ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFNS) -- Air Force Reserve Key Spouse Mentors from around the country came together virtually May 7, to share their ideas, struggles and best practices. The Key Spouse Mentors conference also provided guidance and education on a host of Reserve programs available, resiliency and wellness techniques.
Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command personnel were on hand to provide training on family resilience programs, while several wings provided training on their best practices.
“As we visited different wings, I heard so many incredible speakers and stories, and knew we would benefit from connecting and sharing what we’d learned and experienced through our time in our respective locations,” said Janis Scobee, AFRC Key Spouse mentor and spouse of Lt. Gen. Richard Scobee, AFRC commander and chief of the Air Force Reserve. “We really wanted to highlight and showcase all of the unique talent we have.”
“What we need right now, more than ever, is our spouse networks,” said Edith White, AFRC Key Spouse Mentor and spouse of Chief Master Sgt. Timothy White, AFRC’s command chief master sergeant and Scobee’s senior enlisted advisor. “We have all had some very challenging times due to COVID-19 impacting our families and the families we support. Our resiliency has been challenged on so many levels.”
Virtual conferences like this one help bridge the distance so Key Spouses can share their ideas and best practices and support one another.
Supporting the families of a unit, squadron or wing can be a big job, but Mrs. Scobee said it’s more important than ever.
“Our Key Spouses work with the leadership to make sure the families are being taken care of regardless of if the member is on home station, TDY or deployed,” she said. “They work so hard to take care of everyone in addition to their own families, so it’s important for us to come together to support and take care of each other.”
She went on to say that Key Spouses are critical to mission success and individual readiness. If families aren’t being cared for, the service member can’t focus on the mission.
Mrs. White added that Key Spouses are the unwavering foundation of resiliency and support for Airmen and their families.
The Key Spouse Program is an official Air Force Unit Family Readiness Program designed to enhance readiness, personal/family resiliency and establish a sense of Air Force community. Key Spouses are commander-appointed and serve as a vital resource to command teams in an effort to support Air Force families. The strategic vision is to increase resiliency and unit cohesion amongst military members and their families throughout the military life cycle.