Key Spouses, caring 'wingmen' watch out for families of deployed Airmen

  • Published
  • By Mike Wallace
  • Skywrighter staff
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO --  Newly promoted Staff Sgt. Augustina Mushale is a medical technician in the 88th Medical Operations Squadron's intensive care unit. She's also a volunteer in the Key Spouse program at the Wright-Patterson Medical Center and in that capacity makes monthly calls or visits members of the families of deployed spouses to tell them of helping resources, both on-base and off. 

Sgt. Mushale began volunteering as a Key Spouse in September and was selected as the medical center volunteer of the quarter for the last quarter of 2006. She said her reason for volunteering lay in her personal experiences here. 

"In 2005, I was sent to Andrews AFB, Md., for four months," she said. "The base people here provided activities for my husband and kids and really looked out for them. I just thought I'd like to be a part of it." 

In her role as a Key Spouse, Sgt. Mushale said her duties are to "keep family members from feeling left out." 

"We try to give to those people who are related to deployed Airmen," she said. "I call and ask about the kids or ask about any problems the family might have. Mainly I just say, 'I'm here. How are you?'" 

She added that, so far, there haven't been any emergencies to deal with, but she's confident that with all the resources available, families' needs certainly could be met. 

From Nigeria, Sgt. Mushale came to this country with her husband and husband's uncle in December 1997. A mother of three, she said she enlisted in the Air Force in 2002 "to get an education." 

"I want to get a bachelor's degree in nursing," she said. "Then I plan to go through officer training." 

Sgt. Mushale is currently attending classes at Wright State University and lives in the Prairies at Wright Field.