RICHMOND Va. –
When Will Hart raised his right hand to enlist into the Virginia Army National Guard, it was his older brother, 2nd Lt. Luke Hart, who stood across from him and administered the oath of enlistment. For the Hart brothers, service in the Virginia Army National Guard is now a shared commitment.
Both brothers were drawn to the National Guard for similar reasons: a desire to serve their country, the chance to help their family manage the cost of college tuition, and the flexibility to pursue their civilian career goals.
“The National Guard seemed the most compelling to me,” Luke explained. With a civilian job already lined up, full-time military service just wasn’t the right fit for Luke, but he still felt called to serve. The National Guard, he said, was the perfect choice.
Luke commissioned as a second lieutenant in May 2025 after studying civil engineering at the Virginia Military Institute while on an ROTC scholarship. He said the structure of the National Guard - part-time service with full-time benefits - will allow him to gain leadership experience while preparing for a civilian career. Will, four years younger, is just beginning his journey. He recently left for his first year at The Citadel in South Carolina, and is a recipient of the Minuteman Scholarship.
For many officers, swearing in fellow Soldiers is a rite of passage, one Luke never expected to come so early in his military career. Once Will was approved for the Minuteman Scholarship, he inquired about his brother administering the oath and, on June 18, 2025, Luke and Will joined their parents, and a few members of the Virginia Army National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion at the Military Entry Processing Station located at Fort Lee, Virginia, for the quick ceremony.
“I think it definitely meant a lot more to me than it did to him, just because he hasn’t gone through everything yet, and doesn’t realize that this just doesn’t happen every single day,” Luke said. “The fact that we were able to do that is kind of one of a kind.”
Despite the years that separate them and now, the miles, Luke said the two have always been incredibly close, which increased the significance of the swearing-in ceremony for both of them.
“We’ve always been more than brothers - we’re best friends,” Luke said. “We talk every single day.”
In addition to their shared service in the Virginia Army National Guard, the brothers are now carrying on a friendly rivalry through their college choices. Luke and his father share VMI as their alma mater, while The Citadel, Will’s choice, is a longtime rival of VMI.
“Sure, we’re rivals, but whenever somebody from The Citadel is doing something good or whenever [VMI] is doing something good in athletics or whatever, we’re always the first ones to congratulate the other,” Luke said. “Plus, it’ll be really cool just to see how his experiences compare to VMI’s.”
Luke will report to the Cedar Bluff-based 1033rd Engineer Company this fall and will begin his Basic Officer Leader Course in the winter as Will continues his college education at The Citadel.