AFTAC spouse adds trifecta of award hardware to mantel

  • Published
  • AFTAC Public Affairs
PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. --  U.S. servicemembers are saddled with many demands and requirements as part of their oath of enlistment or commission.  They need to be ready to deploy on a moment’s notice, adhere to stringent physical fitness standards, be prepared to face the enemy in combat, live in austere and challenging environments, and endure long periods of time away from family, friends and the creature comforts of home.

Behind virtually every servicemember, especially when they’re deployed, is someone who is holding down the homefront, juggling two parental roles instead of one, living with uncertainty and worry, and managing the day-to-day grind that comes with being a military spouse.

One such family currently resides on Florida’s Space Coast here at Patrick Space Force Base.  The Cowell Anderson home is a blended one, filled with the joyful chaos of three children, two cats, a squadron commander’s ever-buzzing Blackberry, and his wife’s ceaseless drive to “leave it better than she found it.”

Lael Cowell Anderson, fondly known as “Lolly,” has been an Air Force Key Support Liaison since 2016.  Her husband of seven years, Lt. Col. Anthony Anderson, is the commander of the 709th Support Squadron at the Air Force Technical Applications Center, the Department of War’s sole nuclear treaty monitoring center.

Together, the two find time to balance needs of their own family with those of the Air Force.  And in Lolly’s case, she carves out additional time to serve as a Key Support Mentor not only for her husband’s squadron, but for the center’s 1,100 assigned personnel as well.

Her hard work and dedication have not gone unnoticed.

For calendar year 2025, Lolly was named Key Support Liaison of the Year at the squadron, group, center and numbered air force levels.  Additionally, she was selected as the Armed Forces Insurance Patrick Space Force Base Spouse of the Year for an installation with more than 10,000 workers (military and civilian) and a dependent population of nearly 4,000.  And most recently, she was nominated as Air Combat Command’s Joan Orr Air Force Spouse of the Year, where she will now compete at the Department of the Air Force level.

While all those accolades are monumental achievements, earning the title of Joan Orr Spouse of the Year comes with heightened prestige.  This national-level award celebrates spouses who have made

outstanding contributions to the base and community and recognizes their altruism, volunteerism and influential leadership as an articulate spokesperson on behalf of other Air Force families.

Named after the wife of Verne Orr, 14th Secretary of the Air Force, Joan was an inspirational leader who truly embodied the Air Force Core Value, “Service Before Self.”

The nomination process includes a descriptive narrative of accomplishments, the nominee’s official biography, a recommendation letter, and a draft award citation.

According to her nominators, the hardest part of putting together the package was trying to stay within the extremely limited word-line count parameters due to the overwhelming amount of Lolly’s significant accomplishments they had to work with and choose from.

Some of her specific achievements included authoring an Air Force-wide resiliency guide that directly shaped life-saving crisis intervention policy; engaging with the Regional Privatized Housing Office after a major roof collapse rendered a military family’s home uninhabitable (she worked to ensure they had essential supplies and emergency billeting at no cost); and creating an installation-wide food-aid communication strategy during the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, including networking with off-base donors to provide resources to nearly 200 in-need families, just to name a few.

Of note:  the resiliency guide she authored was published and distributed by Five & Thrive, an Air Force-wide program created in 2021 to improve the quality of life for military families and tackle issues that directly impact military readiness.

Lolly’s father retired from the Air Force after 21 years of service, so she’s very familiar with the pros and cons that are associated with being part of a military family.

“There are always challenges that come with the territory, but there are also incredible benefits as well,” she said.  “One of the biggest challenges is the constant resetting of normal – normal for my kids, normal for my career path or volunteer work, normal for our marriage, or even normal for our everyday family rhythm.”

“But there are also huge rewards,” she continued.  “I am hard-pressed to find many civilian spaces where people experience the same kind of shared purpose like raising their kids together, showing up for each other in times of need, and building on the enormous sense of belonging that the military community offers.  When it works … when it clicks … when you build those village-like networks, there is truly nothing like it.”

Anderson’s boss had nothing but praise for the award winner.

“Military spouses are the silent strength behind our mission accomplishment,” said Col. Gabriel Avilla, 709th Support Group commander.  “They are the multitaskers who support our Airmen through the thick and thin whose contributions often go unacknowledged.  Lolly has been an incredible asset not only to the Airmen and families in the 709th SPTS, but also to numerous other spouses in AFTAC who have positively benefited from her knowledge and insight.  I am confident she will crush it at the Air Force level!”

When asked what advice she would give to a new spouse who’s new to military life and unfamiliar with all that comes with being an Air Force spouse, Lolly said, “Get involved early and often.  It’s OK to be the new kid in the room.  It’s OK to be uncomfortable.  And it’s OK to feel like you’re starting all over again because all of us have been there at some point.”

“Don’t let what’s called ‘the imposter syndrome’ make decisions for you,” she added.  “The worst someone can tell you is no, but ‘no’ doesn’t always mean ‘never’ – sometimes it just means ‘not yet.’  Be curious about what your spouse does, what your squadron does, and how the military community around you works.  Some of the most meaningful moments I’ve had as a Key Support Liaison haven’t been at the big, visible events, but at the quieter, smaller get-togethers where I got to know our families better in a more intimate and personal setting.”

It stands to reason that her husband is her biggest fan.

“Often the focus is placed only on the service member when we discuss needs for support, but our service member families are a major part of our success,” Anderson said.  “Lolly is the linchpin who keeps our family going at home like she does for the families of our military and civilian service members. She has been a champion rallying for them, and I am incredibly proud of the work she is doing to help build the support network they and the Air Force need.”

Cowell Anderson said there were far too many people to thank by name for her continued success, but did express her gratitude overall.

“Any recognition I have received reflects a much larger community of people who have taught me, trusted me, collaborated with me, and made the work possible.  I’m incredibly fortunate and indebted!”