Torii Station hosts luau for deployed service member spouses

  • Published
  • By Katherine Belcher
  • U.S. Army Garrison Torii Station Chief of Public Affairs
U.S. ARMY GARRISON TORII STATION, Japan --  A break in the start to Okinawa's rainy season allowed the Deployed Spouses Luau to take place at Torii Beach May 18, giving military families the opportunity to socialize while enjoying the Torii Beach Water Park, children's activities, a hula show and more.

More than 225 people attended the luau, including 37 spouses of deployed service members from the Army and Air Force.

The event featured a catered meal including ribs, pulled pork and grilled chicken. The luau was open to all branches of the military and was hosted by Army Community Service on Torii Station and the Airman and Family Readiness Center on Kadena Air Base.

Distinguished visitors included Brig. Gen. James Hecker, who recently assumed command of the 18th Wing at Kadena, and Lt. Col. Cory Anderton, commander of U.S. Army Garrison Torii Station.

Kaulana Carrell is a "key spouse" who volunteers with the AFRC. Key spouses provide a connection between leadership and spouses to keep spouses informed or raise any issues they may have with leadership. They also assist spouses during difficult situations - such as typhoon cleanup - so they do not have to deal with it alone.

Carrell's husband is attached to the 18th Wing's civil engineers and she became a key spouse volunteer three years ago.

"I got involved when my husband was deployed. I had a great experience (with my own key spouse) and I wanted to pay it forward," Carrell said. "We help new wives when they come in ... we teach them things like understanding all the acronyms and learning the ways of the Air Force."

For spouses like Bethzaida Rybicki, the luau was a way to connect with other women who face the same challenges she does when her husband is away. Her husband has been in the Air Force 10 years and is attached to the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron where he works as an air battle manager. They have a 10-year-old daughter named Alondra.

"These events are great because it gives me something to do and gets me out of the house ... which is great for my daughter," Rybicki said. "Deployments are harder for her now because she is older and she understands what is going on. This is my husband's third deployment and I just try and keep her busy."

Sheillani Wilson, whose husband is attached to the 18th Operations Support Squadron Weather flight and is currently deployed to Guam, agreed that having her family separated is the biggest challenge for military spouses - but one that is made easier with support from agencies like ACS and the AFRC, as well as the volunteers who work with those organizations. Her daughter Shae is 2 years old and doesn't always understand why her father is not around.

"It's hard when your family is not around, but it's good knowing it's not just me - it's better having other people around who are going through the same things I am," Wilson said.