From Marine Corps Air Station Miramar / 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing:
They may not be turning the wrench or putting fuel in the tank themselves, but Marine spouses have a mission to accomplish nonetheless. Those steadfast wives and husbands who support the Marines of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing receive well-deserved recognition for the strength and perseverance it takes to be married to the Corps.
The commanding general of 3rd MAW, Maj. Gen. Steven Busby, and his wife, Cindy, have just such an initiative to acknowledge the devoted spouses of the Wing.
“A Committed and Engaged Spouse is a spouse who understands the importance of the Marine Team, meaning the Marine and spouse understand the importance of supporting the Marine in their endeavors as they serve their nation selflessly,” said Maj. Gen. Busby. “There is a commitment that they’ve made to the Marine Corps and nation by being a member of a Marine Team.”
To be giving of themselves reflects the values of Committed and Engaged Leaders.
“A spouse’s most precious asset is their time, and we find them all the time volunteering what’s most precious to them because they understand that being part of the Marine Team is about others,” said Maj. Gen. Busby. “When we talk about committed and engaged leaders being committed to the Marine Corps and that their service is not about them … it’s the same thing with the spouse, [who] is committed to something other than them in support of what their Marine is doing, and engaged with others.”
The commitment a Marine spouse makes is not only to their other half and to the other families of the unit. It is also to those Marines who have no other family.
“There are a spouses investing in our single Marines,” said Maj. Gen. Busby. “We’ve got A bunch of youngsters who are away from home for the first time and the return on the investment we get when a spouse just sort of walks down the hallway of a squadron and hands out some cookies and says ‘thank you’ … is huge. That’s the kind of thing that we’re after.”
That kind of investment is already being made by families around the Wing.
“We have a ‘Take-Five’ group so when the Marines have a long day or a weekend when they’re working, as spouses, we’ll get together and cook for the guys,” said Davina Grundström, a command team advisor with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 and a Committed and Engaged Spouse. “Being at the squadron and seeing my husband is fantastic, but bringing the food to the single Marines with a big smile on their faces completely changes your day seeing their reactions. They’re just so humble and appreciative.”
As a Committed and Engaged Spouse herself, Cindy Busby hopes this campaign will be a push to get other spouses on trend, as someone did for her long ago.
“I, from day one, thirty years ago, have always been involved, but I had several mentors,” said Cindy busby. “Some were my peers, some were the commanding officer’s spouse, or the executive officer’s spouse. You saw what they did and you saw them give their time and the importance of when they gave their time within the spouses groups.”
What the Committed and Engaged Spouse campaign boils down to is perpetuating mission-readiness across the Corps.
“I feel it’s very important that as a spouse you do know what’s going on in your husband’s career, in his life, and his day to day, and how you can contribute and make it easier for him,” said Cindy Busby. “The house is running just fine and he doesn’t have to worry about what’s going on at home whether he’s deployed or at work.”
Because of a secure home life, Marines can stay flexible and do what’s often expected- to adapt and overcome.
“There is stress associated with the deployments we have and cycles, which is not going to change, but it is very important for us as an institution to help our Marines understand the critical role their spouses play inside the organization and the critical need to make sure spouses are able to continue running the family in the absence of the Marine,” said Maj. Gen. Busby. “That’s another reason why it’s really important for us to connect with the spouses so that when I ask the Marine to deploy, I know he’s ready, and a portion of ready means that we’ve invested in him and his family so they understand what they’re going to face and that the spouse is prepared for that.”
Through the Committed and Engaged Spouse campaign, the Busbys hope that both Marines and their families will “pay it forward” and secure the future of the institution.
“It’s not about ensuring that we have the same kind of Marine teams ten years from now by making sure they understand what their role is,” said Maj. Gen. Busby.
