Military wives put through the paces during Sister Strong
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Women participate in "Sister Strong" carrying various heavy objects on a run/walk in Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., on Friday, Oct. 19, 2012.
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EGLIN AFB — Sue Merchant gripped a large water jug tightly as she made her way down the dirt trail to the next obstacle waiting for her.
The wife of Maj. Gen. Kenneth Merchant, program executive office for weapons at Eglin Air Force Base, was one of 60 military spouses participating in Sister Strong on Friday. The women spent the day going through exercises and scenarios that mimicked their husbands’ training.
“If our husbands can do it, we can,” Merchant said, wiping her brow as she shared the weight of the water jug with another wife.
Friday’s Sister Strong at the Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne)’s cantonment was the first of a series of events in which wives will learn more about training at local bases.
Next quarter, Eglin Air Force Base will host a takeoff of the reality show “Amazing Race.” Other events will be held at Hurlburt Field and Camp Rudder.
“Some of the spouses were talking and we realized that we really don’t know each other,” said Shirley Fletcher, wife of 7th Special Forces commander Col. Antonio Fletcher and an organizer of Friday’s event. “We thought this would be a great way to bridge the gap and do something fun.”
Friday morning, the women carried water jugs and rucksacks for a half mile and teamed up to tote stretchers loaded with 100 pounds of sand, all the while being barked at by Special Forces dogs and soldiers.
Tricia Bauernfeind, whose husband Col. Tony Bauernfeind is commander of Hurlburt’s 1st Special Operations Group, said that while her husband’s work in the Air Force is different than Marines and soldiers, they all put their lives on the line.
“It’s interesting talking one-on-one with the different wives,” Bauernfeind said. “We have different experiences but some of the same stresses, so it’s interesting to see how they deal with things and we can borrow and learn from their ideas.”
Bauernfeind had camouflage paint striped across her face and a slight smile as she hauled a stretcher down a path with her four teammates. She said when she signed up for Sister Strong she had no clue what she was getting into.
“I have five or six friends that came out. We all agreed that if someone goes down the others will pick each other up or carry our carcasses to the end,” Bauernfeind said, laughing.
