Courtesy Photo | Cpl. Adam Lucas and his wife, Merideth, are shown in this 2011 unit dining out photo....... read more read more
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FORT McCOY, Wis. – One of this year’s U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition candidates has the unusual honor of sharing the same birthday with their spouse.
Cpl. Adam Lucas, a biomedical equipment specialist with the 4225th U.S. Army Hospital, Fort Harrison, Mont., was born seven hours and 36 minutes before his wife, Merideth, on the same day!
Little did they know that 24 years later, they would also be sharing the same goal – to win the title of Army Reserve Non-commissioned Officer of the Year.
“I am so proud of him. When he sees something and puts his heart to it, he gives 150 percent,” Merideth said. “To have him in my life, knowing that he gives everything he has, it means a lot.”
Even though Adam, who is representing the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Command, was doing the actual physical training through all previous competitions, he said his wife has been instrumental to his success thus far.
“She would quiz me on board questions,” Adam said. “She downloaded the app for the Army study guide and would randomly ask questions. She even did it while I was setting up her parents above ground pool,” he said, laughing. “While I’m doing physical labor on my one day off a week (from training) she’s sitting there drinking tea quizzing me, holding the baby.”
Married for two years, the couple has a 3-month old daughter, Lillian, who Merideth describes as “daddy’s girl.”
The Lucas’ normally live and work in Washington but temporarily relocated back to their home state of Montana to train for the competition with his sponsor, Staff Sgt. Aaron Butler, also a Montana native. Adam said it worked out well because their Family support network was already in place in Montana.
“It was nice that the Army was willing to accommodate such a thing,” he said. “They could have had the training in Florida or wherever but they were willing to do that for me so I could better train and keep my mind focused.”
Butler said his own parents even pitched in to make Lucas feel at home, preparing dinner for Lucas and Spc. Miguel Larrea, the ARMEDCOM Soldier of the Year candidate.
“They got to meet my parents and I brought them over for dinner,” he said. “She (Butler’s mother) is extremely proud of our two competitors.”
For the Lucas’, supporting each other is the key to having a successful military marriage despite periods of geographic separation and she has a message for other military spouses.
“As hard as it is for us to have our significant other gone, it’s just as hard for them to be away from us,” she said. “So our support and encouragement means so much more to them than it means to us.”
| Date Taken: | 07.17.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 07.17.2012 15:19 |
| Story ID: | 91691 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Hometown: | KALISPELL, MONTANA, US |
| Web Views: | 424 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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