Heart Link Program is a “must” for Military Spouses
Heart Link is a spouse orientation program geared toward strengthening all branches of military families and enhancing mission readiness. Heart Link’s objective is to increase spouse awareness of the military mission, customs, traditions, protocol and community resources that support military families. Heart Link also helps culturally familiarize spouses to their new homes in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and help them better understand the integral part they play in the mission.
On the 25th of February, eight spouses got to see what the program was all about right here at Joint Base Charleston. Sarah Stults was one of those spouses in attendance and had glowing remarks about her experience: “This orientation is a must- it was awesome. The day went so fast with a jammed packed program of presenters and activities. Spouses need information upon arrival to get the best start and have a more connected experience. My favorite part is that leadership made this a priority and were genuinely interested in the wellbeing, perspective and experience of military spouses.”
Jessica Volkman, a Community Readiness Consultant at Joint Base Charleston and Event Point of Contact, describes the program as a holistic way for spouses to feel connected and empowered with information and resources.
During the course of this near-day long event, spouses can receive information from all sorts of on-base resources and helping agencies; ranging from Services to Legal and everything in between. In addition they will receive a free lunch, a welcome and introduction from base leadership, and a tour of an actual squadron led by squadron leaders. Volkman emphasizes this hour of the day as very important, “It really provides an inside look and hands on feel to the various missions our units are tasked with, and it’s a great way to learn and see what the men and women at Joint Base Charleston do.”
The program was developed in 1999 by a working group at Air Combat Command, and the first Heart Link took place at Langley Air Force Base in 2000. General John P. Jumper, former Air Force Chief of Staff, requested Air Force-wide participation in 2002, and the program has been instituted ever since at most Air Force locations. Mrs. Volkman summarizes Heart Link as “a great way for spouses, at whatever stage of military life they are in, to gain information on the installation, the mission, available resources, and make friendships with other spouses. I have had Spouses who have attended later in their time as a military spouse share that the information they received was beneficial and even that they’d wished they had attended sooner.”
If you or someone you know may be coming to Joint Base Charleston, or perhaps you have been here for a while but may want to learn more about all of the services your duty location has to offer; please consider the next Heart Link Event on May 13th 2022. You can self register here: https://tockify.com/jbcmfr/detail/425/1652445000000
For more information on any of our programs or to learn more about how JBCMFR can help you, call 843-963-8883.