What You Didn’t See: Fort Knox Field Exercise

Did you attend the Fort Knox Field Exercise (or any other Field Exercise)? If you did, I’m guessing you had a ton of fun, because I know I did. It was time away from the family and gave us all that much-needed “me” time. There were laughs, lots of amazing prizes, and things you may have never heard of, like Flat Daddy or Wire-A-Cake.

But here’s what you didn’t see.

This was the first time most of the AWN team attended a Field Exercise. Six of us in total attended, and that was no easy task.  Corrie flew in from Colorado. Paula drove in from Tennessee. Janet came from Georgia. Star came down from Virginia. Tara flew over from Texas. And I traveled from Korea. Did I mention we are all volunteers? We chose to come to Fort Knox to be a part of this because we all believe in the AWN mission. We had three other team members that couldn’t make it for one reason or another, but trust me—they wanted to be there.

Decorating the Saber and Quill required all hands on deck. It took a several hours with a team of around 15 volunteers. We blew up globes, set up tables, put together those awesomely heavy gift bags everyone got, and lots more. None of this could have been completed if not for amazing local volunteers. This event took months of planning, and you can see that in the details, like the gifts bags, the cake, the table decorations, the sponsors, and the awesome prizes.

So, who of the team attended the Field Exercise?

Corrie from Colorado: Corrie was the one running around the room with a camera. As you may or may not know with photography, it’s not just about taking the shot. There will be lots of editing involved! Check in with Facebook to see her awesome photos.

Janet from Georgia: Janet drove several hours to be in attendance. She was our official greeter with ice breakers, and if you got a red ticket to win prizes, she was likely the one who gave it to you! She also played the role of “Vanna” during the daytime FE. If there is one thing I can say about Janet, it’s this: She loves helping people, especially new spouses!

Paula from Tennessee: Paula also drove several hours to be there. She is a veteran when it comes to Field Exercises! Paula is one of the people who played the role of “Vanna” during the nighttime FE, and she also was the team member who updated Facebook and Twitter while you were having fun at the daytime FE. If you met her, Paula is also the team member with a beautiful smile and great teeth. (Seriously, her teeth are the whitest, prettiest teeth I have ever seen.)

Starlett from Virginia: I didn’t get to take a selfie with Star, but let me tell you, this lady? Is amazing. There are so many layers to Star. Every time I turned around, I learned something new about her that surprised me. She is one of the AWN co-founders and, with Tara, did the behind the scenes stuff, like coordinating with Fort Knox’s MWR and ACS, among other things. I adore Star, and it’s more than likely because she reminds me of Michelle Duggar. She doesn’t have the hair, but she has the voice and temperament of Michelle. (She is probably going to kill me for writing this.)

Tara from Texas: AWN co-founder Tara put all of herself into putting this event together for Fort Knox spouses. Tara told personal stories during the FE, like being scared to death of her Flat Daddy that was hitching a ride with her, and made everyone laugh. She was also my roommate at the hotel we stayed in, and we took the same flight out of Louisville. I got to know Tara a lot better because of this FE, and I am glad I did. She is just as (if not more) amazing than I imagined!

Emily from Korea: I’m in all those pictures, so you don’t need to see another one of me. I traveled a long way to be there, and I am glad I did. I have a genuine fear of social situations, but it was more important to me to face them and be there. I was one of the people who helped check in, and I also played “Vanna” at the daytime FE. The only thing I would change about the event is, I wish I did more to reach out to the spouses. I was too afraid to be more social, and I commend everyone who came to the FE solo. I sat at a table with someone named Jennifer whose husband is deployed, and she came by herself! I admire her on so many levels, because that took guts!

I never met most of my teammates before this event. I think the overwhelming part for me was that they stopped being avatars on Facebook and became people. My brain took a while to process that this was really happening.

Here’s something you probably did see—we are a big family. Not just the Army Wife Network Core Team, but also all of us spouses. We are a sisterhood (and a brotherhood) that can’t be compared. We are the 1%.