Building The Unit’s Key Spouse Program

These guidelines are meant to help the unit develop and enhance the Key Spouse Program. The Key Spouse Program is significantly different from the traditional spouse’s group. Key Spouses are appointed volunteers and are empowered to assist unit families with quality of life issues and to promote programs and services designed to benefit these families. An efficient program is a partnership between the unit leadership, Key Spouses and the Airman and Family Readiness Center (A&FRC). The Key Spouses should provide a communication link between the unit and families in the unit, promote readiness and assist families with utilizing base and community resources.

Role of the Key Spouse~

The time commitment needed for Key Spouse duties is flexible but there are responsibilities that must occur consistently.

Maintain contact with spouses and families during the period of separation. This is accomplished through monthly phone contact, newsletters and gatherings.

Contact logs should be filled out documenting the contact and noting any issues or concerns that require follow up.*

Communicate issues and concerns to the unit Commander and First Sergeants.

Attend basic and advanced training given by the A&FRC.

Provide educational information dealing with pre-deployment planning, coping with deployments and reunion and reintegration issues.

Disseminate information about official unit and base events.

Plan unit events and volunteer at base events such as Hearts Apart, Heartlink, Right Start and Junior PDF line.

The outreach that the Key Spouses provide does not have to end when the deployed military member returns. The Key Spouses can continue to offer assistance to families as they deal with issues that are inherent to an Air Force career.

● Half of all volunteers get involved because they were asked to help.

Recruiting the Key Spouses~

The Key Spouse Program is a peer support group. Open the recruitment efforts to spouses of all experiences.

Recruiting the Key Spouses continued~

There is a difference between a unit leadership spouse, who may be committed to the ideals and success of the Key Spouse program and being a Key Spouse, who accepts an official appointment and the tasks that appointment entails. One person can fill both rolls.

Leadership can inform the unit’s military members that there is a need for Key Spouse volunteers and ask them to discuss it with their spouses. Send letters to spouses inviting them to consider participating. Encourage current Key Spouses to mention the need to other spouses. Recruiting of Key Spouses should be ongoing. The positions should never be vacant.

Appointing the Key Spouses~

Appointments must be made in writing by the unit Commander.*

Appoint responsible, interested unit spouses that are aware of the duties involved and uphold the ideals of the Key Spouse Program.

● Introduce the Key Spouses at pre-deployment briefings and other unit events.Appointment letters must be updated yearly or as participation changes.*

Training for the Key Spouse~

Clearly define the unit’s expectations of the Key Spouses and their role in the unit’s family support program.

Training for the Key Spouses is ongoing throughout the duration of the appointment. There is a basic training requirement as well as advanced trainings, all conducted through the A&FRC

Unit leadership should meet with the Key Spouses, First Sergeants and other leadership to set the direction of the unit’s program.

Invite the Key Spouses to any unit training that you feel could benefit the Key Spouses and the families they assist.

Role of the Unit~

Collect contact information about families from military members during out processing. Information can include, but is not limited to; names of all family members, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, number and ages of children. This can then be verified at the pre-deployment briefing to ensure that all information is up to date.*

Assign a First Sergeant or other unit leadership to track contact information and follow up on any missing information.

Role of the Unit continued~

Disseminate this family contact information to the Key Spouses. This information is the back bone of the program. If the families are not contacted during the deployment someone has dropped the ball. This connection is impossible if the Key Spouses are not provided with the families current contact information!

Spouses of deployed members should be contacted 3 times per month, once from the work center, once from the command staff and once from the Key Spouses. The goal is to let the families know that the unit is concerned and supportive.

● Information used to contact families is key to the success of the Key Spouse. Issues that arise should be discussed with the First Sergeant. The work center should supply any manpower or assistance needed to resolve any issues. At a minimum a formal “chain of concern” should be established so that if issues do arise they are dealt with in a timely manner.

Units should provide the Key Spouses with supplies required to maintain a beneficial program.

Maintain contact with the Key Spouses to provide guidance and support. Ensure that contact is being made with families and that issues are being referred to the unit leadership.*

~Program Enhancements~

Pre-deployment briefings ~

● en-hance (en-hans) verb raise to a higher degree; intensify; to make more important or effective; improve the quality of.

Pre-deployment briefings that include family members, unit leadership, Key Spouses and the A&FRC should be a high priority as part of the unit’s family support program. This is an excellent time for families to meet the unit leadership, Key Spouses and other unit family members and to start forming contacts.The main goal of the briefing should be to address the concerns of the families before the military member is deployed and to show unit support for their welfare. The commander can open the briefing and introduce the support structure available to the families. A Key Spouse and a representative from the A&FRC can speak about their rolls during the deployment and give a brief overview of what the families can expect from them.

Contact information that was collected during out processing should be verified by the families at this time.* Ask the families how they prefer to be contacted, by phone or email.

~Program Enhancements continued ~

Deployment Packages~

● The A&FRC has a large inventory of resource material for family members of all ages available to

Key Spouses.*Within a few weeks of the military member being deployed a deployment package can be sent to the family. This package can include an introduction letter from the Key Spouse, important contact information, educational materials dealing with deployment issues and a list of support programs and resources.Reintegration Packages~

Several weeks before the military member returns from deployment a reintegration package can be sent to the family. This package can include a list of resources and programs available to families to help them cope with the normal difficulties and issues that often occur during reintegration.

Newsletters~

In addition to monthly phone calls, the Key Spouses may want to publish a monthly newsletter to mail to families. This newsletter can notify families about official unit and base events and provide information related to deployments. Resource material, available at the A&FRC, can also be included with this mailing.

Unit Events~

● Events can include; pot lucks, games, play groups, holiday celebrations, pool parties, bowling, crafts, nature walks, CAC or Club events, Hearts Apart Dinner and Jr PDF Line.

Occasional events for the families can help alleviate some of the isolation that families may feel during a deployment. These functions also provide the families with an opportunity to create their own support structures by building friendships. The Key Spouse can use the resources that are nearby and gather with spouses and families at facilities on base. The Bowling Center is an obvious choice, the Arts and Crafts Center can assist with a ceramic painting get together, plan a trip with the Outdoor Adventure Center, meet at the Community Center during one of the events they host or plan a picnic at Ryden Park. Consider joining with other units to help distribute the work and funding needed and to increase the participation.

That Extra Step~

As the Key Spouse Program grows and the unit’s Key Spouses become more comfortable with the responsibilities, they may consider adding a few extras that will enrich the experience. Adopt single deployed unit members and support them with letters and care packages from “home”, start a disposable camera campaign and send the donated cameras to troops deployed from the unit, ask the leadership from the unit to draft a note to include in the packages, create a magnet with important phone numbers for the families, develop a certificate of family achievement to include in the reintegration packages, arrange to have a bulletin board posted at the unit with photos and information about the unit’s Key Spouse Program. Mass communication, websites, newspaper postings and flyers can also provide additional connections.

Plan a gathering with the families a short time after the deployment ends. This can strengthen the supportive relationship that has been established during the deployment and provide an opportunity to invite these spouses to join the unit’s Key Spouse Program. The imagination can take the program to new heights.

~Key Spouse Administration ~

● Discuss the Key Spouse Program at Commander’s call.● Display photos of the Key Spouses in the orderly room. Provide a bulletin board for

Key Spouse information.● Invite Key Spouses to attend unit events such as Booster Club Meetings, Hail and

Farewells and Promotion Ceremonies.Promoting the Key Spouse Program~The Key Spouse Program is fairly new to Beale. It is important to promote the goals of the program and the availability of support for the family members. In doing so you will build a foundation of trust between the airmen, their families, Key Spouses and the unit.

Assisting the Key Spouse~

The Key Spouse Program and its needs should be considered in your office supply budget. Use of a computer, printer, paper, envelopes, labels and postage should be provided to the unit’s Key Spouse.

Unit Booster Clubs and other fund-raising efforts should consider the needs of the Key Spouse program as they plan the direction of their donations and budgets. Even the smallest events and activities require some funding.

Consider presenting the Key Spouse with a certificate or some recognition to show appreciation for an important job well done.

Remember that we are all part of “One Team ... One Fight.”

*Form Templates and examples included