MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- Leanne Ward, 341st Civil Engineer Squadron Key Spouse: "The key intent of the [Key Spouse] program is to build resiliency within our families.
When you have a more resilient family base and spouse base, you obviously have a stronger unit and then a stronger wing.
Our main focus is definitely the deployments.
Whether we have a deployed spouse and you go outside and your vehicle won't start and you're like, "what do I do?" and we help find someone to help with those situations.
Then with the more serious situations where we have someone hurt or injured downrange that needs to come home. We help the spouse on their end with making those arrangements and overall helping out with whatever we can help with.
We do try to help our families feel that camaraderie in our squadrons. If it means to think outside the box with family or kid-centered events, like our Easter Bunny deliveries, we had to think outside the box due to COVID.
We couldn't have the traditional party so we had the Easter Bunny deliver baskets to all the families. Who doesn't want to see the Easter Bunny in a dump truck parading around the base?
Each squadron has their own struggles they have to deal with. [It's important to] find a way to keep those families resilient, help them out and build stronger networks within the squadrons."