Soldier Spouses Pledge to Walk to Afghanistan - Nashville Public Radio
Pat Clements
Spouse’s of Fort Campbell soldiers are planning a “Walk to Afghanistan” while their loved ones are deployed. Yesterday, teams of mostly wives started a 7,230 mile trek.
Spouses are encouraged to put together teams of five to complete the total mileage. That still breaks down to four miles a day every day for the next year.
Organizer Joe Schippers says a team effort builds a sense of community and has psychological benefits.
“I do believe that just being with somebody else during this time, when their family members are overseas at war, just being with somebody helps out quite a bit.”
Fort Campbell put together a year-long walk equal to the distance to Iraq in 2003. Schippers says 1,000 spouses participated. Most were women. Through the moderate exercise, he says some lost so much weight that their soldier husbands hardly recognized them when they got home.
This year, a total of more than 20,000 Fort Campbell soldiers are expected to deploy to Afghanistan.
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