FORT RILEY -- Ice hockey has always been a part of life for Pfc. Kakia Ashley, the New York native now stationed at Fort Riley with the 116th Military Police Company, 97th Military Police Battalion.
After playing on a college team for one year at State University of New York at Potsdam, Ashley decided to join the military and arrived at her first duty station, Fort Riley, in September 2015 to serve as a military police officer. Although hockey is less popular in Kansas than it was in New York, she hasn't let being stationed in the Midwest stop her from playing.
"I've been playing hockey since I was five -- it's a sport I love. So I knew no matter where I went in the world with the Army, that's what I wanted to do," Ashley said.
Shortly after arriving at Fort Riley, Ashley began making the two-hour drive to attend open skates at a rink in Wichita. One day, Ashley met the coach of a local team made up of police enforcement officers -- The Force -- and he invited her to play with his team.
As the only female, Ashley stood out from the rest of the team, but said their shared professions and their mutual love of the game helped her fit in.
"They're a funny group of guys," Ashley said. "It's fun to be around them. They were welcoming, and they treat me just like one of the guys. We help each other out with both hockey and work."
As the youngest player, age is another factor that sets her apart from her teammates.
"Playing with a group of guys that are old enough to be my dad is kind of crazy," Ashley said. "But when you get out there, you don't look at it like that. You look at it as, they're my teammates, and they're fighting for the same thing I'm fighting for. We have a lot of older guys, but they all have the heart to play."
The Force was recently selected by the International Olympic Committee to participate in a special eight-part televised series that will be aired on the Olympic Channel in conjunction with the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
As part of the series, the Force is being paired up with a former Olympian, who will spend a week coaching them and helping them train for their annual Police vs. Fire game against the Wichita Fire April 24.
Ashley is looking forward to having the opportunity to work with a former Olympian.
"When I heard that there was an Olympic coach coming to train us to get ready for the rematch, I got excited," Ashley said. "After having an Olympic coach come out, whether we win or lose, we are going to have the knowledge that they left us and all the training tips they left us. It's just going to be our job to remember and to put into play what they said."
The Force has been on a several-year losing streak against the Fire, which Ashley attributes partially to the busy work schedules of policemen that conflict with practices and games at times. But the team is hopeful that with the assistance of their Olympic coach, they can turn things around at their upcoming game.
"I'd love to see the Force come out on top when we play the Fire again," Ashley said. "I know that that's what we work toward all season, that's the big game. We all want to win. It's inevitable -- if you play a sport, you're going to want to win. But I love hockey. Regardless of what the end results of the games are, it doesn't matter as long as I get to go out there and skate. That's what means the most."
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