Dave Etter
Duty Station: USAG Kaiserlautern
Years As A Military Spouse: 5
Tell us a little bit about you! First and foremost, my passion is to help people. After nine and a half years in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force and five years as military spouse, I have learned so much and I love to share that information with others. Whether I am talking to a new service member, family member or civilian, there’s always an opportunity for me to share my knowledge to help them have a more fulfilling military experience.
I have been honored to serve as a Spouse Master Resiliency Trainer, Army Family Team Building Instructor, Army Family Action Plan delegate, Family Readiness volunteer, Ramstein Enlisted Spouses Association member and a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) District Leader. In my passion for serving others I have volunteered more than 1,200 hours with the military and with more than 7,000 hours in the past 20 years with the BSA. In my current role as the Company Family Readiness Group (FRG) Leader with Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), where my spouse is currently stationed, I have the distinct honor of helping others to acclimate to the military life in Europe.
I am a radio personality and host an Internet radio show, the Male Military Spouse Radio Show, on www.Blogtalkradio.com every Friday at 5 p.m. Central European Standard Time, 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Thirty years ago I became a survivor of a spousal suicide. I received minimal support from my command and no support from the military community. There are many ways in which we can change the face of mental health and suicide by providing family members a more complete knowledge of the military culture, structure and daily living. In both my Spouse Master Resiliency training classes and radio show I have been able to turn voiced concerns into action and encourage change among the spousal community.
What is one thing you would want to accomplish with the MSOY title? As the MSOY of 2016 I would continue to encourage building our family resources to focus on stronger families. In addition, I would promote mentorship from our male spouses for our young people and new incoming spouses. Male spouses who have been involved are making a positive impactful benefit at our military installations. We are an untapped resource and can bring a well-rounded military experience for the family as a whole.
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