AFA Expands Military Spouse Opportunities at September Conference

October 23, 2025

AFA welcomed nearly 750 military spouses free of charge to its 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md. Three panels during the event were dedicated to opening dialogue around family-wellness and quality-of-life issues faced by Airmen, Guardians, and their Families. In addition to organizing the panels, AFA’s United Forces & Families (F2) program expanded its opportunities for military spouses to engage with one another off-stage throughout the week.

On the third day of the conference, attendees heard about the military family’s challenges from the very top: Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David W. Allvin and his wife Gina; and Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman and his wife Jennifer. The couples discussed how their personal challenges as a family have evolved over the years, through duty assignments, children growing up, promotions, and personal battles—issues that every military family understands well.

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin and his wife Gina Allvin speak on the “United Forces & Families: Senior Leadership Perspectives” panel at AFA’s 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference. Photo by Jud McCrehin / AFA
Sharene Brown, wife of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown, Jr., USAF (Ret.), speaks on the “United Forces & Families: Multigenerational Perspectives on Family Readiness” at AFA’s 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference. AFA photo.
Military spouses relax at F2’s “Milspouse Link-Up Lounge” during the 2025 Air, Space & Cyber Conference. AFA photo.

The other F2 discussions were equally insightful, with one digging into how military spouses can build a community and another exploring multigenerational perspectives on family readiness, the latter of which featured Sharene Brown, wife of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown, Jr., USAF (Ret.).

The two discussions also paid special attention to the families of the Air Force’s and Space Force’s enlisted corps. Chief Master Sgt. Kathleen McCool, the Command Chief of Pacific Air Forces, spoke on one panel, while her husband, Chief Master Sgt. Chris McCool, USAF (Ret.), spoke on the other. Between their journey as a dual-military couple, Chris’ transition to retirement, and how they raised four sons (three of whom are now serving in the Air Force), the McCools brought an incredible range of insights to both discussions.

Offstage, F2 welcomed attending spouses to the first-ever “Milspouse Link Up Lounge.” The lounge was open for two-hour windows on the first two days of the event, and offered military spouses coffee, snacks, networking opportunities, and even massage chairs.

F2 also organized and hosted two studio interviews with vocal military spouses on site. These quick but powerful conversations provided a glimpse into modern military life through the spouse lens.