Greywolf Soldiers pony up for increased resilience

Courtesy Photo | Spc. Kimberly Williams, with help from Spc. Jacqueline Norris, both food service specialists in Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 215th Brigade Support Battalion, confronts her fear of horses during a local women’s retreat Dec. 12. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Juana M. Nesbitt, 13th Public Affairs Detachment)  

LAMPASAS, TX, UNITED STATES

12.17.2014

Courtesy Story

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

LAMPASAS, Texas – In the heart of the central Texas countryside, tucked away through a long dirt road surrounded with horses, sits a retreat and wellness center where Soldiers of 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division spent their day Dec. 12.

“Today is a women’s wellness retreat, which will incorporate equine therapy,” said Maj. Anthony L. Taylor, 3rd ABCT, 1st Cavalry Division chaplain. “As a part of comprehensive soldier fitness, this is part of the commander’s program and gives them an opportunity to gain some skills that they may not otherwise have.”

After a breakfast of assorted quiches, fruit, yogurt and pastries, the day began with quick introductions and the first exercise held outdoors on the 25-acre ranch.

“Equine Therapy uses horses to demonstrate various points during the exercise,” said Joanna Tyson, director of operations at the center.

During the first exercise, the participants were separated into groups and challenged to pick out a horse from where it stood, name it, and lead it to a designated gathering point. It soon became evident that this was easier said than done.

“Participants learned that pushing, pulling or yelling at the horse usually doesn’t work,” said Tyson.

But having patience and building trust with the horse, they were able to get the horse to follow.

“Horses are like a mirror. They reflect back to you what you do, because horses are very present, honest and will just be themselves.”

Not only was this a chance for female Soldiers to learn valuable life skills, but it was also a way for them to relax.

“We are trying to give the ladies a chance to relax and be themselves outside of work without the uniform and rank and just decompress,” said Cindy Taresh, an equine specialist.

Although there were several more exercises, Tyson said meeting the ladies’ needs was the main priority.

“It’s not very structured,” said Tyson. “We are just trying to meet each lady where they are in their challenges as a woman in the military.”

As the day went on, the women started noticing their accomplishments.

“This is a stepping stone for me to just come out here and interact with the horses,” said Spc. Kimberly Williams, a food service specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 215th Brigade Support Battalion. “Everything I’ve heard about horses was negative.”

The Edwards, Mississippi, native realized a person should never make assumptions before getting to know a horse – or a person.

“It’s important to not judge somebody before actually getting to know him or her,” she added. “Just because I’ve heard this or that about someone doesn’t mean it’s actually true.”

Sgt. 1st Class Christine Abram, the Greywolf brigade SHARP program director and sexual assault response coordinator, attended the event as senior mentor for the participants. She said the event boosted morale and that she enjoyed witnessing females coming together and developing bonds with one another that extend back into their daily lives.

“I saw people who weren’t talking to each other at the beginning talking to one another at the end,” said Abram, who hails from Blakely, Georgia. “A lot of us are in male-dominated fields or units. These females may not always open up to some of the males in the unit, so now they have someone else they can call on that they may not have even known prior to that day.”

At the end of the day, Taylor said it was his hope that these Soldiers will emerge stronger and more aware of themselves.

“A nation is only as strong as its women,” said Taylor. “Women are our little girls, our mothers, our wives. We all come from a mother. If we help women to be strong, then we are strong.”

• Date Taken: 12.17.2014
• Date Posted: 12.19.2014 16:32
• Story ID: 150799
• Location: LAMPASAS, TX, US
• Hometown: BLAKELY, GA, US
• Hometown: EDWARDS, MS, US
• Hometown: LONG BEACH, CA, US