JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Dedicated to service, the 446th Airlift Wing's Airman and Family Readiness Center takes its role in providing resources seriously. While providing an invaluable asset to ‘Rainier Wing’ Airmen, they’ve taken a key interest in supporting the families of members as well – especially when members deploy.
“The key spouse program was designed for peer-to-peer interaction with the families of our military members," said Ms. Jill Marconi, 446th Airlift Wing’s A&FRC director. "We need to share the knowledge we have for the betterment of our members’ families, so they are more resilient when our members deploy.”
The Air Force key spouse program is an official Air Force family readiness program put in place at the unit level to enhance readiness, promote resiliency, and establish a sense of Air Force community for Airmen and their families. The key spouse program is mainly for deployed members’ families and spouses.
“The Key Spouse program is a top priority from the top down,” said Marconi. “We need to be reaching out to those spouses and so we can build that comradery.”
In June, Marconi conducted quarterly Key Spouse training here, adding two new members to the wing’s Key Spouse program.
Willow Tucker is the new Key Spouse for the 86th Aerial Port Squadron. She is married to Senior Master Sgt. Jonathan Tucker, also of the 86th APS. While not entirely new to the program, it’s been several years since being involved.
“The hardest part for spouses of Reserve Citizen Airmen is that people are spread out, which provides unique challenges,” said Tucker, who is also a therapist. “This makes it especially difficult when it comes to getting information out to them. I want to be more visible in the squadron so we can start building those connections between spouses.”
Lynette Bryant will serve as a new Key Spouse mentor for the 446th Operations Group. Her husband is Chief Master Sgt. Derrick Bryant, 728th Airlift Squadron chief loadmaster.
“My husband is really about taking care of his people,” said Bryant. “Being fairly new to the world of the military, it’s totally different, so that’s why I got involved. I know there are other spouses in the wing that just don’t know that much about the military and I want to be able to help them.”
During the training, Marconi covered the Air Force Reserve Command’s Key Spouse Strategic Plan, developed by Lt. Gen. Richard Scobee, AFRC commander, and his wife Janis Scobee.
“You know if the AFRC commander develops a strategic plan for the Key Spouse Program, that it’s important to him,” said Marconi. “Once people figure out what a spouse can do in a unit, it’s huge.”
For more information on the ‘The Rainier Wing’s’ key spouse program, contact the 446th AW Airman and Family Readiness Center at (253) 982-5330.