ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Getting established in a new town is rarely easy.
Thankfully, Kaththea Darmento, whose husband, Senior Airman Joel Darmento from the 51st Combat Communications Squadron, had a lot of help from her Key Spouse, Amy Redoble, in making connections and finding what her family needed in the Middle Georgia community she now calls home.
Darmento connected with Redoble through a Facebook page for military spouses, opening the door to the wealth of knowledge she needed.
“She set up our forwarding address while my husband was still out-processing from his last base,” she said. “She has also made getting information needed for medical and school related stuff for myself and children really easy.”
Upon meeting, Redoble had just about everything Darmento needed to make a smooth transition for her and her family.
“Amy messaged me, introduced herself and said if I needed anything let her know, as she was one of a few key spouses for the group,” she said. “I asked her for information on medical because this was an Exceptional Family Member Program permanent change of station due to my medical issues and on schooling, as we have a 3.5 year old and a 1.5 year old. She set up our forwarding information for mail. And when we got here, she asked to set up a time to get together. She had a huge folder of information to give to me on everything I had asked for. That folder helped me a lot, on who to talk to, and where to go for further information.”
Redoble said she’s walked in similar shoes as Darmento and wanted to help all she could.
"One of the ways I personally wanted to make an impact in our squadron is by letting incoming spouses, like Mrs. Darmento, know she is an important part of the 51 CBCS family,” Redoble said. “Be personable, hear her needs, and see what resources myself, the squadron or our Key Spouse program can provide to help her transition to the area as smoothly as possible. I know what it is like to feel overwhelmed in a new area.”
Redoble said helping Darmento was a great experience.
“I love meeting new people and truly want to help,” she said. “I did whatever I would hope someone might do for me. I was able to visit offices she specifically listed on base to gather resources for her, gather local community information, childcare info and also some squadron contact info in advance. In addition to sharing about our Key Spouse program, I was also able to answer general questions about the squadron and its mission.”
Darmento first learned about the Key Spouse program when her husband was in his technical school.
The 31-year-old mother of two said the Key Spouse program has been a great asset to her family.
“If something is going on in the shop for an event, I can still ask any question, and not feel like I'm stupid for asking,” she said. “Amy has made our move here very easy. I don't think this would have been this much of a success without Amy's help.”
Darmento said having a key spouse like Redoble helped her family’s move go a lot smoother.
“They’re there to help and answer questions,” she said. “If they don’t know the answer, they’ll find the answer for you.”
Robins currently has 123 Key Spouses serving military units base-wide. For more information on the Key Spouse program, call the Airman & Family Readiness Center at 478-926-1256.