Trent Thomas had not seen his older brother in three years, so when the two celebrated Christmas together Dec. 23-26 it was a memorable occasion.

The circumstances were something less than a Norman Rockwell painting. Then again, Rockwell just might have found the event a perfect fit for his talents — two brothers from America’s heartland celebrating the holidays in a war zone.

The Thomas brothers, both Litchfield High School graduates, are serving as part of the U.S. military forces in Iraq. Staff Sgt. Trent Thomas, 29, was deployed with the 557 Expeditionary Red Horse Squadron. Capt. Troy Thomas, 34, is commander of an 85-man Troop A, 3rd Squadron with the 1st Cavalry Regiment.

Trent Thomas, an Air Force contracting officer stationed at Balad Air Base north of Baghdad, last visited with his brother for the holidays three years ago at the home of Gene and Valda Thomas on the south side of Lake Ripley. Since then, their service in the War on Terror had kept them apart.

Then, in late December, Trent figured out a plan for a holiday visit with his big brother. He flew on a C130 cargo plane to Baghdad, then on a Blackhawk helicopter to Patrol Base Assassin, where he met up with Troy.

“It was great to see Troy,” Trent said in an e-mail response to questions from the Independent Review earlier this week. “He is the boss on the patrol base and runs a tight ship. I am very proud of him and what he has accomplished in his area of operation.”

Late last year, Troy Thomas gained national attention for a mission in which his unit rescued a 19-year-old Iraqi woman who had lost her legs in a mortar attack. Since then, the unit has cared for the young woman, named Soham, including taking her to Baghdad where she received prosthetics.

Trent “tagged along” with Troy on a visit to see Soham and had the opportunity to mingle with some of the residents of the city in which she lives.

It was during that visit that Trent Thomas did a little public relations work, with a big assist from his young sons. Prior to leaving to visit his brother, Trent received a package from his sons Dylan, 8, and Keagan, 5. Included among pictures and other gifts in the package were pieces of saltwater taffy — a favorite treat of his sons.

“I asked Dylan if it was all right if I shared, and he thought it was a good idea,” Trent said. “As far as he could figure, most Iraqi children have never had his favorite candy. So he thought it was cool of his dad to share.”

The candy was a hit with the Iraqi youngsters Trent encountered during his travels with Troy.

On Dec. 26, the Thomas brothers attended a meeting with local sheiks, a regular duty for Troy Thomas, whose unit ensures security in the area. It was a new experience for Trent Thomas, who said it was interesting to see the interaction.

“In Troy’s neck of the woods, he is truly the sheriff in town,” Trent Thomas said. “He is asked to resolve disputes and maintain general sanity in the area. He has truly (helped) the economy with working with locals to build schools to have the locals ensure their own security and things of that nature.”

One of the highlights of Trent’s visit came Christmas Day, when Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commanding general of the multi-national corps in Baghdad, visited Patrol Base Assassin.

“I was even on national TV,” Trent Thomas said of his meeting with Lt. Gen. Odierno, whose visit was carried by U.S. network television news.

This is Trent Thomas’ second deployment in the War on Terror, his first to Iraq. He enlisted in the Army in August 1997 after graduating from Litchfield High School  in June that same year. But after slightly more than 10 years in the Army, he said he is nearing the end of his service — and looking forward to returning to his roots.

“It is very important for me to return to the local area and be there and be a dad for my two boys,” said Thomas, whose sons live with their mother in St. Cloud. “I will be returning to the farm south of Lake Ripley sometime this summer.

“I am thankful for the amazing support we received over here,” he added. “The American people do a great job of showing they care and support us. No matter their view on the war, they still support the deployed military members. And for that I thank each and every one of you all.”