Key Spouse Program ramps up at 440th Airlift Wing

by Master Sgt. Steve Staedler
440th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

1/23/2014 - POPE FIELD, N.C. -- Deployments have become a way of life for Air Force reservists. Whether an Airman is gone for one week or one year, it can be a stressful time for everyone involved, especially the spouse staying home.

To help alleviate those stressors for loved ones left behind, the Air Force Reserve Command has created the Key Spouse Program, an initiative that aims to ensure the well being of family and friends of deployed reservists by providing them information, communication and resources.

Organizers are looking for people to volunteer as a Key Spouse for their respective squadrons as the program ramps up in the 440th Airlift Wing here.

"We need to recruit people here at Pope Field to become Key Spouses," said Master Sgt. Barbara Hedman, Airman and Family Readiness NCO in charge. "Our goal is to build awareness of the program, because you never know what's going to happen."

The Key Spouse Program is an outreach tool of the 440th AW commander, Brig. Gen. James Scanlan, who will help ensure the readiness of Pope Field families in preparing for and coping with the demands of deployment. The program is a partnership between the wing commander, Airman and Family Readiness, and the Key Spouse Program volunteer - with the goal of looking after the families of deployed Airmen.

"We want to be able to take care of families by staying in constant contact with them, and to share all the resources and programs available to them throughout the deployment," Hedman said. "The key spouse acts as a liaison between the family and base. If a spouse is experiencing difficulties, the key spouse volunteer can step in and help them out."

Hedman, who is coordinating the program along with Master Sgt. Katrine Guinn and Nancy Schmitkons, key spouse mentor and wife of Col. Karl Schmitkons, 440th AW vice commander, said the program took shape soon after reservists were deployed in large numbers following the 9/11 terrorists attacks.

Some of the responsibilities of a key spouse include:

· Serving as a conduit of information for families
· Regularly call on families to see how things are going
· Providing peer-to-peer support to spouses
· Providing information on local resources and programs

It's not just spouses who are served by the program. Family members and parents can also benefit from the service provided by key spouses.

"We have a lot of single Airmen whose parents may need support as well," Nancy Schmitkons said. "It's not just the military member that's part of this unit, the family is a member, too."

Any military or family member can become a key spouse. Those who volunteer receive ongoing training and support from Airman and Family Readiness.

For more information on the program, or to volunteer, call 910-394-1441 or email Barbara.hedman@us.af.mil.