Photo By Brittany Trumbull | Mrs. Kimberly Weimer, wife of Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer, meets with spouses...... read more read more
FORT RUCKER, Ala. --Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael R. Weimer and his wife, Kimberly Weimer, visited Fort Rucker, Alabama, on March 12–13 to meet with Soldiers and family members and assess the needs of the installation.
While the Sergeant Major of the Army spent time with Soldiers and leaders, Mrs. Weimer’s visit focused largely on connecting with Army spouses, family programs and the community that supports them.
Mrs. Weimer’s first visit to Fort Rucker began shortly after landing at Cairns Army Airfield on March 12, where she was welcomed with a windshield tour of the installation followed by lunch with senior leader spouses at the Bowden Heights Community Center.
During the working lunch, Mrs. Weimer encouraged open discussion about the installation and the experiences of military families.
“I would love to hear things that you would like me to share with my husband’s staff,” Weimer said. “While I have no official authority, I would love to listen, see the climate here and help where we can.”
Spouses discussed the strength of the Army spouse network and the many opportunities available to connect within the Fort Rucker community.
Erin Paulus, wife of Garrison Commander Col. Jeff Paulus, highlighted the installation’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation events, which she said are valued by families and often a “catastrophic success” according to her husband.
“I truly don’t think I have seen a better one,” Paulus said. “They are working to tailor to everyone from sewing classes to book club at Big Mike's to line dancing at the golf course. If there is a way to connect in this community, MWR has found a way to do it.”
Paulus added that the diversity of the Army spouse population, particularly at Fort Rucker, is a strength the community is actively embracing.
“I think that our strength as a group of spouses is really our diverse experiences,” she said. “The more we connect together, the larger base of knowledge and experiences we have to pull from.”
One event that reflects that spirit is “Meet at Mike’s,” a spouse meetup held at the Fort Rucker Bar and Grill called Big Mike's.
Mollie Miller, wife of Combat Readiness Center Deputy Commander, Col. Miller, said the idea came from a younger spouse who posted on social media looking for experienced spouses willing to answer questions about Army life.
“This idea came because I saw on one of the Facebook pages that there was a young flight school spouse trying to recruit us, the ‘old ladies,’ to be available to answer their questions,” Miller said. “She had a brilliant idea!”
Miller reached out to the spouse, and together they planned for the first “Meet at Mike’s” in March 2025.
“I was truly just in awe when we showed up to the first one and the line was out the door,” Miller said. “We had more than 80 spouses, wives and husbands, and we knew right away we had something here. MWR jumped in to support, and now we have a way to connect our diverse group of Fort Rucker spouses a few times a year in a fun and approachable way.”
Following the lunch, Mrs. Weimer visited the Fort Rucker Thrift Shop, the Child Development Center, the School Age Center and the Youth Center. During the visits, she spoke with employees who work daily to support military families and care for Army children.
The tour continued Friday, March 13, with a stop at The Landing, where Mrs. Weimer attended a newcomer’s event and later participated in a roundtable discussion with Army Community Service leaders.
Topics discussed during the roundtable included both praise and areas of need for programs such as the Exceptional Family Member Program, New Parent Support Services and Survivor Outreach Services.
Mrs. Weimer concluded her visit with lunch at the dining facility alongside another group of Fort Rucker spouses. Reflecting on the visit, she said the strong sense of connection within the installation stood out most.
“What I have seen over these two days is that the connections here are really something special,” Weimer said. “Everyone works together here as a team, and it shows. I just love that and what I have been invited into here.” She said community members were candid about both the strengths of the installation and areas where improvements could be made.
“I love how involved the garrison commander is, both professionally and personally,” Weimer said. “That is a tough position to be in, and he does it really well here.”
Weimer added that seeing the close-knit nature of the Army Aviation community was a highlight of the trip.
“You all just stand in the gap for each other, and it’s really impressive.”
| Date Taken: | 03.13.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.17.2026 12:30 |
| Story ID: | 560711 |
| Location: | FORT NOVOSEL, ALABAMA, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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