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A Fort Lewis stalwart praised as ‘a great mentor and adviser’

May-12-2007 » Filed Under: 3/2 SBCT , Homefront

MICHAEL GILBERT; The News Tribune

These are tough times for Army spouses at Fort Lewis, even before this week’s tragic news that nine more local soldiers had died.

Most of the 10,000 Fort Lewis soldiers now deployed to Iraq left a wife or a husband back home. And most who are there have had their combat tours extended from 12 to 15 months.

So it might come as a little bit of a lift to learn that one of their own was chosen to represent all Army spouses Friday in a White House ceremony to mark Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

Cindy Bjerke also received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her work helping fellow spouses at Fort Lewis keep their homes, hearts and heads together the past four years.

Three other women – one chosen from each branch of the service – were also honored Friday.

“It was awesome,” Bjerke said after meeting President Bush in the East Room. “He gave me a peck on the cheek and a hug and said he thanked me for the difference I’m making in families’ lives.”

Bjerke’s husband is Command Sgt. Maj. Alan Bjerke, serving in Iraq as the top enlisted adviser to the commander in the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment – one of the three infantry battalions in the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

He also held that post on the brigade’s first deployment to Iraq, in 2003-04.

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