Going to war can be hard on the body, mind and spirit of the soldier and his or her spouse and children.

Derrick Bostic, a retired U.S. Army sergeant first class, said he knows this all too well from personal experience.

"I'm on my third marriage," he said. "When you look at the bigger picture, the homefront has to be ready for war. The homefront has to be strong when the soldier leaves the spouse behind."

To serve this end, Bostic founded the Joe Louis Boxing program under the U.S. Boxing Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He provides group-setting workouts rooted in Tae Bo, kickboxing, boxing and taekwondo, and empowers individuals to live healthier lives.

"The primary goal is wellness, stress management and weight reduction," Bostic said.

The program is named after Joe Louis, an enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army who served during the Second World War and, at the time, was the reigning boxing heavyweight champion of the world. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Bostic started the program in 2009 when he served with the Criminal Investigations Division at Fort Meade, Maryland, in response to the growing number of soldiers needing to make weight to keep their jobs.

"We had soldiers who were three hundred pounds," Bostic said.

In 2012, Bostic transferred to JBLM and served with the 6th Military Police Group. In December 2013, he resurrected the program at JBLM after he retired from the army.

The Joe Louis Boxing program is housed on the second floor of the McVeigh Fitness Center on base. Classes are open to anyone who has access to JBLM.

"I help people of all ages," Bostic said. "I take kids at age ten and up."

Classes are offered from 9-10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He also offers one-on-one training, by appointment only, between 12:30-6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

"This is a place for people to belong," Bostic said. "It helps (active-duty soldiers) have interaction with people outside of their units."

Bostic said wives also need rest from the kids and time to themselves.

"What I'm doing is a win-win," he said.

Classes are free. For more information, call 410.212.5455. The McVeigh Fitness Center is located at 2161 Liggett Ave.