Former service member continues to serve Travis community

  • Published
  • By Airman Madelyn Ottem
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  A woman vastly devoted to the duties of being an Airman made a difficult decision to separate from the military, after three years of service, for the benefit of her daughter.

After leaving a culture she had wholeheartedly embraced and had easily become familiar to her, she found herself struggling with the absence of the camaraderie found in the military which is rarely found in any other group. Although her husband remained in the service, she felt disconnected and once removed, yet still at the mercy of the military.

Amy Adams, Balfour Beatty Communities' LifeWorks coordinator, continues to support the military as a civilian. Armed with her unique perspective as a former service member and spouse of a current service member she is well equipped to offer a helping hand to Travis Airmen and their families.

When Adams came across the Balfour Beatty job opportunity, she realized this was a perfect way to reconnect with the military and discovered she was in a position to help those spouses who felt just as isolated as she did.

"The last couple of years I have realized that it's so much harder for me to be a military spouse than to be a military member," Adams said. "When I was able to become a different part of the military I felt like I went through everything to have a clear view of what it's like for these spouses that don't feel like a part of what their husband or wife is doing in the military. They're feeling what I was feeling, and it's a dark place."

Through Balfour Beatty's LifeWorks program, Adams coordinates with numerous organizations on the base, and through these partnerships they are able to create events with the goal of supporting military families.

"I couldn't think of a better person to do what Amy does," said Tamara Leon, Airman Family and Readiness Center coordinator. "She can relate to members of the Travis community on all levels since she is former military and also a spouse and mother in the Air Force."

One event that hit home to Adams was the Valentine's Day dinner for deployed spouses this year. Her husband, Tech. Sgt. Dean Adams, left for Korea exactly one week before the holiday.

It was powerful to see what can be accomplished through partnerships and friendships, Adams said. Because Travis organizations can utilize the LifeWorks program and vice versa, the events have been able to grow and we can accommodate so many more people in the community.

"Personally, had I not been there on Valentine's Day with the spouses that would have been a really tough day," Adams said. "It gave me a sense of purpose and continuity to be able to still be doing that for them."

Adams' sincere desire to support the community and specifically military spouses is easily seen through her passion and dedication for her job.

"Amy doesn't care just because it's her job, she genuinely has an interest in helping others and supporting causes with her events," Leon said.

"It was a great moment for me to realize that as much as I could give to LifeWorks and the community, I would get back tenfold," Adams said.

Family readiness is an important component to mission success in the military. The nature of being in a military environment is more than just having a place of work to go to every day. The Air Force is a lifestyle, culture and environment that Airmen need to feel they are a part of in order for mission success. If families do not connect with the military community, it becomes that much harder for Airmen to envelope the lifestyle, Adams said.

"I have an overwhelming desire to help spouses realize the part they play and how vital it is for what we do," Adams said. "It's very easy to get lost in the shuffle. They inspire me, and if there is a way for Balfour Beatty Communities to shine a light and help them find their place like I found mine, then that's the bigger purpose."