BAGRAM, Afghanistan — Under a domed-style tent in Bagram, Afghanistan, filled with thumping music and rows of bikes, Lt. Col. Joseph Swindle turns into a spin instructor.
It’s his way of offering a sense of normalcy and home three times a week to troops stationed in what he calls a “safe” combat zone.
“When folks come in, I see them giving high fives and hugs and my intent is to make it more than a cardio class,” says the 46-year-old Army aviation officer, who commands a 1,200-member unit.
Understanding the power of camaraderie comes from not only serving in the Army — two tours in Afghanistan, one in Saudi Arabia and two in South Korea — but also as a spin instructor at the CycleBar in Hattiesburg.
“You know we all have rank but when teaching, we leave all that macho stuff at the door,” Swindle says.
“I want to create friendships, trust and relationships that will stand over time.”
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Staff Sgt. Daiana Winingers of Wagner, South Carolina, appreciates Swindle’s classes and the bond they create.
“I miss my family so the class is like counting down the days,” says the 25-year-old who began her tour in May. “I know that when I spin three days a week, I can scratch through that week on my calendar and know that a week is down.”
Staff Sgt. Lanette Britton, 31, of Hattiesburg, also takes the classes. Her tour began in June.
“His class not only helps me stay in shape and improve my health, it gives me that time with self to just be better overall,” she says.
Relationships that Swindle speaks of are built when members push each other through the most intense parts of class.
“It’s a challenge physically but you have to mentally tell yourself that you can do it,” Britton says.
Swindle, as a commander, sees similarity between that role and the one he assumes inside the makeshift gym.
“I provide them with resources and support to do their jobs,” he says, “so, it’s almost like a continuation of the normalcy through spin, building that family-styled trust professionally.”
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Personally, Swindle also creates his own kind of normalcy. He schedules time in the morning, around 6 a.m. before going to work, to talk with his wife, usually through FaceTime. After he gets off work, about 5 p.m., he either works out or teaches a spin class until 8 p.m.
The passion for spin classes took root in 2013, and Swindle, also a runner, earned a teaching certification. He decided he didn’t want to limit instructing classes to the times he wasn’t on tour.
“I knew what I liked about it so I wanted to teach and bring that experience that I grew a passion for and expose it to others,” he says.
His message to those in his classes, whether at the CycleBar in Hattiesburg or under a tent in Afghanistan, remains simple.
“I tell them, leave your stresses at the door.”
It’s time to go for a spin.
