I really don't like making a big deal about what I do. I think if you love what you do you have reward enough, but this last month the commander of the Dental Group wanted to nominate me for the Key Spouse of the Year award for the 59th Medical Wing. Who knew that such an honor would be so much work. First I needed to put together a list of everything I have done in the last year in my Key Spouse position along with my community work. So this is what I came up with:
Key Spouse Bullet Points
·
59th Medical Wing Key Spouse
appointment January 2012
o
POC for 6500 Military Families
o
Brief Monthly at 59th MDW Newcomer
Briefing to an average of 200 Airman & Civilians
o
Brief Weekly at 59th MDW Deployment
Readiness Information (DRIFT) to an
average of 20 Airman
o
Contact 500+ pre-deployed/deployed military
families every 6 weeks during respective deployments
o
Attend and Inform an average of 50 families at
Deployment Picnic Semi Annually
o
Brief at Squadron Commanders Calls and Command
Meetings throughout the 59th MDW
o
Keep families informed of events and programs
through starting and daily updating the 59th MDW Key Spouse Facebook
Page
o
Hold Quarterly 59th MDW Key Spouse
training meetings for 15 Key Spouses to include Privacy Act of 1974, suicide
awareness, community resources, base programs
o
Attend monthly JBSA-Lackland Key Spouse meetings
for continued education on current Air Force and command trends /issues
o
Maintain Deployed Family Contact Information for
1500+ yearly
o
Meet regularly with Command Chief James and Key
Spouse Mentor Debbie Hepburn for direction
o
Attended
and informed 120 families at the 59th MDW Resident Welcome
Dinner
o
Attend and inform an average of 30 families at
Deployed Family Night Out Semi Annually
o
Staffed Key Spouse Office for 200 hours in 2012
o
12 hours of Key Spouse training through Airman
and Family Readiness including Key
Spouse program course, Privacy Act of 1974, suicide awareness, and Heart Link
Orientation
- Provided support and ensured proper counseling to post
deployment spouse dealing with reunion and reintegration issues
- Oversaw efforts to support deployed spouse dealing with a son with
special needs insuring members ability to maintain deployment
- Ensured support for family effected by house fire by soliciting
donations from families throughout the MDW
- Coordinated donations from Big Brothers Big Sisters of South
Texas, USO of San Antonio, and Operation Military Kids to provide Care
Packages for 200 military children attending Operation Jet
- Provided support and information to newcomer family with medical
needs daughter to ensure continuity of care
·
59th Dental Group Key Spouse
appointment May 2010
o
POC for 450 Military Families
o
Brief Monthly at 59th DG Newcomer
Briefing an average of 20 Airman
o
Brief at DG Commander Calls
o
Contact 75 Newcomer Families
o
Attend Dental Activity Committee Meetings
o
Meet Monthly with Col. Graver for direction
o
Contact 5 deployed families monthly during
respective deployments
o
Coordinate meals for post-partum deployed family
o
Educated member on civilian career opportunities
·
Member of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Southern Texas Military Advisory
Committee
o
Attended and informed families at the Fiesta De
Ninos
o
Assisted in recruiting 80 military children as
“Little Brother/Sisters”
o
Assisted in recruiting 50 military members as
“Big Brothers/Sisters”
o
Attend Monthly Committee Meetings
o
Liaison for Big Brothers Big Sisters to military
families
·
Member of the Wilford Hall Auxiliary Board
o
Attend Monthly Board Meetings
o
Coordinated Reunion/Reintegration presenters for
Deployed Family Night Out
·
Boy Scout of America Troop 620 Board Member
o
Advancement Chair
o
Coordinate Monthly Board of Reviews for 2-5
Scouts
o
Coordinate Quarterly Award Presentations
o
Attend Monthly Board Meetings
o
Track 30 Scout’s Advancements
o
Maintain Computerized Achievement Program
o
Maintain Troop Information Website
o
Boy Scouts of America Youth Protection Trained
·
Boy Scout of America Pack 620 Board Member
o
Advancement Chair
o
Attend Monthly Board Meeting
o
Plan Monthly Pack Meeting
o
Track 15 Cub Scout Advancements
o
Maintain Computerized Achievement Program
o
Walking Den Leader during Cub Scout Day Camp
o
Substitute Cub Master
I also needed to come up with a biography to be read if/when I receive the award.
Bio
Mrs. Kristen M. Holmes is the 59th Medical Wing
Key Spouse and the 59th Dental Group Key Spouse for Joint Base San
Antonio, Texas. Mrs. Holmes was born in
Provo, UT on February 3, 1978. She is
the eldest of four children born to Dr. Douglas & Mrs. Cheryl Smith. As a senior at Mountain View High School she was
asked to represent the state of Arizona at the national convention for the
Future Homemakers of America – Home Economics Related Occupations (FHA-HERO) for
her community service. Over the last 15
years Mrs. Holmes has served as a youth leader, women’s organization activities
coordinator, Sunday school teacher, and volunteer coordinator in the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She
is active in the Boy Scouts of America at both the Cub Scout and Boy Scout
level. She has served as den leader, Cub
Master, committee member, and advancement coordinator. Mrs. Holmes currently is a member of the Big
Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas Military Advisory Committee (MAC) whose mission
is to partner military children with mentors.
Mrs. Holmes also serves as the Key Spouse Representative on the Wilford
Hall Auxiliary Board. Kristen considers her
greatest accomplishments those of being wife to a United States Airman, Maj.
Douglas C. Holmes (s) DMD and mother to three young men.
Last but not least was the official photo. This is the part I liked the least but it is done now.
Now we just wait to hear if I got the Wing award. From there my "package" goes to the Base level, then to the Major Command level, and if I'm really unlucky to the Air Force Command level. No good deed goes unpunished.
