FORT RILEY, Kan. - "This is the German VIP table," said Michaela Sharp, military spouse.

Sharp, Kerstin Madden, Shelita Thomas, Anna Fleming and Sabine Sickles along with their Families made up the group of fourteen that filled a corner table during the Father's Day Brunch June 20 at Riley's Conference Center.

"We love events like this; it gives us more reason to fellowship with friends," said Thomas, military spouse.

The group met through a German social networking site, which links German speaking spouses and Family members to others in their local community. The group gets together once a week for coffee and conversation.

"The site helps us to connect with people that are also German. It helps us to keep up our traditions, culture and language," said Madden, military spouse.

According to Mike Madden the group is a great way to keep the wives happy and their minds off of their husbands' absence. Madden returned home from Afghanistan earlier in June, just in time for the Father's Day celebration. His wife is a member of the group.

"It's great to be home in time for Father's Day, but honestly any day that I can come home to my Family and America is a great day," said Mike Madden.

Fleming, military spouse, said the group of friends makes being away from home "bearable."

"When our husbands are away, we have friends that we can talk to or hang out with that are right here and it makes dealing with the deployment a lot easier."

"This is a great group of ladies. I like that they all hang out together and keep each other positive. When my wife is happy it makes the time away from home easier for me," said Mike Madden.

Aside from Mike Madden, another father was in the group, Harald Chimmel, father of Sabine Sickles, came all the way from Mainz, Germany, to share in the occasion.

The next brunch at Riley's the "Beat the Heat Picnic Brunch" is July 18 from 10 a.m-2 p.m. For information on the event, call 785-784-1000.