Yokota spouse receives PACAF Spouse of the Year award

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Soo C. Kim
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  They are always at our side. They are the moral support that Airmen need through the hardships, on or off duty. They are strong and resilient, keeping the home safe while their Airmen are fighting far away. They love and care for their family and their community. They are someone to return to - they are a military spouse.

Lynn Penton, the second vice-president of Yokota Officers' Spouses Club, is one of many spouses here at Yokota Air Base, Japan. She is the mother of three daughters and the wife of Lt. Col. Brian Penton, an orthodontist with the 374th Dental Squadron.

She is also the recipient of this year's Joan Orr Air Force Spouse of the Year award at the Pacific Air Forces level.

The Joan Orr Air Force Spouse of the Year is an award bestowed to the top civilian spouse that has made an outstanding influence to the Air Force and its community.

The award is named after the wife of former Secretary of the Air Force, Verne Orr.

Penton says that she was surprised when she heard the news.

"Col. Eveline F. Yao, the commander of 374th Medical Group, presented me with the award," Penton said. "My husband had told me that I had won at the wing level, but then Col. Yao announced that I won at the PACAF level." Penton said while reflecting a smile.

"I am surprised that I received the award, and I am humbled that I did," Penton said. "There are so many people that I work with that do just as much as I do, and it's humbling to get the award when so many around you do so much for the community too."

Kelly Bull, the president of YOSC and a good friend of Penton, said that no one was surprised that she had won the award.

"Lynn is very involved with the YOSC," Bull said. Her main duties as the second vice president of YOSC include the welfare and publicity of YOSC, the bazaar, the scholarship program and she is the member of the governing board for the YOSC.

Penton is also the key spouse of the dental squadron, the liaison between the spouses of dental squadron and the commander.

"I support any spouses with their partners deployed," Penton said.

As a key spouse, she is the main contact point for the spouses within the dental squadron, Bull said. "There are times when active duty members get all the information, but the spouses get left out. She delivers real time information to the spouses."

"The minute she hears anything other spouses need, she's on top of it," Bull added.

Out of many qualities Penton has, Bull said she found her resiliency as her key quality. "It is definitely her quality that gets her through and keeps her on top of things."

"There could be certain experiences that are challenging. Lynn doesn't always have the time but she has the heart," Bull said. "She wakes up at 4 a.m. and goes to sleep at 8 p.m. to get everything done. If there's something that needs to be done, she'll find a way to do it."

With such tight schedule, it's very surprising to hear that Penton balances her home and work as well as she does.

"She goes on weekly dates, bowling night, lunch dates with her husband," Bull said. "And she spends individual time with her children too. She also volunteers often at her children's schools."

Now this super spouse is going to take the next challenge, competing for the Spouse of the Year award at the Air Force level.

"It's kind of amazing," Penton said as she smiled. "Part of the reason I get involved in all I do is to make friends and help out my kids at the school, so it's hard to envision it as a really big deal, this is exciting!"

Penton said that not only is this exciting, it also makes her very proud to represent the spouses of Yokota. "I feel that an award like this is representative of a lot of spouses here on base, and I am proud to represent those spouses by winning the award."

There are a lot of needs on this base, Penton said.

"Being an Air Force spouse, I would encourage other spouses to get out there and meet the people around you and get involved with the community. It's a great way to make friends," Penton said. "It's important to support each other all the time, that's why I love that my husband is in the Air Force and I love being an Air Force spouse. Getting involved is what makes you come close together."