Meet the Kremers: It's all about family Published Aug. 28, 2013 By Karen Petitt 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Most of the moving boxes are emptied, school has started and the Kremer family is settling in to their new routine as Col. Kyle Kremer begins his command of the 375th Air Mobility Wing. While this is not their first time to Scott AFB--the colonel had two previous assignments here in 2000 and 2008--this is the first time serving at the wing and he, along with his wife, Deb, and daughters, Mikayla and Abbey, are happy to be here and eager to get involved. "We're ready to give the 375th, the Airmen and the families of Scott AFB 100 percent of our effort," said Deb. "They deserve nothing less." This is their 12th move, having just come from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., where he served as Vice Commander for the wing there. From Arizona, Delaware, Texas, and Rhode Island, each place holds special memories and marks significant events in their lives. However, it's been the friends they've made along the way that reminds them of why they love serving in the military. "Everyone says it's always the people who make each assignment, and it's no different with us," said Deb. "That is the one constant no matter where you go--there are great people, and we've made so many friends because of the military." While there are lots of moves and changes associated with the military, the Kremers said their daughters are especially resilient and look forward to seeing new places and meeting new people. They said they feel blessed because the girls, ages 16 and 12, are genuinely interested in what their dad is doing, and enjoy going to the base picnics or community July Fourth events, for example. The family makes it a priority to spend time together whether it's a base, school or personal event, and they work to "just be there" for each other. For the colonel, being in the military is a family affair with his father, grandfather and other relatives having served, and also having their private pilot licenses. His father, Ken, a former vice president of a company, and his mother, Sally, a school teacher, taught him by their examples the meaning of patriotism and service, and instilled in him faith-based values. This helped to develop his "quiet strength and confidence that is never arrogant, and a strong sense of service to country and family," said Deb, wife of 23 years. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and later in Orlando, Fla., where he went to college and was a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program at the University of Central Florida. There he met Deb and was immediately attracted to her "good looks and outgoing personality," but soon learned to see her most attractive characteristic--her compassion. "Deb has a big heart, and she's always taking care of anyone and anything (i.e. animals) who needs help," said the colonel. "She is always taking care of our Airmen and especially helping through the spouses organizations to support their families. The only people with bigger hearts are her parents, retired Maj. Joe and Lorry Yanovitch--even though he wasn't too sure about the idea of Deb dating a pilot." Deb explains that her father was both a navigator and maintenance officer, and they sometimes have a natural rivalry with pilots since the maintainers fix their aircraft. Her father also worked for Boeing and as a child she lived in Tehran, Iran, until the fall of the Shah in 1979. She said that was an interesting time for her as a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl. They had to be careful and security was a priority, but she also enjoyed the lifestyle and people there at the time. After the Iranian revolution, she lived in Seattle where she graduated from high school. When her parents moved to Saudi Arabia, they suggested she go to college near family, so she ended up at the same university as the colonel in Orlando. She thought she was done with traveling and longed for the stability of living in one place ... until she met her husband. Since then, she's accompanied him as he learned to fly T-37s, C-5s, and KC-135s, and she's supported him through deployments and assignments including the Pentagon, while raising the two girls and taking care of their dog, Zoe. Through it all, they've learned that "people get the mission done, so make sure to take care of the people," and their goals for their time here are really just a continuation of what they've always done--take care of each other, make this place feel like home, and reach out to others in service. Some commanders have hobbies and pet projects, and while the colonel said he enjoys golf and sailing, he most enjoys spending time with his family. "We enjoy being together, and we make sure we carve out time for each other," he said. "There will be times when I may focus on other hobbies, but right now, it's the mission and family." Deb agrees and said she also feels passionate about educational opportunities for not only her children but all military children as they can sometimes struggle with the many changes in school districts and their various requirements. "As my children grow I am becoming more aware of the challenges our military children face, especially in education. So that is an area I have become more involved and look forward to learning ways to help pick up the banner to advocate for all military children and encourage other parents to do the same," she said. "I am also still learning about the things that are unique to Scott AFB, and how best I can serve our Airmen and their families." For the colonel, he said he's enjoying getting to know the Airmen and seeing them in action, and is particularly proud of their support to such an important mission - enabling rapid global mobility. "We have a tremendous amount of responsibility as we provide showcase support to our mission partners," he said. "But equally important, we are still our own family in the 375th Air Mobility Wing, and should take great pride in supporting and celebrating each other - our Airmen, families and their accomplishments."