My Farewell Speech to Ladies at Fort Knox

When a commander gets ready to hand over the command to the new guy, we wives also have a ritual of saying goodbye to the command time in our own way. We have a standing tradition of something called a "Farewell." It's a thoughtful little get together of all the folks you've met and worked with as a commander's spouse. We met at the club this evening for my official farewell and this is the little speech I gave.

Thank you wives of the 16th CAV Regiment, Heather, April, Debbie and Jimin for putting this event together and thank you Ann, Jennifer, and Robyn and guests for honoring our Army traditions by attending.

There’s another Army tradition that’s not written about in social guides or protocol books, and that’s the new assignments circle of life, and I’m not talking “Hakuna Matata," because that means no worries. No, this is the spouses take on Army assignments:

It goes like this:

First few months at the new post: I hate this place. The curtains don’t fit . . . These are the crummiest quarters we’ve ever lived in. People just aren’t that friendly here. Johnny isn’t making any new friends. I hate the Army!!

Between six months and a year. Well it’s really not so bad here. The unit has great folks and I really like our neighbors, especially now that Johnny has a new BFF. I could really like it here. Maybe the Army’s not so bad after all.

After a year; I love it here. Wow, this unit is great; we’ve just never experienced anything like the great community of this post. I don’t even want to think about moving. I love the Army!!

New assignment time. How could they do this to us. We love it here. We’ll never have friends like this again. Why do we have to move. I hate the Army!!


Now we have a new paradigm thrown into the mix, that of the individual deployment, which is what I will be experiencing this year. That is the situation where the spouse stays in the community but there’s no unit, no rear D. But there is a Fort Knox community. So while Ward is in a war zone the Beaver and I will be in a comfort zone. Thank you all for being a part of that.


Ann has said that we should always keep these things kind of light hearted, but I’m going to step up on my soapbox for a minute and borrow some words from Toby Keith about the whole reason we’re here in this room. And that is really not about me but about support for our soldiers. Now I’m not talking about all soldiers, but just that one! That boot wearing lug that got you into all of this, the one you are closest to, and so often take for granted. Because we get busy with meetings and clubs and shlepping kids to their activities and forget just what our guys do. They are Warriors!


These words from the song American Soldier aren’t poetry or even prose but they get it just about right:

I’m just trying to be a father

Raise a daughter and a son

Be a lover to their mother

Everything to everyone



Up and at ‘em bright and early, I’m all business in my suit

I’m dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots

I don’t do it for money, there’s bills I that I can’t pay

I don’t do it for the glory, I just do it anyway



I’m real good under pressure, being all that I can be

I can’t call in sick on Mondays when the weekend’s been too strong

I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long

You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door

Hey I’m solid, hey I’m steady, hey I’m true down to the core.

And I will always do my duty no matter what the price

I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice

Oh and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me

I’ll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don’t come free.

I’m American Soldier. An American.


Where do we find men like that? An American Soldier. YOUR American Soldier. THEY have the tough job. Ours is the easy one, to love them . . . To support them.

So honor the sacrifices they make. Be there for them. Be a help to them. Have a smile and a meal ready for them when they walk through that door after working late. And when they have to deploy, be strong. Be strong like Antje, like Emily, like DeLisa, like Julie . I’m saying this to remind myself as well as you as I face the year ahead.

OK enough of that!

Thank you all sharing a bit of yourselves this evening. And now I’ll go and try to take my own advice. I'll see you around the neighborhood. God Bless!