Supporting the force behind the force

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ariel D. Partlow
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Air Force service members train their minds and bodies through a grueling basic training and technical school to better understand their role in the ever-changing Air Force.

For most, it takes years to get fully acquainted with their service and the military lifestyle.

But, what about spouses?

"I knew very little [about the Air Force when marrying then-Senior Airman Burgess]," said Sunshine Burgess, member of Laughlin Spouses Club and spouse of Senior Master Sgt. John Burgess. "I went from living and working in the civilian world to being 'thrust' into a world where everything is an acronym and people assumed you must know where to go and what to do for everything you needed, so no one really explained things up front."

Experiences like Burgess' aren't that uncommon. According to the Air Force Personnel Center, approximately 143,000 of active duty members have non-military spouses.

Luckily, there is hope. The Airman and Family Readiness Center offers Heart Link, an Air Force-wide program, to inform those new to the Air Force of the Air Force's mission, traditions, customs and protocols as well as available resources and services for military spouses.

"The goal of Heart Link is to strengthen Air Force families through knowledge of military programs, support agencies and the mission," said Melissa Menchaca, Airman and Family Services flight chief. "We are focused on enhancing family resiliency."

The program is free and is offered quarterly for all spouses.

"I've attended Heart Link at every base we've been assigned to and I have attended four since the program began," says Burgess. "I find that every installation's program is different, but they all offer some real knowledge about the Air Force, its programs and departments, and more importantly, information about the specific installation and area which you are stationed."

The class is four-hours-long and spouses can sign up by contacting the A&FRC at 298-5620.

"New spouses should definitely attend Heart Link," said Burgess. "They should attend everything, any event that spouses are invited to. They are all learning opportunities. Don't decide that the military is the active duty member's job and that you don't have to know about it. The military is not a job, it is a life, and it is the spouse's life too. Become involved with groups on base like the Spouses' Club, if for no other reason than to meet others that are in the same situations."


Another resource available for spouses is the Back-To-Basics Spouse Support Guide which covers things from Air Force symbols, terms, acronyms, and military time to the chain of command and Air Force history.