Revamped Key Spouse Program unveiled

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
The Hanscom Airman and Family Readiness Center recently announced changes made by the Air Force to enhance the Key Spouse Program.

Key spouses provide families with a direct line of communication with unit leadership. The changes include a revised initial training course to better meet the needs of spouses.

According to Airman and Family Readiness Center officials, a six-hour initial course will be required of all newly appointed key spouses that will consist of nine standardized modules, including five new ones. The five new modules are generational diversity, social media, Exceptional Family Member Program, personal identifying information and disaster preparedness.

"This course will better prepare key spouses for the important role they will serve," said Dawn Andreucci, community readiness consultant team leader. "The Air Force made the training as efficient as possible to better accommodate the busy schedules of our volunteers."

Other modules include a program overview, communication, deployment and resilience.

The Key Spouse Program is an Air Force unit family readiness program designed to enhance mission readiness and resiliency as well as establish a sense of community. The program was first developed nearly 20 years ago out of concern for Air Force families as a quality of life initiative.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III noted the changes made to the Key Spouse Program to Air Force squadron commanders and first sergeants.

"One of the most important responsibilities of your job is to prepare our Airmen and families for challenges that exist today and tomorrow," he wrote. "While you lead and connect with your Airmen, also remember that you have something in your tool kit that connects you to their families - the Key Spouse Program."

The program is a commander's initiative that promotes partnerships between unit leadership, families, Key Spouses, Key Spouse Mentors, the Airman and Family Readiness Center and other Integrated Delivery System helping agencies.

"We cannot expect our Airmen and their families to continue doing the nation's business without our fully committed support," Welsh wrote. "Our focus must be on communication and leadership. Your active leadership of the Key Spouse Program encourages a stronger sense of community through spouse-to-spouse support networks. It helps us build a more resilient force."

A Key Spouse volunteer is usually the spouse of a military member who is willing to share his or her time to connect with families of a deployed member.

Unit commanders establish, promote, monitor and support the program. First sergeants assist the commander is establishing the program, Andreucci said.

"A unit commander selects and formally appoints the key spouse volunteers," said Andreucci. "Key Spouses and Key Spouse Mentors serve as unit representatives, role models and conduits of accurate information to unit spouses."

Before being officially appointed, Key Spouse volunteers must attend the six-hour initial training conducted by the Airman and Family Readiness Center and attend quarterly training..

Some of the topics for continuing education include: installation and community resources, additional resilience training, suicide awareness, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response and more.

In addition to revamping the course, another change made to the program is that key spouses trained at other installations no longer have to complete the initial course at their new location. Instead they only complete a one-hour refresher course.

Andreucci said the Key Spouse Program serves the families of deployed Airmen, but it also addresses the needs of all military families.

"The Key Spouse program promotes individual, family and unit readiness and is vital to building strong Air Force communities," she said. "The ideal key spouse has a positive attitude about the Air Force, good organizational skills and attention to detail, is able to communicate effectively and more."

She stressed that communication is the key to the program's success.

"The success of the Key Spouse program is dependent upon the concise flow of information between the entire unit key spouse team," Andreucci said.

For further information on the Key Spouse program at Hanscom, contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 781-225-2765.