By Airman 1st Class Lauren McMullen, 150th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. — The 150th Special Operations Wing, New Mexico Air National Guard, celebrated Military Spouse Appreciation Day by providing a lunch for spouses May 1, 2021.
The NMANG Key Spouse Committee and the Fort Bliss USO collaborated to thank military spouses for all that they do. New Mexico Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Kenneth Nava and his wife Dawn, Assistant Adjutant General-Air Brig. Gen. Michele LaMontagne and her spouse Tanya Nuñez, and the 150th SOW commander Col. George Sefzic attended the event.
“Thank you so much to the unsung heroes of the military. We can’t do what we do without you. This is a small token of our appreciation,” Nava said.
The wing commander stressed the importance of the work the Key Spouses perform and how important it is not to forget that.
“You see the Key Spouse volunteers. They do this because they love you—not because they get paid, not because they get less work; they actually get more work,” Sefzik said. “Take some time today to step back and thank your spouse. We don’t thank them enough. We do take them for granted, and that is our failure.”
Nuñez also addressed the crowd and left them with these words.
“My advice is just to approach this life with love and kindness and an abundance of compassion,” Nuñez said. “We know our spouses work with people they love—their brothers and sisters in arms, and they have a good time at work, but we don’t always hear about the challenges they face, the losses, you know, the disappointment, the hard times. So, those things will go a really long way: the patience, the kindness, the love, the understanding. Be well for yourself, for your spouse, and for the organization as a whole.”
