Heartlink: support for the military spouse
by Staff Sgt. Amy Robinson
Air Combat Command Public Affairs
4/14/2006 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) -- They join the Air Force without taking the oath, their spouses are about to deploy for four months, and they’re about to PCS soon – but they’re not even sure what a PCS means, much less what it involves. What do they do, and who can they turn to?
Within Air Combat Command, new Air Force spouses can find the answers to these questions and more through a program called Heart Link.
“The goal of Heart Link is to strengthen Air Force families through knowledge about military programs, agencies and the mission. Our goal is to enhance overall mission readiness,” said Gayle Brinkley, ACC community readiness policy consultant.
Created by the Air Combat Command Family Matters program in 2002, and now available Air Force-wide, the free program is offered once per quarter to help spouses gain a better understanding of the Air Force and their base through guest speakers, interactive segments, giveaways and briefings. Childcare and lunch are provided for participants.
Heart Link topics range from Air Force customs and courtesies to how to read a Leave and Earnings Statement to a game of “Whose Agency is it Anyway?” where spouses match scenarios to the appropriate base agency. The orientation closes with a focus on the importance of the Air Force family and a graduation where spouses receive a Heart Link coin from the wing commander.
Desiree Currie, who’s been married for just over two years, attended the Heart Link program here in February and found it to be very beneficial. She attended after her husband, Staff Sgt. Gerald Curry, deployed in January. She said she attended to learn more about the Air Force.
After attending the orientation, she said Heart Link gave her information every spouse should know, and she was surprised to learn the number of agencies available to assist Air Force families.
“I had no idea there were that many people there just to help,” she said.
In addition to providing families with resources on base, Heart Link also provides something else that can be valuable to new spouses - a contact network.
“I was very upset when my husband deployed,” said Ms. Currie. “Sometimes you feel like you’re the only one who’s ever gone through this.” She said Heart Link gave her a chance to meet and talk with “senior spouses” who’ve been in similar situations.
Often, the contacts made at Heart Link turn into lasting friendships.
Karen Hornbostel, Heart Link program administrator and 1st Fighter Wing community readiness consultant, said many of the Heart Link critiques state making friends was the best part of the program.
Ms. Currie said she still keeps in touch with several spouses she met during the orientation.
Although Heart Link was originally created for Air Force spouses of five years or less, Ms. Brinkley encourages all spouses to attend regardless of their “time in service” as they all have something to contribute to the mission – whether they’ve been through 10 PCSes or whether they’re still not sure what a PCS is.
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