Team Andersen celebrates 2025 Commander’s Key Support Program volunteers, mentors Published May 8, 2026 By Tech. Sgt. Kentavist P. Brackin 36th Wing Public Affairs ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Commanders, first sergeants, Key Support Liaison and Key Support Mentor volunteers gathered for a Commander’s Key Support Program Recognition Ceremony at the Sunrise Conference Center on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, May 8, 2026. CKSP is a Department of the Air Force program that enhances mission and family readiness while establishing a sense of community and promoting partnerships with the unit, the Military and Family Readiness Centers and community agencies. Dr. Terese Cooley, lead KSM for the 36th Wing, emphasized the importance of the key support program and the volunteers who support it while delivering remarks at the event. “Whether it’s the uncertainty of a deployment or the upheaval of a PCS, the key support program ensures no family has to find their way alone. It is designed to build a culture of readiness, adaptability and above all, connectedness,” Cooley said. Team Andersen’s program includes over 90 trained KSMs and KSLs who support units across the installation. “The Andersen community is uniquely close-knit due to its overseas location,” said Kimberly Hunn, work and family life specialist for Andersen Military & Family Readiness Center and coordinator for the event. “Our KSMs and KSLs often become extended family for Airmen and spouses, creating strong personal connections while helping families navigate both personal and military life.” For this year’s ceremony, 47 volunteers were recognized for their dedication and service to the Andersen community, coinciding with Military Spouse Appreciation Day – a day established to celebrate and recognize military spouses’ contributions to the military. “Military Spouse Appreciation Day makes this recognition especially meaningful, as many of our volunteers are military spouses who selflessly give their time to support others while also balancing the demands of military family life,” Hunn said. “Their dedication strengthens not only individual units, but the entire Andersen community.” The recognition ceremony was hosted by the Military and Family Readiness Center in partnership with 36th Wing leadership. Dr. Cooley noted her observation of the power of KSLs in the days preceding the arrival of Typhoon Sinlaku, a category 5 typhoon that left many in Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands without power and water. “When the storm moved closer, our Key Support Liaisons didn’t wait for instructions – they went to work. I saw KSLs on social media pages in our group chats posting real-time prep checklists and resource guides,” Cooley said. “They were the digital wingmen who turned fear into preparation, and they helped create a resilient community that can withstand any weather.” KSLs are trained volunteers and official unit representatives that link unit leadership to spouses and families. They provide information and referral services while also acting as a peer-to-peer support system. “As we celebrate today, we must also recognize a fundamental truth: even the most dedicated volunteers cannot sustain a program without also receiving support,” Cooley said. “Leadership support can transform a group of volunteers in a strategic asset. It strengthens the entire leadership support team and ensures that when the next storm comes – be it weather or a mission surge – our families are ready.”