ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam — Shannon Nordhaus, spouse of Air Force Gen. Steve Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, visited National Guard units in the Indo-Pacific region March 29 through April 5, engaged with Guard spouses, and reviewed family care programs that support service members and their families.
As the senior National Guard Bureau spouse which represents nearly 430,000 Soldiers, Airmen and their families—Shannon toured units in Guam and Hawaii, where she saw firsthand the family programs and resources available to those stationed thousands of miles from the U.S. mainland.
“The strength of our military starts at home,” Shannon said. “So, we can all agree that a strong family means a focused, mission-ready service member, which in turn strengthens the force.”
Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Joyce Williams, superintendent of the National Guard Bureau’s Service Member and Family Programs directorate, accompanied Shannon on the trip to help facilitate ongoing communication, involvement and support between National Guard families and National Guard.
The directorate provides guidance to family initiatives across the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia.
“Being on the islands provides a unique perspective on how people adapt and thrive with limited resources,” Williams said. “It’s inspiring to see the creativity and collaboration that emerge when a community pulls together every possible asset to make things work.”
Because of their distance from the mainland, forging strong, supportive relationships is especially important for service members in territories like Guam and states like Hawaii.
While visiting Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Shannon met with spouses and care coordinators who refer to themselves as the “Care Squad.” Representatives from the Care Squad shared family-centered insights gleaned from Typhoon Mawar, the most severe storm to strike the island in nearly two years, and explained how it prompted them to establish a resilient family emergency preparedness group.
“Typhoon Mawar was a wake-up call for Guam,” said Emilyn Santos, Guam National Guard Airman and Family Program manager. “We saw firsthand how natural disasters can disrupt lives. Having this group established and ready provides peace of mind for spouses and their children.”
One innovative approach in Guam involved distributing a flyer with a scannable code, providing a convenient, one-stop resource where service members could easily find the support and information they needed.
“The team in Guam is incredibly creative,” Shannon said. “Their Sexual Assault Response Coordinator designed a QR code that connects users to everything from veterans’ services to sexual assault resources. I thought it was a wonderfully unique approach.”
During portions of the itinerary, Nordhaus joined his wife in celebrating the Month of the Military Child by reading with children and discussing the shared experiences of military families.
“Everyone’s heard the phrase, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ and that’s especially true for military families,” Shannon said. “I consider our military children to be unsung heroes. They adapt, persevere and remind us that resilience can start at any age.”
Shannon has spent over 35 years as a military spouse and grew up in a military household; her father served in the Air Force. She shared personal stories about how these programs have helped her family thrive under the demands of military life.
“I’ll be transparent: my family has benefited from the military’s mental health services wherever we’ve lived,” she said. “With five kids, you can imagine the challenges. We’ve even done counseling over the phone when a move uprooted us at Christmas. My husband is a huge advocate for directors of psychological health, and we’re so fortunate to have those resources.”
Regardless of branch, Guard families stationed across the Pacific collaborate to host food pantries, partner with local USOs, and maintain constant communication and mutual support.
“In Hawaii, they have a joint pantry that offers food, children's toys, military clothing items and it is open to every service member and their family, regardless of rank,” Shannon said.
“Communities like these, could teach us a thing or two about being gracious and kind. They take the time to thoughtfully consider any changes, and everything they do shows genuine care.”
Shannon said she hopes to continue visiting National Guard units across the force, ensuring families have the resources they need to effectively support their service members.
“Hearing directly from program managers, spouses and leaders has given me deeper insight into how these efforts operate,” Shannon said. “We must continue advocating for improvements and outreach for our National Guard families and the support they need throughout military life.
As my husband often says, ‘We are Stronger Together, Stronger Tomorrow.’”
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