The newest show TV Fishbowl will recap weekly is “Married To The Army: Alaska”. It premieres on OWN Sunday November 18th. The regular time slot will be on Monday evenings. The show follows seven Army wives from Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska during their husband’s deployment to Afghanistan.
OWN graciously allowed TVFishbowl to speak with three of the cast members and learn about their experiences with the show and why they think this never before granted access is worth the watch.
Yolanda Goins is the wife of the Brigade Commander and in a position of leadership for the spouses. She is happy that OWN is carrying “Married To The Army: Alaska” due to their reputation for positive programming.
She states that this country has been at war for over ten years and now America can get a glimpse of what happens at home for military families around the world. To Yolanda, military spouses are also soldiers. They sacrifice alongside their children and their military member through the challenges of deployments and the stress of the risks involved.
During this experience, the spouses formed bonds through good and bad. A sisterhood of women who leaned on and learned from each other. Things weren’t always perfect, but the relationships were solidified through this shared experience.
Unfortunately, the worst that can happen on a deployment did during filming. Yolanda takes on an even more stressful role during those times. As much as she was there to support the spouses of the brigade, she is human and also needed support. This was her first time being home alone, as their son attends West Point Military Academy. Fortunately, she did have the benefit of friends and her mentor to turn to and the bonus of those she supported returning that love.
Lindsey Bergeron would do this show again. She believes in the Army ways and is proud to be a military spouse. Her earlier experience as a military wife found her in a different place in her life, as she explains in the premiere. She has a new appreciation for being an Army wife and making a difference through the FRG (Family Readiness Group).
Photo: OWN
Lindsey admits that her husband was not too keen on her attending the casting for the show. “Absolutely not” was his initial reaction, but she persevered and is happy to be part of this diverse group of women. Despite the different paths that brought these women together, they now share a way of life. She wants America to take this journey with them and understand the real stories behind the headlines and televised happy homecomings.
Sara Dunlap’s Army wife experience is new and a major change from life as it was. The Dunlap family went from a civilian life in Texas to the long road of separations as her husband entered the service and attended various training schools. This is something he felt he needed to do for this country so the safety of his office job was traded for boots and a ticket to Afghanistan.
Photo: OWN
We wanted to know if deciding to do the show made her nervous while transitioning into Army wife life with two little ones in tow. Sara said she was apprehensive at first, but really believes that this is a story that needs to be shown. Letting the audience experience first-hand the sacrifice, the emotions and the bonds of family one makes with people they’ve hardly known.
The three women said that beyond the cameras, they were fortunate to have regular lunch and dinner dates with friends and play dates for the little ones to fill the void of separation. They think it would be great to see how families in other branches of service make this lifestyle work.
“Married To The Army: Alaska” also captured the husband’s R&R visits and the short adjustment time they had with their family while part of them was still on the battlefield.
This is a show that viewers from all walks of life can appreciate. It’s not a romp through the drama field. It’s real life. An unprecedented inside look at just a handful of the families who serve this country.
Brave in supporting their spouses through this war and exceptionally brave in opening their lives to us.
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Armed Forces Network is planning a Sneak Peek of the first episode on Sunday, November 25th @ 9 pm, following the Oprah’s Favorite Things special. The series will then start again from the beginning on December 2nd in its regular Sunday time slot at 5pm on AFNprime.
More show information from OWN can be found here.
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