Advertisement

Soldiers marry at airport, then depart for separate deployments

Sean Whitney and Caitlin Murray tied the knot on Jan. 3 at the Albany International Airport (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)
Sean Whitney and Caitlin Murray tied the knot on Jan. 3 at the Albany International Airport (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union)

The bride and groom wore matching Army fatigues, short haircuts and huge grins. The couple, Army Pvts. Caitlin Murray and Sean Whitney, wed at the Albany International Airport in New York on Thursday, before catching flights to separate military assignments.

The wedding ceremony, reported by the Albany Times Union, was short and sweet, and pulled together in two hours. (Impressive, considering sometimes it can take that long to get through security.) The town’s marriage officer was called in to perform the civil ceremony. Because no family was in attendance given the last-minute decision, the airport’s CEO acted as ring bearer and witness.

A crowd of strangers and airport employees applauded when the two were declared man and wife. Photos were snapped, and the bride even pretended to throw an imaginary bouquet. The newlyweds were treated to lunch. Then, the two headed to their separate destinations.

Whitney, 26, was headed to Afghanistan. His tour is expected to end in September 2015. Murray, 20, was off to Fort Jackson, S.C., to complete basic training.

The groom told the Times Union, "We were going to wait until I got back, but we just decided we should do this now. It sounds cheesy, but I feel empowered now, knowing I have a wonderful woman waiting for me when I get home."