A career of caring

Published Aug. 28, 2006
By Joe B. Wiles
92nd ARW Public Affairs

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- If you've deployed out of Fairchild, you've met Tech. Sgt. Carlos Ramossanchez. He was the smiling fellow handing you a box of cookies or a book to make your journey a little easier.

If you're the spouse of one of those deployed Airmen, you've met Sergeant Ramossanchez at the Airman and Family Readiness Center when he gave you a "Car Care Because We Care" voucher to get a free oil change at the Auto Hobby Center.

His job title is Family Readiness Coordinator. His calling is helping people.

"I have the greatest job in the world," he said. "I have the ear of the commanders and the commanders' spouses. When someone needs help, I have direct contact with the people who can make things happen."

The core of his job is providing information to families about the deployment cycle, before, during and after. He provides that information anywhere and everywhere he can get a platform.

"Squadrons invite me to talk with their Airmen and spouses. I cover everything the Airman and Family Readiness Center offers. If we don't have the answer, we know where to refer you for help," said Sergeant Ramossanchez.

He manages the Key Spouse program. "It is another excellent tool to help families help each other the military member is deployed." Spouses who have been through many deployments can ease the anxiety for a spouse experiencing it for the first time.

"What is a major problem for one spouse is a piece of cake for another. The Key Spouse program brings those two together," he said.

Sergeant Ramossanchez recruits for the program, and gives new members training on what they can and can't do, and resources available from the Readiness Center.

When he has spare time, Sergeant Ramossanchez spends it in his small office that is filled with pamphlets, brochures, handouts - and several shelves of toys.

"Some I buy for myself, but most are given to me," he said. Next to the Darth Vader, really a Mr. Potato Head in disguise, are a variety of action figures. The one he takes particular pride in is a figure of the Thing from the movie, "The Fantastic Four." His children gave him that one.

Sergeant Ramossanchez always seems to have a smile on his face. But it gets brighter when he talks about his family.

"I met my wife, Mary, in Air Force basic training. We were on the same stairwell crew cleaning steps." He couldn't ask her out then, so he waited until they were both in tech school at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.

He was attending pharmacy tech training and Mary was learning to be a medical technician. "I asked her friends to help me out getting a date." They did, and he and Mary dated until it was time for him to transfer to Colorado Springs for an assignment at the Air Force Academy.

"I asked her if she wanted to get married, and she said 'yes,' or 'I guess so,' I forget which," Sergeant Ramossanchez said, with that ever present smile on his face.

They waited until Mary was assigned to Lackland AFB, Texas, and arranged a weekend wedding. Shortly after that Mary got a join-spouse assignment to Colorado.

Mary left active duty and joined the Air Force Reserves after they first daughter, Mercedes, was born. Eighteen months later their second daughter, Xyomara, arrived.

Sergeant Ramossanchez enjoyed his job as a pharmacy tech. It was a tangible way of helping people. But he wanted to try something else. So he volunteered for, and was accepted for technical instructor duty at Lackland AFB. Yes, he wanted to be one of those dreaded TI's.

"I saw TI duty as helping people," he said. "Oh, I could be mean, and yell with the best of them. But the way I figured it, I was training my replacement. I wanted to get people through basic who would be dedicated to the mission and to the Air Force.

"I really love the Air Force. I belong in the Air Force."

After four years at Lackland AFB, Sergeant Ramossanchez requested assignment in Washington State. "Mary was essentially a single mom during my TI duty. I worked 18 hours a day, seven days a week. I wanted to thank her by getting closer to her family here in Washington."

He got a base of preference to Fairchild in March 2001. And shortly after that, his third daughter, Izabela, was born.

He was the NCO in charge of the clinic and refill pharmacy for several years until he applied for his current job with the Readiness Center and was accepted December 2004.

Although there is a set amount of time in the day, Sergeant Ramossanchez has more projects to stuff into those hours.

"We're working on a revamp of our deployment CD, to make it more interesting and informative. Another Family Fun Day is in the planning. We'll rent the Funspot and give Fairchild families a chance to play together.

"I'm always collecting things to give out during the deployment lines. A local book collector just gave me boxes of novels so our Airmen have something to read during the long flights.

"And I still have lots of Girl Scout cookies to pass out," he said. The local Girl Scout council donated 250 cases of cookies to Fairchild this year.

Sergeant Ramossanchez has plans for his future. "I want to get promoted to master sergeant, complete the last two classes for my Community College of the Air Force degree, and maybe get an assignment to the Inter-American Air Forces Academy at Lackland AFB as a translator."

Yes, as a translator. He is also a certified Air Force linguist. But that's another story. One of many in a busy career dedicated to answering a calling - to help others.

Helping people