FORT IRWIN, Calif. Aca,!" Fort Irwin and National Training Center spouses Deanna Raihl and Candice Jamoles will be featured on the July 15 "Around the Services" newscast on the Pentagon Channel as part of the Pentagon Channel's tour of major military installations.
"This is our first stop, and we hope to go to other large or major installations for all the different services," said Pentagon Channel producer Scott Howe.
A Pentagon Channel crew visited Fort Irwin a few weeks ago and focused on the actual mission at the National Training Center, so Howe said he and his crew arrived to complete the package, which included addressing the quality of life at Fort Irwin and NTC.
"I think it is in the middle of everywhere," Mrs. Jamoles said, noting that San Diego, Los Angeles and Las Vegas are all just about two hours from Fort Irwin.
Coming from Fort Drum, N.Y., where her husband was deployed three times in the four-and-a-half years they were there, being at Fort Irwin has been great for their family, she said.
"Although he's not always home, at least he's not out in harm's way," she said, adding that her husband is an observer-controller with the Operations Group.
The housing at Fort Irwin is also on par with what is found in the rest of Southern California and Miami, where she is from, Mrs. Jamoles said.
"Fort Irwin is a great place for families, because there are lots of things for families to do," she said.
Even with its remote location, the Commissary and PX are able to provide most everything a family needs despite their small size compared to other facilities at larger installations, she said.
For those who feel isolated at Fort Irwin, Mrs. Jamoles said the key is getting out and meeting people by paying attention to the many activities on post.
"People aren't going to be your friend if you don't go out and meet people," Mrs. Jamoles said.
Mrs. Raihl agreed that the Fort Irwin and NTC experience is what each person decides to make it.
"You can choose to see if the cup is half full or half empty and I choose to see it as half full," she said.
Mrs. Raihl's husband is also an observer-controller with the Operations Group, and Fort Irwin is the first PCS move the family made, coming from Fort Lewis, Wash. in October, she said.
"One of the great things about Fort Irwin is you can volunteer and I do a radio show with Etrick (Smith, who is the Fort Irwin/NTC media relations officer," she said.
The housing on post is beautiful and Fort Irwin has some of the best fitness facilities around, she said.
Although the installation is in a remote location, there are always plenty of activities for families such as the Fourth of July event, which featured four live bands and a 20-minute fireworks show, she said.
"We are close to San Diego and LA, and there are lots of things you can do if you plan ahead," she said.
With Soldiers spending so much of their time away from home during rotations, Mrs. Raihl said there are plenty of organizations, which pull spouses together.
"They try to do at least one or two things a month and pull together families and husbands if they're able to go," she said.
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