Spouses play 'key' role in ACC

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Amy Robinson
  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) --  Although spouses have always been an important part of the Air Force family, Air Combat Command provides an opportunity for its spouses to play a "key" role in accomplishing the mission.

ACC's Key Spouse Program, which links family members and unit commanders, helps spouses play a key role in the mission by assisting family members when service members deploy or are assigned to a remote tour.

Appointed by the unit commander, key spouses volunteer their time to offer support, information and a personal connection to available resources, said Master Sgt. Roger Bullis, ACC Airman and Family Readiness superintendent.

"Key spouses teach younger and newer Air Force spouses how to cope with separation and provide a feeling of family when there is none around," said Angela Clevenger, wife of Master Sgt. Scott Clevenger, and key spouse at Minot Air Force Base, N.D.

Modeled after the Navy's Family Ombudsman Program, the Key Spouse Program was first adopted by several high-deployment Air Force bases in 1997. Since then, the program has been used throughout the Air Force and has been modified to meet the needs of today's expeditionary Air Force.

"With the high deployment tempo, providing support during times of separation is vital," Sergeant Bullis said. "Key spouses are available to listen and share experiences to help meet the challenges of deployment."

In addition to helping new Air Force spouses cope with separation, key spouses are trained to answer any questions family members may have, ranging from finances to family matters.

These volunteers are now better prepared to provide assistance since ACC incorporated a number of updates to the program earlier this year at the Key Spouse Working Group.

During the week-long conference, both ACC and U.S. Air Forces in Europe accomplished several goals, such as updating outdated material and creating new training modules and reference guides, Sergeant Bullis said.

Newly selected key spouses receive more than four hours of training through the Airman and Family Readiness Center. That training includes role-playing scenarios and briefings from a number of agencies including finance, legal, services and the chaplain.

In addition to formal training, there are several qualities these spouse must possess in order to be successful.

"A key spouse must have energy and a will to want to help others through their experiences," Ms. Clevenger said. "Patience, a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to cry on when needed also help."

Ms. Clevenger said she first decided to volunteer as a key spouse eight years ago at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, because of her experiences in dealing with her husband's deployment to Desert Storm.

"I felt (my experiences) would help some of the spouses having a hard time dealing with separation," she said.

By educating family members and helping them cope with separation, spouses like Ms. Clevenger are also contributing to mission accomplishment.

"(The Key Spouse Program) is going to benefit the family members in the unit, but it's also going to benefit the squadron commander because people coming to work will be more focused on the mission," Sergeant Bullis said.