Anthony named 'spouse of the year'

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
A Hanscom spouse was recognized as the 360th Recruiting Group Spouse of the Year at an annual awards banquet at the Minuteman Commons Nov. 3.

Brenda E. Anthony, wife of Chief Master Sgt. David Anthony, 319th Recruiting Squadron superintendent, was selected among nominations from nine recruiting squadrons covering 19 states from the Canadian border to South Carolina and westward to Michigan.

"Since arriving to Hanscom in January 2014, Brenda immediately took on the role as lead Key Spouse for the squadron," said Lt. Col. Anthony C. Stroup, 319 RCS commander. "She brought energy to a program that serves 79 active duty Airmen and 10 civilians spread across the six New England states and Europe."

An Air Force Key Spouse volunteer is the spouse of a military member who is willing to share a few hours each month to connect with families. The recruiting career field requires long duty days and these volunteer spouses increase the sense of community and enhance family resiliency.

"Spouses with any length of service understand the stress associated with military life," said Brenda, who is a formal training specialist at the Education Center. "The demands to recruit the next generation of Airmen into the Air Force are a challenge that often results in long days away from the home."

To help foster a sense of community for a geographically separated organization, Brenda organized several events in Connecticut and Maine so recruiting spouses could get to know one another.

Additionally, she helped organize a successful clothing drive for a recruiter and his wife who were adopting a child.

"A young couple, unable to have their own children, was on the adoption waiting list for a long time when notified unexpectedly they were approved to adopt a child that evening," said Chief Anthony. "Brenda organized through social media and networking a clothing drive to assist the young family in providing for their 2-year old adopted son."

Originally developed as part of a quality of life initiative in the mid-90s, the Key Spouse Program was standardized in 2009 to build stronger Air Force communities.

"Key Spouses not only give support, but get support as well," said Dawn Andreucci, Airman and Family Readiness community readiness consultant team leader and Key Spouse Program training coordinator. "Key Spouses have a support team consisting of mentors, first sergeants, commanders and the Airman and Family Readiness Center. We're all in this together."

Ensuring families are taken care of while recruiters are geographically separated allows members to focus on the mission more effectively. The Air Force recognizes the many sacrifices families make and wants to make sure they know there is someone to turn to for help.

"In the recruiting environment, while we're not deployed, often our families face stress through the absence of on base support networks," said Chief Anthony. "As a spouse of a recruiter, she is able to utilize her experiences of being geographically separated from the servicing installation."

Before being officially appointed, Key Spouse volunteers must attend initial training conducted on base and attend monthly training as their schedules permit.

For more information or to get involved in the Key Spouse Program, contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 781-225-2765.