News

Spouse links families with unit

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Paul Haley
  • 446th Airlift Wing
It isn't every day that a spouse of a Reservist is honored by the Air Force, but that's what happened during the 446th Aeromedical Staging Squadron's commander's call here Feb. 10.
Stephany Langston, wife of Tech. Sgt. Clay Langston, was recognized for her outstanding service as the unit's key spouse.
The Key Spouse program, administered by the 446th Airlift Wing's Family Support Center, provides families of deployed Reservists a point of contact to get information from and go to for help, said Tech. Sgt. Michael Bray, family support technician at the Family Support Center.
Key spouses are normally responsible for between 20 and 50 families, and a senior key spouse would oversee the unit as a whole. Mrs. Langston was responsible for more than 65 families at one point, being the only key spouse for the 446th ASTS, he continued.
"Right now, she's filling all the shoes," said Sergeant Bray.
Among other reasons, Mrs. Langston agreed to perform the job as key spouse in order to have input into her husband's career.
"As military Reserve spouses, we don't get many opportunities to put input into our spouses' careers, so I was honored to be asked to do this," she said.
"The first thing I thought was, 'Do they (the leadership of the 446th ASTS) know what they're getting into?" she joked.
There was never any doubt on the part of leadership whether she was the right person for the job, though.
"The first time I met her, I thought, 'What a ball of fire,'" said Beth Crabtree, wife of Brig. Gen. Eric Crabtree, 446th Airlift Wing commander.
"She was everybody's mom during the unit's deployment, and she called every spouse to check on concerns," she said.
Even after her own husband had returned from his deployment, Mrs. Langston continued to attend homecoming ceremonies as waves of people from the ASTS returned.
"The Key Spouse program has a high emphasis in the active duty (Air Force). In the Reserve, we're just learning the value of this program, and Stephanie has done such a good job, I'm sure family support and other Key Spouses will be asking her for advice in the future," General Crabtree said.