Guest Blog Post by Denine Kenedy, Founder of Air Force Moms Support
Air Force Moms Support is a resource for families of US service members. The organization started as a Facebook group to help support, encourage and educate moms with sons/ daughters in the United States Air Force. The group’s founder, Denine Kennedy started the organization in February of 2010 when, as a new Air Force mom, she realized there was a need for a mothers’ support group. Her vision was to create an environment where mothers could go to find information, ask questions, be able to vent and make lifelong friends. The organization is currently expanding its efforts to reach out to other branches, and is a Non- Profit 501 (c) (3) Organization, pending approval.
HH6 Camo Chix recently asked Denine about her experiences, both as a new Air Force Mom and founding AFM Support. This is what she shared:
On the 21st of June 2009, my one and only son left for basic training. He was 17 and had just graduated 2 weeks earlier from High School. I remember feeling was like someone had just punched me in the stomach and the feeling wouldn’t go away. My husband, on temporary assignment in Houston, couldn’t comfort me in person. I would call him up, cry my eyes out, and he would say “Honey, he’s OK.”
The funny thing was that prior to my son leaving, my husband told me everything that was going to happen. He predicted that the first phone call was going to be the “I want out of here. I hate it” phone call. He continued with the second week about how the Training Instructors hated them and are picking on “me.” By the third and fourth week though, I heard, “You should see us march..we look good.” By week five it was, “Man, the TI’s are so cool.”
By the 6th and 7th week my husband had predicted there would be trouble, and we heard, “This isn’t fair…the whole flight lost patio privilege because so-and-so violated a policy.” Then came, “I don’t know if I will pass my PT exam,” followed by “We might not graduate on time.” My husband had predicted it all; it seemed little had changed since he’d gone through basic in 1978.
A week after Michael finished basic I joined a Facebook page I’d found online. I felt that if I was on this emotional roller coaster, surely there were other moms going through the same thing. The more I participated with the group, however, the more I became a “go to” person when another mother had a question. After about 5 months the administrator felt that I was taking over the discussions and giving “too” much advice, so we parted ways.
Some of the other moms and I had become friends by then, and they asked me to start a new group — one that would be there when a mom needed a question answered or needed someone to talk to. I agreed to start the group, but with the condition that they would help me, as I have MS. That is how Air Force Moms Support came to be.
I enjoyed the process of building the page and watching the group grow. I would be up sometimes until 4 in the morning making sure that things were going well, and sometimes had other moms calling very late into the evening — but it was all good. I was so glad that the vision we’d had was actually working out, and now we’re over 7000 members strong.
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I am so glad for the internet. I remember when my X husband went into the Gulf War, the communication was horrible, no cell phones, no internet. I remember not wanting to go anywhere because I did not want to miss the call. It’s so wonderful now that we can speak to our loved ones no matter where they are in the world, between Facebook, email and Skype.
My ultimate goal for the page has always been providing support to those who are the most need. A place to share our joys and tears, excitements and fears, without judgment or ridicule, it’s our Safe Place. Now, with the help of two wonderful members, my dream of expanding my vision is moving forward.
Several months ago, I was hospitalized. I reached out to the members of the page and asked for help. The response was overwhelming. I narrowed the volunteers down to 20 members. As we got to know each other and interact, Lauri Ellison and Tammy Ohman, both from Minnesota, stood out as natural leaders. I really can’t describe how I felt at the time, but the phrase “blind faith” is what I felt. The level of trust just came naturally and they took charge. Now, these two wonderful Ladies have exceed my expectations. Knowing what my vision was, they organized, researched, and filed the paperwork, granting AFMSupport Non-Profit organization status. They even went behind my back and financed the endeavor. These are two Angels that were sent at a time I really need them.
I’d like to share something my husband wrote five years ago, back when the page was still in its infancy.
“I’m not much for controversy, nor I’m I one to boost, but I feel compelled to say a few words on behalf of the young recruits in the Air Force. Who am I? No one really. The silent half of the whole. I’m 13 years removed from active duty, (retired after 20 years, 12 days, and 7 hours..but who’s counting), was a Security Policemen, Personnel, and an Acting First Sergeant. As a young airman, I always took comfort in knowing that someone, somewhere, was thinking about me, worrying about me, missing me, and loving me. What I didn’t realize was the toll it took on the parents….Moms… Seeing my wife go through what she did when the son was in basic was painful. On more than one occasion (about 100 times a day) I had to talk her off the “ledge.” It was a long 8 ½ weeks but she made it. This new support group is a positive force in helping the parents, (moms), with dealing with the ups and downs, the joys and tears, and the excitement and frustration that go along with having a son or daughter in the military, none more so than when they are in Basic Training. She doesn’t know everything, but Denine has the drive and determination to get the most current and accurate information that is available and tries to communicate this to everyone. She’s here to support all the parents, (moms), from recruitment, to BASIC TRAINING, through tech school, and retirement.”
We have also started an Air Force Wives group. Having been an Air Force wife myself for 20 years and an Army brat before that, I figured that if moms were looking for help, then surely there were other wives out there looking for help too.
To learn more about Air Force Moms Support, click here to visit their Website, and be sure to like the website’s brand-new Facebook Page.
To request to join the Air Force Moms Support Facebook Group, a closed Facebook group of over 7,000 moms and other military family members, click here.