Iraq War brings couple together

COLUMBUS -- Sometimes getting off to a rocky start under extreme circumstances becomes the glue that binds a relationship.

Such was the case with Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Bahr and his wife, Sgt. 1st Class Catherine Bahr, who are currently stationed together in Iraq.

The couple is deployed with the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, 2-159 Attack/Recon Battalion at Camp Anaconda, Iraq.

Nathan Bahr, a 1991 graduate of Scotus Central Catholic High School, and Catherine Peterson, of Long Island, N.Y., were stationed together in Germany early in their careers but never met while there.

The couple, married by an Elvis impersonator while on leave in Las Vegas in October 2005, were not impressed with each other the first time they met at Camp Doha in Kuwait.

“We really kind of hated each other when we first met,” Catherine said. “Nathan is a vehicle maintenance supervisor, and I’m in supply. When we first met, it was a clash between two very strong-headed personalities.”

After a period of time the unit in Doha was deployed to Iraq while Nathan and Catherine remained behind with a contingency force. As the numbers at Doha dwindled it was only a matter of time before the two were destined to meet again.

Then, Catherine said, a day came when she was called on to deliver a vehicle to the shop where Nathan was working.

“This time it went better, and we started talking, and then we started going out,” she said. “It turned out we did have a lot in common.”

Dating options in a war zone are somewhat limited. The two got to know each other watching movies together on Nathan’s laptop and during trips to a local coffee shop during their down-times.

Because of a relatively new Army program that works to ensure married soldiers stick together, The Bahr’s have little concern that they will be split up by future deployments to different duty stations. Another factor that helps is they work in jobs that are symbiotic.

“Under this program, for one of us to be deployed anywhere else, there would also need to be an opening for the other,” Nathan said.

While the couple’s support role does not bring them into direct combat situations, they said working at an Apache attack helicopter base makes them a possible target.

While the threat of enemy fire is always there, one of the couple’s biggest challenges is jealousy on the part of those they work with.

“Jealousy from outside our relationship is a big deal for both of us,” Catherine said. “Sometimes our co-workers are missing their families, and they see us together, and they get jealous of us because we get to be together.”

Nathan said the advantage of being deployed together comes with unexpected inconveniences.

“It’s true we get to be together, but what some people don’t understand is that we don’t have the same outside support system other married soldiers have,” he said. “Sometimes it’s hard having both of us here and unable to access things from outside the military like those around us. If Catherine or I were not in the military, we’d have that other person out in the world to get things done.”

An example of this challenge is that the couple keeps an apartment in Germany, which is still their home base. The landlord is gracious enough to care for the couple’s cat while they are away.

The Bahr’s revealed very similar views on the subject of women in the military.

“I don’t have a problem with women in the military in a support role,” Catherine said. “But, I don’t feel the front line is the place for us. In my opinion girls just function different than men. I know it’s not a popular view, but we get jealous, emotional sometimes, and sometimes just too ‘catty’ to really be put in that situation.

“Another problem with women on the front line is men and their tendency toward chivalry. That could be a real problem if some guy had to choose between helping a wounded female soldier and maybe moving forward to gain more control over the situation. It’s not that I think women can’t do it.”

Catherine joined the Army in 1992 and said college was not an option for her right after high school. She decided joining up was better than working in the local pet store.

Since then she’s been stationed at various locations around the United States as well as Korea, Okinawa, Germany and now two tours in Iraq.

Catherine’s day is monitoring and maintaining necessary equipment and supplies. She says her work is similar to that done by the “Radar” character in the television program MASH.

Nathan said although he did go to college, for him, it was not taking him where he had hoped it would.

“I wasn’t getting any where with college,” Nathan said. Joining the Army was the best thing I could do at the time and I’m happy with that decision on most days.”

Nathan’s first duty station was Fort Hood Texas. Nathan and Catherine are both permanently stationed in Germany and deployed from there to other duty assignments.