Key Spouse Program standardizes, continues U.S. military legacy

  • Published
  • By Meredith March
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  The Airman and Family Readiness Center recently began intensive retraining sessions for Hanscom's current Key Spouses as a result of an Air Force-wide effort to standardize the Key Spouse Program and as a part of the Year of the Air Force Family initiative.

The standardization's purpose is to better address the needs of the families of newly arrived personnel, to be available for support throughout the assignment, to continue the current focus on families of personnel who are deployed and on remote tours or extended TDY, and be able to offer those families the same high level of care and support at each assignment.

The commander-driven Key Spouse Program offers families peer support with a privacy-protected direct line of communication with unit first sergeants and commanders, and has flourished on Hanscom since being revitalized last year, said Marcia Bowlds, Hanscom's Key Spouse mentor and wife of Electronic Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds.

"The Key Spouses serve as conduits for open communication and support between families, first sergeants and commanders. They support families as part of the mission and act as spouse Wingmen. All of the feedback I've heard from spouses who've been contacted is positive," she said.

Supporting each other is an American military legacy, said Dr. Sondra Albano, A&FRC director. "The Key Spouse Program augments the formal support programs in place by offering peer to peer support. Spouses have always taken care of other spouses - dating back to the battle fields of the Revolutionary War. It's a common thread in American military history, and especially in the Air Force."

Initially, Key Spouse training lasted just six hours, but has increased to twelve to standardize the Key Spouse Program Air Force-wide. Among the new training components are six Air Force standardized training modules, a suicide awareness module, a personality temperament and communication module, a Heart Link new spouse orientation and a motivational DVD.

"These additions to the training will provide our Key Spouses with a greater awareness and understanding of personal communication styles and a broader perspective of the importance of their role within the team," said Dawn Andreucci, A&FRC Key Spouse training coordinator.

The Key Spouse Program can be particularly effective because, while it's not a social organization like the Hanscom Spouses Club, spouses and families within the Hanscom community interact socially - and are often more likely to notice a friend's distress or to confide in each other than to address strain or concerns directly with their deployed loved one's unit leadership, Mrs. Bowlds said.

"The Key Spouses are force multipliers. Spouses have eyes on the ground - they interact with each other and are aware of and concerned about each other. They're able to see and hear things that might not be as accessible to a commander or first sergeant. Key Spouses provide another way to make sure families are taken care of," she said.

The A&FRC provides oversight and coordination on family readiness issues and conducts Key Spouse training. The center also provides information and referral support and is a valuable resource for Key Spouses.

For more information call the A&FRC at (781) 377-4222.