Key Spouse wants to 'pay it forward'

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Military families endure a lot throughout a career; among them are long separations during a deployment.

For one Hanscom spouse, whose husband was deployed earlier this year for six months, the Key Spouse program was critical connecting with her husband's unit during a lengthy separation.

"Having Shannon LaPuma as a Key Spouse available to assist me in staying connected with unit activities as well as being aware of base programs that are offered to spouses was a huge benefit," said Jade Wilson.

Key Spouses are commander-appointed volunteers, trained by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, who offer Hanscom families peer support, resource information and privacy-protected direct lines of communication with unit leadership, including first sergeants and commanders.

It was a result of this experience that fueled Jade's desire to get involved and help other spouses in similar situations.

"I wanted to pay it forward; my husband has returned from his deployment and I can relate to their challenges," Wilson said. "Now is the perfect time for me to get involved in this important program that helps military spouses."

Shannon LaPuma, a Key Spouse and Key Spouse Mentor in the C3I and Networks Directorate, knows the experience Wilson felt will assist her in being a great source for others.

"It can be a challenge while having a little one at home," said LaPuma "But Jade can say that she has been there and that experience really helps when you are contacted by a spouse."

The Key Spouse program's objectives are to enhance mission readiness by supporting families through information sharing between leadership, base agencies and spouses of personnel who are deployed, on remote tours or are experiencing extended TDY.

Ensuring families are taken care of while servicemembers are deployed allows the member 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.

"My wife [Jade] is incredibly strong and I know she can handle anything that comes her way, but knowing that she didn't have to go at it alone was a great comfort," said Capt. Jonathan Wilson. "Knowing someone was dedicated to Jade to ensure she had full access to Hanscom's support structure gave me the peace of mind I needed to focus on the warfighter."

A Key Spouse volunteer is usually the spouse of a military member who is willing to share a few hours a month to connect with families of a deployed member. Before being officially appointed, Key Spouse volunteers must attend initial training conducted on base and attend monthly training as their schedules permit.

"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, the 66th Air Base Group commander and Airman and Family Readiness Center. We're all in this together."

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.

At Hanscom, currently 11 volunteers serve as Key Spouses and five serve as Key Spouse Mentors in the program. These volunteers make sure they establish and maintain contact with families of deployed members, provide information and referral to base and community resources and promote individual, family and unit readiness.

For further information on the Key Spouse program or to learn how to get involved, contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center at 781-225-2765.