Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Jarad Denton | Cassie Bends, wife of Staff Sgt. Bradford Bends II, 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron...... read more read more
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LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. — As a warm breeze rolled in from water, two spouses from Langley Air Force Base, Va., sat down for a quiet lunch on the outside deck of the Langley Club, during Military Spouse Appreciation Day, May 11.
Kristin Auch and Cassie Bends began their lunch conversation with the relationships forged between spouses of Service members.
"They become your family," Auch, the wife of Col. Korvin Auch, 633rd Air Base Wing commander, said. "They are going to be there for you when you need them."
Bends smiled and nodded in agreement. Although she's only been married for a year to Staff Sgt. Bradford Bends II, 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal technician, she has already experienced her husband deploying to Afghanistan, twice. Recently, she learned he had been selected to deploy again.
"I've learned to keep myself really busy," Bends said. "But, I've also learned that everyone is really tight knit."
Auch smiled back, with a look of understanding that comes from enduring her share of deployments.
"That's the thing about military spouses," she said. "They get it. They understand deployments and how to handle them."
Self-admittedly, Bends said she doesn't have much experience as a military spouse. When the lunch with Auch was scheduled, Bends used the opportunity to ask her fellow spouses if they had any questions or concerns.
"I haven't been a military spouse very long," Bends began. "But, the main concern among spouses seems to be a need for more communication."
Auch nodded, recognizing the need to reach out to as many spouses as possible.
"There are programs out there that people don't realize we even have," she said. "We're finding that word of mouth may be the best way to communicate to most of our spouses."
One of the programs Auch is most passionate about is the Key Spouse program. Every squadron on base has spouses who volunteer their time to assist military families.
"Key Spouses are your link between the military and your family," Auch said. "They work a lot with first sergeants and commanders to make sure we are taking care of our people when they need us."
Auch encouraged Bends to visit the Airman and Family Readiness Center on base to learn more about the program, as well as other opportunities for spouses - including Heart Link, an orientation designed to welcome spouses new to the Langley community. Bends nodded again, thinking back to her early life experiences with the military lifestyle.
"I'm not completely new to the military," she said. "When I was a kid my dad was in the Air Force, so I got to experience things from that perspective."
Bends said those experiences helped her acclimate better when she took on the role of an Air Force spouse. Auch laughed as she began sharing her introduction into military life.
"I'm from Minnesota," Auch said. "My husband and I were high school sweethearts who got married right after college. I knew nothing about the military when he joined. So, I got to experience it all from day one."
Auch said after 11 moves and 23 years she wouldn't trade her life for anything. Even though at times, moving was difficult - especially with their children, Auch said she always tried to stay positive.
"Even if I was upset about moving somewhere, I would try to make it an adventure for my kids," she said. "I used to tell them 'your new best friend is waiting for you at the next base.'"
Bends reflected on Auch's words for a few moments before speaking.
"I think it's a completely different world in the military, when you have kids," she said.
Auch laughed again. She said being an Air Force spouse, having children who experience military life, and dealing with deployments has made her a stronger person. She was able to find herself through the years she has served alongside her husband.
"You gain so much independence when they deploy," Auch said. "That never goes away. You are stronger than you think you are. All military spouses are. In 23 years I can't say anything bad about my time with the Air Force."
She smiled one more time as she looked past the railing on the club deck and across the water at Langley.
"We've been to some amazing places and met some really amazing people - and all of that reminds me why I'm so proud to be a military spouse, alongside all the other spouses out there."
| Date Taken: | 05.11.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.16.2012 11:06 |
| Story ID: | 88497 |
| Location: | LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 111 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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