Spouses gather to show appreciation

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Tara A. Williamson
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  Key spouses and their families gathered at the Officer's Club March 18 to honor and show appreciation to fellow spouses for their continued support.

Military life overseas is a huge change and sometimes, new spouses need help to adapt. The key spouses network helps them find other spouses who have been through the tolls and stress of deployments, for help.

"It never ceases to amaze me how resilient, creative, resourceful and strong military spouses are. We are because we have to be. This is our life," said Cindy Wilsbach, wife of Brig. Gen. Ken Wilsbach, 18th Wing commander, and guest speaker of Kadena's annual Key Spouse Appreciation Luncheon.

Key spouses are information liaisons from squadrons to families, especially in times of deployments. The 139 key spouses honored at the luncheon give support to new spouses whenever needed.

"It's the key spouses who allow us to administer to those loved ones that are still left behind," said General Wilsbach. "It's important for those key spouses to know we appreciate what they're doing for the loved ones of those deployed members. I can't thank them enough for all they do to make sure they take care of the other spouses and that they give information to the leadership to take additional steps."

Key spouses volunteer to help spouses new to the military life as they learn to get along in a new culture and with a new language. As spouses of service members themselves, they give advice to new spouses to help them handle possible situations that may arise while still at Kadena.

"They have what you can't issue, what you can't teach, brief or mandate," Mrs. Wilsbach said. "They have compassion, they have heart and they have it in abundance. They are helping to strengthen the vital and often unsung asset to our national defense, the military spouse."