Tinker Air Force Base is always looking for ways to provide tangible support to the families of deployed members. Col Eddie Taylor, Vice Commander of the 72nd Air Base Wing, says the new “Deployed Families” dinner is one such way the base is trying to provide that support. Thanks to the Tinker Chapel and the Airman Family Readiness Center this event is taking off and becoming very popular.
This new event takes place quarterly and has a goal of providing the families of deployed Airmen with a sense of community and an opportunity to network with one another.
“We launched our first one back in February which was a great success and so we decided that since its working here we’re going to continue,” Chaplain Capt. Gregory Redden said. “It helps enable connection. We’re big about our families, our Airmen and our community being connected with one another. We want our spouses and deployed members to know that they’re not alone.” The first two events have averaged about 60 family member attendees.
The event provides spouses with a catered meal and comradery, massages as well as activities for kids and activity boxes for the families provided by the United Service Organization. Redden says that this type of event provides peace of mind to deployed members.
“Our deployed members that are down range know that their spouses and children are being taken care of by the chapel team and by their unit here while they’re deployed,” he said.
The event also gives spouses an opportunity to connect with base leadership as well as leadership within various units.
“It’s an opportunity to connect with the leadership and key spouses, so that there’s still a face to their spouse’s unit while their spouse is deployed. This will also help them feel like they’re not forgotten,” Redden said.
Nakisha Hall is a Key Spouse and Community Readiness Specialist for the Airman and Family Readiness Center. One of her main areas of focus within the A&FRC is the Key Spouses program, another tangible asset to Tinker spouses.
“The Key Spouses are a bridge into the units and the base for spouses,” Hall said. “When a spouse comes to the base there are dozens of online resources, but online resources can be out of date and overwhelming, so having a physical person to go to for help with those things is key.”
Hall says that Key Spouses are also the ones that check on spouses left behind when a member deploys, oftentimes disseminating information about happenings, such as our new Deployed Families Dinner, and encouraging participation.
“When your active duty spouse deploys, sometimes we as spouses feel like the person that is primarily at the base is no longer here so there’s nobody to take care of us. The Key Spouses kick in and they are a reminder to the spouses that they’re just as important as the active duty spouse and that we care about their mental, physical and emotional well-being when they’re gone,” she said.
The A&FRC provides monthly training for Key Spouses to ensure that they have the most updated information about the base community and resources to provide other spouses with.
“I encourage anyone that’s new to a base, whether you’ve been a spouse for five months or ten years, reach out to your unit Key Spouse and see what they have to offer. There’s a place for spouses on base just like there’s a place for the active duty member on the base. Your Key Spouse can help you find out where your place might be, but more than anything it’s a great resource for support. Even when your spouse is deployed you’re a very important part of the military community.”
The next Deployed Families Dinner is slated for September.