Spangdahlem Spouse named AF Spouse of the Year

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Clay Murray
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany --  Spangdahlem Sabers continue to earn individual and unit awards for the 52nd Fighter Wing, and Saber spouses have shown they are no different.

Mara Wight, wife of Col. Tip Wight, 52nd Fighter Wing commander, was named both the USAFE and Air Force-level 2010 Joan Orr Spouse of the Year.

Mrs. Wight found out in March she was the USAFE nominee and had put it in the back of her mind until the morning of May 17 when she received a call from Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc, 3rd Air Force commander, and his wife, Sharon, congratulating her for being the Air Force's No.1 spouse.

"It all felt like a dream and really didn't seem possible," she said. "When General and Mrs. Gorenc called me my first reaction was, 'Yes, sir. This is Mara Wight. My husband is not at home right now, but I can give you his cell number or have him call you back.' Then when he told me I am the Air Force spouse of the year, I had to literally pinch myself because I just couldn't believe it."

Even though 2010 is the Year of the Air Force Family, Mrs. Wight said she was honored that General and Mrs. Gorenc took the time to personally congratulate her.

"I just cannot believe the general actually called me at home," she said. "I know my husband's schedule as a wing commander is crazy, I can't imagine a numbered Air Force commander's schedule--that call meant a lot."

Colonel Wight was also excited to learn his wife won the Air Force-level award, but he wasn't surprised that his number one spouse is now the Air Force's number one spouse.

"Frankly given the amount of work she has done just as Spangdahlem's senior spouse you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in the Air Force who is more deserving," he said.

Mrs. Wight is the first to point out, however, that receiving this recognition would not have been possible without tremendous support from the other spouses throughout the wing.

"I'm not sure there was one thing that was the catalyst for this award," she said. "I think it was a number of programs and ideas that contributed to creating a positive atmosphere throughout our entire Saber spouse network."

According to her husband, there really is no recipe for Mrs. Wight's success.

"The secret is she doesn't do this for show, she really cares about Airmen and their families," the commander said. "She lives it 24/7 and doesn't ever turn that caring off.

"She puts her heart and soul into everything she does," he added. "And because of that, she has come up with many programs to ensure they are taken care of."

Many of the programs Mrs. Wight has spearheaded on Spangdahlem AB are one-of-a-kind programs that have been benchmarked throughout USAFE.

She set up www.saberspouses.com, USAFE's only spouses' Web site. She founded the command's only "Spouse to Spouse" program, which helps spouses adjust to overseas life. She also started up the first-ever spouse's sponsor program to assist spouses before and during their permanent change-of-station moves to Spangdahlem.