Paying it forward

by Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett
673d Air Base Wing Public Affairs

1/16/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska  -- When Gaebriel Diaz left Eagle River for Basic Military Training in San Antonio, Texas, his wife, Samantha, was left with two small children and instructions to obtain her military identification card.

New to the military and unable to contact her husband to ask questions, she turned to social media for help.

"I had no idea where to go or what to do," Diaz said. "That's when I found the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Wives page on Facebook and I put up a post saying that I'm new and I don't know where to go. A few ladies answered and they referred me to Petra. She saw it, dropped everything and instantly asked to meet up. She said, 'I'll bring you on and show you around.' She signed me on base. I really appreciated it."

Petra Cooke, wife of Army Master Sgt. Travis Cooke, acting First Sergeant for Comanche Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 501st Infantry Regiment, and a native of Paris, Texas, is an example of a military spouse who loves helping people, and hopes that feeling will rub off on others.

"It's not really volunteering," Cooke said. "It's more just serving the community. For example, with Samantha, I offered to help and thank God she took it. We got a lot of stuff done. I helped her get on base, we got her I.D. and we got her signed up on TRICARE."

They also used the opportunity and checked out some of the programs like Family Advocacy, she said.

"It can be challenging for military families to have the opportunity to gain knowledge about resources," said Jennifer Frysz, Family Advocacy Outreach manager and native of Buffalo, N.Y. "When we have seasoned spouses who have been around, they are one of our greatest assets. They help break down stigmas associated with some agencies. Our military spouses are a key point in getting communication out there."

Cooke doesn't just wait for someone to ask for help - she takes the initiative.

"Those are the things I do. I see a need, I roll up my sleeves and I do it," she said. "If someone says they have a really bad cold, I make some chicken soup and bring it over."

Cooke has created programs and events to fill needs, such as organizing morale packages for single Soldiers in her husband's company. They also provided a homemade Christmas dinner including cookies for the installation gate guards.
"I love just seeing them be happy having a little taste of Christmas in the barracks," said Cooke, a native of Berlin, Germany. "You leave your comfort bubble, you see a need and you just act on it. It doesn't hurt to offer help to somebody. What's the worst that will happen, they say no? At that moment, that person feels that you care."

Cooke said she hopes others will follow her example, and those she helps will pay it forward.

"If I can help one spouse at a time make that transition to being a pro at the military lifestyle, it needs to be done," she said. "I help Samantha and then maybe down the line, she pays it forward to the next one."

She recommended knowing what programs are where, such as what's offered in Building 600, the Arctic Chill, the Arctic Oasis and other facilities. She suggested keeping those phone numbers handy for yourself and others.

"I make it a point to help a different person every day," she said. "I would love for others to do that too."

"Petra bringing folks in here is a perfect example of connecting people and resources, which makes my job easier and helps families," Frysz said. "She's an example of a spouse who puts her best foot forward and gets people connected. She actually cares about people getting out of their house. She sees value in helping people."