ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Getting adjusted to married life takes time.
Adjusting to married life with a military spouse is made easier with Heart Link, a program designed to help new spouses get acclimated to the Air Force way of life.
Dell Steplight, Personal and Work Life Program manager at the Airman & Family Readiness Center, said the bi-annual orientation program gives new spouses insight into life in the military community and all it has to offer.
“Spouses are welcomed by the base commander, provided a continental breakfast and lunch,” she said. “Games and door prizes are all a part of the Heart Link program. These activities are designed to inform and enlighten spouses about the military way of life at Robins. They learn where to turn when issues arise, how to get assistance during deployments, and the importance of the spouse to the Air Force mission.”
Steplight said Heart Link is also a great avenue for new spouses to get to know one another.
“By attending Heart Link, new spouses have an opportunity to meet other new spouses, ask questions of base professionals, and learn how the military operates,” she said. “Heart Link offers spouses tools and resources to help with meeting the unique challenges of daily life as a military spouse.”
Heart Link is one of many ways the Air Force takes care of spouses, Steplight said.
“The Air Force spouse is the heart of the Air Force team thus being an integral part of the base,” she said. “The Air Force spouse plays a central role in the mental, emotional, and physical health of the sponsor. The spouse is the link to the family no matter where the sponsor may be deployed. The spouse is often the key to personal preparedness and mission effectiveness.
“The spouse plays a central role in making reenlistment decisions and in the end, impacting retention of the military member,” Steplight said. “The spouse is the family’s lifeblood during deployments and separations. There are strong military families and enhanced mission readiness where the HEART LINK is solid.”
The next Heart Link meeting will be held April 27, from 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., in Bldg. 794.
To learn more about Heart Link, call 478-926-1256. You can also find Heart Link advertised in the Edge Magazine, the center’s Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.