VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The Department of the Air Force announced significant changes to the Key Spouse Program in March renaming it the Commander’s Key Support Program.
The Key Spouse Program was initially launched in 2009 as an initiative by the Air Force chief of staff to facilitate better communication between leadership and families and has undergone various modifications over the past 15 years.
The revamped initiative aims to broaden participation opportunities for Airmen, Guardians, federal employees, and family members, regardless of marital status, under the new Key Support Liaison title. Until now, volunteering was restricted to military spouses exclusively.
“Everyone is happy that the Air Force and Space Force will see the potential of this program and want to see it succeed,” said Rachel Emmerthal, a Vandenberg SFB Commander’s Key Support Program Key Support liaison. “It’s a big talking point now, and people are very excited about the change making this program more inclusive.”
Key Support Liaisons work closely with unit commanders assisting with quality-of-life support by connecting with incoming unit families, connecting unit families to installation and community resources, deployment support and assistance to single Guardians and Airmen.
“The rebranding provides commanders the opportunity to strengthen support as they widen the net of program volunteers,” said Renee Olivas, 30th Force Support Squadron Military and Family Readiness Center community readiness consultant. “While spouses are still extremely important to this program, liaisons may now be selected from other family members as well as military or civilian members attached to the unit.”
The Department of the Air Force Commander's Key Support Program is an official Unit Family Readiness Program aimed at bolstering readiness and fostering a sense of community.