KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Military spouses with the 353rd Special Operations Wing participated in the annual 353rd SOW Spouse Appreciation Day at Kadena Air Base, Japan, April 3, 2025.
According to the Air Force Personnel Center, over half of active-duty Airmen currently in the Air Force are married, with a large majority of military spouses being civilians. Spouse appreciation days are organized by the 353rd SOW annually to give thanks to the men and women that encourage and support hard-working Airmen across the wing.
“We want to demonstrate our gratitude to spouses for the sacrifices they make and the endless support they provide us,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Shawn Young, 353rd SOW commander. “Today we highlight their contributions to supporting both their families and the mission of our Air Commandos as a whole.”
The event featured an incentive flight that gave spouses the opportunity to see what America's Air Commandos of the Pacific do to integrate throughout the theater and thank them for the daily sacrifices made to support their service members.
Throughout the rest of the day, spouses experienced informational briefings and immersive competitive activities that encouraged spouses to dive into their partners’ working lives in the 353rd SOW. Interactive segments included: a night vision combat exercise, unscrewing external aircraft panels, 353rd SOW trivia, packaging parachutes, and simulating an airdrop from an MC-130J Commando II.
“Today was a perfect example of how quickly things can move and how quickly the active-duty members are on their feet and react,” said Briana Smithers, Integrated Resiliency Optimization Network community response coordinator. “The spouses got to see how stressful it can be which gives them a good perspective on what their husbands and wives go through during the day.”
Including competitive activities in the event stoked a friendly rivalry between the spouses, adding pressure to allow attendees a glimpse into the fast-paced, chaotic lives special operations Airmen live every day.
“I’ve been to a spouse appreciation day before," said Rosemary Lavoie, 353rd SOW Spouse Appreciation Day attendee. “I appreciated this one more because the activities were related to what active-duty members actually do and that was very well placed.”
The day culminated with spouses being awarded prizes based on their performances in the competitive activities. Military spouses are essential to our force’s readiness, and annual spouse appreciation days will continue to reflect the wing’s deep gratitude for both new and returning spouses.