariously through the younger brother, the Maddux Marines will continue to be present through out the Corps. Carrying on the tradition will be left up to other generations.

ìWeíre not trying to start a tradition but if it does start, so be it,î Dave said.

ìThey live two miles from each other, so the kids can play with each other, (the families can) barbecue, hang out and having that is a good feeling.î

While they may be a world apart, both sides have someone they can relate to. Both have spouses with military experience who understand the workings of the green machine, but the separation still poses a problem.

ìThe other day I was talking to my wife and sheís telling me ëitís hot in California.í Iím like, ëyeah, it was kind of nice here today, balmy and a little windy,î joked Dave, explaining the extremely hot weather in Iraq.

The families half a world away may have a hard time understanding their conditions, but he has his brother who can relate to everything heís going through. The sand storms, the heat, and all other experiences only shared by the brothers.

Theyíve been through a lot together and through their careers have managed to overcome many obstacles. Dave, in particular, has dodged the ultimate bullet of saluting his younger brother.

ìThe first thing my dad said to me was ënow youíll have to salute your younger brother.íî

ìI feel weird because I donít know (everything), but I can go behind the scenes and say ëhey, how does this work?íî Joe said.

During Daveís visits to Camp Taqaddum, the brothers manage to get together and share personal experiences, carrying on late-night discussions about the Corps, life and their families back home, who face their own problems.

Joe, with a son less than a year old and a 4-year-old daughter, leaves his wife Kara in charge, taking on full parenting responsibilities while he is serving his country.

They both admit deployment can be hard on the families but their closeness helps out back home as well.

ìBoth of our families are back there together in the same area,î explained Dave.