822nd BDS Spouses experience a day in the life

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jarrod Grammel
  • 23d Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  Approximately 30 spouses put on body armor and picked up M4 carbine rifles during the 822nd Base Defense Squadron's first ever spouse immersion day on May 4.

The spouse immersion day, which was celebrated as part of Military Spouse Appreciation Day, gave spouses a taste of life in the 822nd BDS.

"Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day, and we wanted to show them what we do on a day to day basis," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Adriana Welton, 822nd Base Defense Squadron fire team leader. "It's a different thing to actually see and experience it. It's also a way to make them part of the family.

The spouses experienced some of the physical stresses of 822nd BDS life during a combatives session. Airmen gave their spouses some playful jostling as the spouses dug punches, knees, elbows and kicks into the pads.

"We put these events together to show the spouses what it is like to live a day in our shoes," said Senior Airman Ammons Dinkins, 822nd BDS fireteam member. "Today is all about them, and we hope they had a good time."

After combatives, the spouses got into formation and marched from the 822nd BDS building to another building, and were split into three groups. Each spouse received M4 carbine familiarization training, an HMMWV Egress Assistance Trainer demonstration and got a chance to interact with some of the equipment the 822nd BDS uses.

"We held this to give the spouses and idea of what their husbands do, but also add a fun twist," said Sarah Moyer, spouse of Staff Sgt. Clyde Moyer and key spouse. "I think doing events like this builds togetherness in a unit.

"This puts a face on everything," she added. "I always hear about what he does at work, but it really helps to see it. Now we have an idea of what our spouses are talking about when we ask about their day."

In the afternoon, the spouses saw a military working dog demonstration and static displays of equipment and weapons used by the 822nd BDS.

"Without the support of spouses, this unit wouldn't be as strong," said Senior Airman John Small, 822nd BDS fire team member. "We want them to support us and be involved."