Key Spouse program reinvigorated at the 403rd Wing, Keesler AFB

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Brian Lamar
  • 403rd Public Affairs
KEESLER AFB, BILOXI Miss. --  Deployments, uncertainty due to furloughs and unit closures have become a regular topic around the dinner table in many 403rd Wing households.

These topics can be stressful for everyone involved, especially the military spouse who may feel isolated or left in the dark due to a lack of communication when a servicemember is deployed or completing other time-consuming military duties.

The Air Force Reserve Command created the Key Spouse Program to keep families informed and the program provides a human touch to all the resources available on the internet.

"Sometimes when I have questions pertaining to my husband's military duties or what is happening on base or if I am just having a difficult time with a problem, it is nice to have another spouse in our network that can assist me," said Rachael Boudreaux, whose husband is a hurricane hunter pilot with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron.

To support this effort, the 403rd Key Spouse Program has 17 spouses who have recently volunteered to represent every organization in the wing. The Key Spouse Program has been in effect since 2009; however, Col. Frank L. Amodeo revitalized the program when he took command of the wing last fall.

The wing commander, in tandem with his wife Kelley, are using the program to help bolster morale and prepare families impacted by the upcoming closure of the 815th Airlift Squadron and departure of 10 C-130Js.

"We want to be able to take care of families by staying in constant contact with them, and to share all the resources and programs available to them throughout deployments and other times," Kelley said. "The key spouse acts as a liaison between the family and base. If a spouse is experiencing difficulties or just has questions, the key spouse volunteer can step in and help them out."

The 403rd Key Spouse Program is designed to provide one key spouse for every 100 Airmen. Key Spouses attend 15 hours of training through the 81st Training Wing, which includes sexual assault and prevention training and resiliency training.

"I look at this program as a partnership between me and the volunteers who have stepped up and took a considerable amount of time out of their lives to take the training required to be a key spouse," said the colonel. "They embody the definition of selfless service by committing to act as a wingman to other spouses and families."

Colonel Amodeo said the 403rd Wing's program took shape soon after he took over as commander and said goodbye to 140 reservists who deployed in support of operations in Afghanistan. The key spouses were a conduit of information for families of deployed members, regularly reaching out to spouses, providing peer-to-peer support and local resources and programs.

Family members and parents can also benefit from the services provided by key spouses.

"While one of our Airmen, who is a single father, was deployed, he had a death in the family. In this case, his parents needed support as well," Kelley Amodeo said. "The key spouse program linked the right people up and marshalled resources, caring for Airmen and families".

For more information on the program, or to volunteer, call Jackie Pope in the 81st TRW A&FR 228-376-8500.