By Bernard S. Little From left, executive producer Deborah Spera, actress Sally Pressman, Lee Woodruff, wife of ABC correspondence Bob Woodruff, and actress Brigid Brannagh attend an exclusive screening event of Lifetime’s drama series “Army Wives” Tuesday at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. For more about the event, see Page 8.

The event was held in the Old Red Cross Bldg. (41) at WRAMC.

The show, which airs Sundays at 10 p.m., with encores on Mondays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 p.m., follows the lives of four Army wives, their Families and an ìArmy husbandî whose wife is in the Army. The show is based on the non-fiction book Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Military Marriage by Tanya Biank.

Col. Bruce Haselden, Garrison commander at WRAMC, praised ìArmy Wivesî for showing how Families are also impacted by the service of their loved ones to the nation.

ì[It shows] that servicemembers have Families who are concerned about them whether they are deployed or at home,î Haselden said.

He added that last year, the Army rededicated itself to supporting Army Families with the signings of Army Family Covenants at military installations worldwide, and a commitment to dedicate more resources to Family programs.

Haselden said each Army Family brings ìunique strength, courage and characterî to their communities.

Sheila Casey, who attended the event with her husband Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, said sheís been an Army spouse for almost 38 years. She explained her awareness of the accumulative effects of repeated deployments on military Families.

ìAs George and I travel around talking to Army Families and Soldiers, we are amazed by their resilience and courage,î she said.

ìOur greatest resource are those relationships we have with other military spouses,î she added.

ìFrom week to week, ëArmy Wivesí works to show the Army community as a Family, and that we look out for each other during those hard times,î she said. ìWe rely on each other, and we support each other. We appreciate and respect the times that we spend together. We appreciate the efforts of Lifetime for resonating the message that the Army Family is strong.î

Lee Woodruff, the wife of ABC News correspondence Bob Woodruff, also attended the event. On Jan. 29, 2006, Bob Woodruff and Canadian cameraman Doug Vogt were seriously injured in an explosion from an improvised explosive device near Taji, Iraq, about 12 miles north of Baghdad. Woodruff was treated for a traumatic brain injury at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He was kept in a medically-induced coma for several weeks to assist his recovery.

Lee Woodruff, referred to herself as an ìhonorary Army wife.î

ìI have a husband who for 10 years, covered wars,î she said. ìI have a husband who believes that as long as there are American servicemembers willing to put themselves in harmís way, there needs to be journalists there to tell that side of the story. Iím an Army wife because I know what it feels like to send your husband off to war, pretend that itís just another day, and to wait for that phone call that you pray will never come.

ìI got that phone call in 2003 when my best friend Melanie Bloomís husband David, [the NBC correspondence], died in Iraq, and I got that phone call Jan. 29, 2006,î she said.

Lee Woodruff said as she sat by her husbandís bed during his recovery, she met so many other military wives and Families enduring what she was facing.

ìYou are my heroes ó all of you,î she said. ìI didnít know a lot about the military before Bob got injured, but I do know a lot about what you go through.î

She said those who are injured serving this nation ìdeserve the respect, dignity and greatest level of care and treatment this country can provide.î

Brigid Brannagh, who portrays Pamela Moran on ìArmy Wives,î called it an honor to be at Walter Reed. She said since the show began last year, the cast has had the opportunity to meet many Army Families. She called being at Walter Reed ìamazing,î as her emotions surfaced and she began to weep. She called WRAMC, its patients and staff ìmagical.î

ìIím impressed in such a profound way,î Brannagh said. ìI canít believe what you do here. Iím grateful to all of you.î

Sally Pressman, who portrays Roxy LeBlanc on ìArmy Wives,î echoed those sentiments.

ìIím overwhelmed. I canít find the words to express what we feel for every single one of you,î Pressman said to the WRAMC community. ìYou guys have changed my life. Iím so grateful.î