ESC: Supporting each other

  • Published
  • By Story and photo by DEBORAH SILLIMAN WOLFE
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The Luke Air Force Base Enlisted Spouses' Club brings together men and women from different walks of life who all have a common thread -- they are married to active-duty or retired members of the enlisted military community. 

"The club was originally founded because not all of the squadrons at Luke have spouses groups," said Patricia Beighle, ESC president. "If someone's husband goes on temporary duty, the spouse needs a group to help support her while her husband is gone. Especially if someone's spouse is going to Korea for a year, he is no longer attached at Luke, so that can make it hard on the spouse who is stateside." 

The founding group of women who started the ESC in April 2007 wanted to provide a support system for spouses, regardless of squadron or branch of service their significant other works with. Spouses of both active-duty and retired enlisted military personnel from any of the branches are welcome to join the club. 

"We do both social and community events, but since we are still in the forming period, we don't want to overwhelm ourselves," Mrs. Beighle said. "We do assist with Operation Thunderbox, a group that gathers donations and sends them to deployed Luke members. We help sort and box the donations for shipment." 

And besides helping with Operation Thunderbox, ESC members have donated food to a local Ronald McDonald House and recently walked in the city of Surprise's Relay for Life where they raised $1,250 for cancer programs. They will be helping the Luke Officers' Spouses' Club in December with their annual cookie drive which provides homemade cookies to Airmen living on base. 

According to Sherrie Pospisil, ESC vice president, the club is planning on adding more volunteer events, but with only 15 members at the moment, the same people tend to get tasked for every event. 

"We had a high of 40 members, but this last permanent change-of-station season tapped us out," Mrs. Pospisil said. 

Even though the group lacks in size, the members' commitment to each other is huge. When an ESC mother has a new baby, members of the group cook or bring dinner to the new baby's family for the first week the mother is home from the hospital. They send out birthday and anniversary cards to fellow members and get together multiple times every month. Mrs. Pospisil says that she and the other members have friendships that will last a lifetime. 

"We have a members' night once a month, where no husbands or kids are allowed," Mrs. Beighle said. "We also do a couple's night out and a 'lunner', which is like a brunch in the afternoon, and everyone's family is invited. We try to make something available for everyone, with or without kids, those who work and those who don't -- we want to have something for everybody." 

To join the ESC, individuals (men and women) must be married to an enlisted person, retired or active-duty and of any military affiliation. Membership meetings are held 6 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month at the Balfour Beatty Properties community center. 

For more information, visit www.lukeafbesc.com.