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Kimberly Bacso, Coordinator of the Fort Irwin MOPS group, is counting down the days for her husband's return from Iraq. He's a JAG Officer for the Army and scheduled to return home in May.

When Bacso was first asked to take over as Coordinator of the Army base MOPS group, she declined. She knew her husband was going to be deployed for a year and wasn't sure how she'd manage the added responsibility. Then she realized taking this position was how she'd manage the separation. The added responsibility and distraction have helped her to focus her energies on those around her.

Fort Irwin in Southern California is the Army's premier training center. It houses soldiers who are stationed both long-term and short-term. The base also houses families of active-duty soldiers and families with a husband or wife deployed overseas.

When their husbands are away, military wives learn to rely on each other. The day Bacso dropped her husband off to be deployed, a Discussion Group Leader brought by a handwritten note of encouragement. And she shares meals with another Discussion Group Leader a couple nights a week. Their kids play together while they have adult conversation. Bacso says, "Connections we make within MOPS help us get through."

One of the greatest challenges military moms face is separation from their husband. Second to that is separation from friends and family. These moms have the constant need to make new friends. Military families move regularly, leaving behind their friends and families. Bacso says, "It feels like you're in a constant state of flux trying to maintain connections and make new ones."

The other MOPS moms in her group share her sentiment. Theresa Donahoe says, "I discovered MOPS this summer after leaving a home I loved and moving to a new community halfway across the country—as has been our lifestyle through 13 years and 8 moves as a military family. MOPS has been such a blessing for me. I suddenly found myself surrounded by new friends and happy moms who were so willing to help me adjust to our new home."

As they were planning for this MOPS year, the Steering Team made a special effort to help moms get connected quickly. Elizabeth Granfors, the Welcome/Appreciation Leader, suggested and organized the "Survivor: Motherhood" challenge.

Discussion Groups became tribes who competed against each other in games of skill including sorting shoes, drinking juice out of a bottle, eating baby food, re-rolling toilet paper and diapering a doll.

"Survivor: Motherhood" was a raging success. Moms cheered each other on and laughed together. They had such a fabulous time that many women invited friends to MOPS. And the group added one new Discussion Group Leader to accommodate the new moms.

With such a great response, the Steering Team decided to make it a yearlong competition. They earn points for activities including attending playgroups hosted by their Discussion Group, bringing supplies for Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes, finding hidden messages in their newsletters and sending Christmas cards to wounded soldiers.

Donahoe says, "The Survivor game provided the initiative for playgroups outside our regular meetings, but the gatherings came to mean so much more. They're a chance to get together, share 'battle stories' as military families and talk about our kids. The fact that we get points for meeting is simply a bonus!"

One of Bacso's goals for the group is to get the word out about MOPS to all the moms on the base. For military moms, it's vital they make connections quickly to form friendships and build community. Bacso has an agreement with the Chaplain she'll make room for new moms no matter how many want to attend. They are constantly challenged by the lack of space for the kids at the Chapel, but Basco is committed to welcoming every new mom to MOPS.

Military moms are exposed to many different cultures, places and experiences. Bacso says, "Our lives are enriched because we pick up and move frequently." And at the Fort Irwin MOPS group, women from varying backgrounds and every rank of the Army encourage and support each other as military moms.

Jackie Alvarez is the Editorial Coordinator at MOPS International. She lives in Colorado and enjoys snowboarding, watching movies, seeking out good music and engaging in conversation about faith.

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