Photo By Sgt. Toby Cook | Kelli Flaherty, wife of Sgt. Mark Flaherty of C. Company, 2nd Bn., 2nd Inf. Regt.,...... read more read more
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FORT KNOX, Ky. — The competitive spirit was high as spouses from the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division vied to see who would earn the title of "best of the best" during the units G.I. Jane Day at Fort Knox, Ky., May 17.
G.I. Jane Day has become a common event across the Army that allows Army spouses to live a "day in the life" of their soldiers.
“I have a new appreciation for what he does,” said Kelli Flaherty, wife of Sgt. Mark Flaherty. “I can better understand it when he comes home from work tired.”
The day’s events started at the Beaudoin obstacle course, where the spouses teamed up with other spouses from within their soldiers' company to negotiate various obstacles which included a cargo net climb, low crawl station and a treacherous balance beam.
The obstacle course, which was deemed the most difficult part of the competition, was also the favorite among the spouses.
“I really liked the obstacle course the best … it allowed us to get an idea and gain an understanding of what they go through,” said Anne Porter, Wife of Pfc. Adam Porter with C. Company, 2nd Bn., 2nd Inf. Regt.
Tired, sweaty and nearing physical failure the spouses pushed through the pain as they quickly donned Individual Body Armor vests and set off on a grueling half-mile run.
Upon completion of the run, the spouses were transported to the rifle qualification range. Once there, they were able to shoot at targets using live ammunition.
Lastly, the spouses went through a “stress shoot,” an event that scores the individual’s ability to shoot at multiple targets while on the move.
After being tactically tested and successfully completing each event, the teams were rewarded for their efforts with a loving embrace from their soldier counterparts and reunited with their new found friendships.
“This was a great venue for the spouses to get to know each other,” said Lt. Col. Eric Lopez, commander 2nd Bn., 2nd Inf. Regt. “We had a great turnout, there were upwards of 85 spouses who attended this event.”
As 3rd IBCT prepares to deploy to Afghanistan later this month, family oriented events continue to be an important focus for senior leaders.
“Events like this give our loved ones insight into some of the work we do as a soldier while simultaneously allowing us to share a unique experience with them,” said 1st Lt. Marco Kilongkilong, coordinating officer for the event. “Our unit trains year round to be prepared to conduct any type of mission, so it’s important to show our spouses and families how much their support means to us.”
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2013 13:25 |
| Story ID: | 107310 |
| Location: | FORT KNOX, KY, US |
| Hometown: | ELIZABETHTOWN, KY, US |
| Hometown: | LOUISVILLE, KY, US |
| Hometown: | RADCLIFF, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 464 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
This work, Infantry spouses sample Army life during GI Jane competition, by SGT Toby Cook, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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