Long Knife wives earn their spurs

By Spc. Terence Ewings, 4th BCT PAO, 1st Cav. Div.May 26, 2010

1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
FORT HOOD, Texas-Sgt. Amvaro Escobar's wife, Karina, looks on as her husband, from Houston, prepares to give a class on how to perform preventive maintenance checks and services on a tactical vehicle during Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment's Spouse Spu...
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – FORT HOOD, Texas-Sgt. Amvaro Escobar's wife, Karina, looks on as her husband, from Houston, prepares to give a class on how to perform preventive maintenance checks and services on a tactical vehicle during Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment's Spouse Spu... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT HOOD, Texas- "Long Knife" spouses had a chance to earn their spurs, May 22, during the all day event that tested their physical and mental abilities.

The spur candidates with1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division worked together in multiple teams, alongside their husbands, navigating the competition to gain their silver spurs.

"The goal of this team-building exercise was to develop a sense of camaraderie in the women that will remain here in the states, while their spouses are deployed overseas," said Sgt. 1st Class Cory Smith, a rear detachment non-commissioned officer from New London, Wis.

The troopers put their spouses through a variety of challenges; assembling and operating a radio system, performing preventive maintenance checks and services on a tactical vehicle, participating in a "shoot or don't shoot" simulation on the engagement skills trainer and completing a 1.3 mile road march.

The wives did very well completing the obstacles at hand, and this exercise gives them a good idea of what their husbands do on a daily basis when we're in a deployed environment, said Smith.

The unique aspect to this particular spur ride was that the troopers were literally "working hand in hand" assisting their wives through the challenges.

Sgt. Christopher Cisco, a signal support specialist from Freehold, N.J., taught his own wife how to assemble a tactical radio and perform maintenance and service checks on the machine.

"This spur ride is a good chance for (Soldiers) to show our families that a lot of work goes into a deployment," said Cisco. "This learning environment allows them to see what each individual trooper does. It's not all about fighting. We contribute different skills to the mission."