JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska – Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson hosted a quarterly Spouse Orientation August 24 at the Military Family Readiness Center.
The orientation was designed to expose the military spouses from all branches of military services to the benefits, programs, opportunities and resources offered specifically at JBER.
The program started at 8:30 a.m. and runs to 3:00 p.m. During this time, participants learned about a wide range of topics including information available by the MFRC, military customs and courtesies, finance and how to read an LES, deployment resiliency, Alaska information about things like wildlife and more.
“The information given during this orientation is very specific to this base,” said Lisa Williams, 673d Force Support Squadron work-life specialist at the MFRC.
“It is a very interactive way for the spouses to connect with other spouses and the resources they might need while living here.”
If child care is a concern, there are various options to consider. At Air Force-led installations, there is a program through the Air Force Aid Society Child Care for PCS, for all branches of service. For more information regarding this program or others like it contact the MFRC’s at 552-4943. There is a play area also at the orientation’s location if needed.
There are also often concerns about the unique problems that Alaska presents.
“The class is very beneficial to new spouses,” said Belinda C. Koskei, spouse of Airman 1st Class Mark A. Mugo, 773rd
Civil Engineering Squadron. “It brings many resources to one spot. Information on how to adjust to a new space and how to deal with the different aspects of Alaska is priceless.”
In the past, many spouses have expressed concerns about the wildlife found in Alaska, said Williams.
JBER has some distinct wildlife dangers spouses may not have encountered before. To share their expertise, representatives from the JBER Wildlife Education Center are also scheduled to provide basic wildlife safety instructions.
“During the orientation there is a spouses’ panel made up of seasoned, knowledgeable military spouses,” Williams said. “They share their experiences as well as answer questions specific to coping with the change of duty station and their lives at JBER.”
In addition to the information spouses are able to share, confusion of terms when transitioning to a joint base can be prevalent. An example is that many of the common services found on a military installation are offered here as well. However, they may operate under different names – such as the Military Family Readiness Center, which serves the same capacity as Army Community Service and the Airman Family Readiness Center.
“We have a small information fair where we have quite a few agencies come and talk about what they have to offer,” Williams said. “Our hope is that the spouses will be able obtain the tools and information needed to ease their transition to JBER.”
JBER personnel also contend with a few other unusual circumstances like how to deal with extended darkness during the winter and near all-day sun during the summer.
“Interacting with the other new spouses and the more veteran spouses on how to get a new job makes the transition less daunting,” said Koskei. “It’s good to know I’m not alone and were all in this together.”
The quarterly spouse orientation is open to spouses from all military services on JBER.
The next orientation is scheduled to happen in November. To register or for more information, please call the MFRC at 552-4943 or 384-1517.