Stories of sweethearts Published Feb. 12, 2009 By 375th AW Public Affairs Office 375th Airlift Wing SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- In the spirit of Valentines' Day, the Command Post interviewed some of the 375th Airlift Wing's leadership about their own most important relationship - the ones with their spouses. While Team Scott sees these men and women leading the wing during the duty day, these leaders say they wouldn't be able to accomplish all that they do if it weren't for the support of their spouses. So, in a tribute to teamwork, communication, unity of effort and just plain fun, here's a look at some of the wing's own leading couples. Col. Gary and Mary Goldstone 375th Airlift Wing commander Family: Garrett & Danielle Wedding date: March 25, 1989 How did you meet? Colonel Goldstone: We went to high school together, but it's not what you think. It wasn't until we were in our third year of college that we met again. We had a class together and when I saw her I decided to ask her out. After our first date I knew she was the one I would marry. I was so sure after our first date, that I wrote it down in a journal. Mary: I didn't know he felt that way until later, but I too definitely knew there was a spark between us. I had a great time on our date and knew we would go out again and again. What qualities did you admire about your spouse then. . and now? Colonel Goldstone: Her independence,support, and positive outlook. If there were ever any regrets, it would be why didn't I marry her sooner? She's been a source of strength to me throughout this Air Force journey. Mary: His sincerity, honesty, commitment and sense of humor. Despite the demands on his time during this point in our lives, he always makes time to call me during the day to say hi or see how I'm doing. At home, he always spends time with us and maintains a balance between the responsibilities of work and those associated with being a family man. I appreciate that about him and it makes a real difference in our marriage. What was special about the proposal/wedding? Colonel Goldstone: I was a pre-med student at that time and was doing well, but after taking flying lessons thoughts of joining the Air Force became foremost in my mind. Of course my family would not take it too well, as they had assumed I would follow a medical career path. But, I felt right about the Air Force and was about to make a hard right turn. I asked Mary what she thought and she fully supported it, which also confirmed my decision that she was the right one. With Officer Training School, followed by pilot training looming in the near future, I knew I wanted Mary to join me in the Air Force journey. I asked her parents for their approval and then proposed on Coronado Island in San Diego, California. Mary: I think he was surprised that I was so willing to change course and leave my friends and family behind, but I didn't look at it like that. I saw it as more of an adventure, not him "taking me away." He has such warmth and sincerity, and I knew that I'd be OK as long as I was with him. We had a small window to actually plan the wedding as he was commissioned on March 17 and then we married on the 25th. We packed up the car and drove to Del Rio, Texas for pilot training the day after we were married. What makes your marriage work? Colonel Goldstone: Communication. I learned early on that keeping her informed about everything that happens with work is important to our success. There were some events in my early childhood that shaped what I wanted in a marriage and in a family. I wanted to ensure that I did everything in my power to be the kind of father and husband that my family deserved. Just like leading a wing or commanding a deployed unit, a family unit takes as much, if not more, thought and effort. I think the saddest thing is to see people leave the Air Force without their family intact. Mary: Communication, honesty, commitment to each other, and a lot of laughter. Gary and I are a team, and we live these attributes every day. We spend time together whenever possible and truly enjoy the official functions as well as the simple days hanging out with each other and our kids. We have fun every day. Not a single day goes by that he doesn't make me smile. How do you support each other in these very demanding and time consuming jobs? Colonel Goldstone: Mary and I are truly a team, and I know that I am her wingman and she is mine. It is that simple. A good example of that is when I was tasked to deploy to Desert Storm after we had arrived at Dyess AFB, Texas . I asked Mary if she wanted to go home to California and stay with her folks, and to my surprise she said no ... that she was already "home." She moved on base and got involved with the other spouses left behind and forged friendships that she still has to this day. This experience shaped me as a second lieutenant and to this very day I understand how important our families. Mary: My experience during Desert Storm and shortly thereafter shaped my perspective on being a military spouse, and how best to support my husband in his work. We each have our areas of responsibilities, but I have found that by working with our families and spouses in particular that I can provide assistance to him. What are some special memories you have from being an Air Force family? Colonel Goldstone: I've been fortunate to work for tremendous leaders such as Col. Mo Verling and retired Gen. Tony Robertson, who've been role models both personally and professionally. Colonel Verling had the right mix of focus on the mission and the people. General Robertson was a true gentleman who operated with a velvet glove. I saw how he made decisions and how he allowed people to grow professionaly. They and many others have been inspirations and truly a honor to work for. And, of course, along the way we've met so many wonderful people. Good friends have made every assignment memorable. Mary: I do remember a trip we took as a family on space-A travel to Italy and the kids were so excited about seeing another country that I think we asked ourselves why we didn't take advantage of that benefit sooner. But I agree with Gary, it's been the friends and the people we never would have met if we had stayed in California. We would have had a nice life in California, too, but the experiences we've had in the Air Force, the places we've lived, and especially the people we've met have all added up to many, many wonderful memories for us. Col. Stephen W. Oliver, Jr and Lt. Col. Gina M. Oliver 375th Airlift Wing vice commander Family/children: 2 Sons - Aaron (deceased) and Samuel (1 yr). Wedding date: Dec. 29, 1990 How did you meet? At college in Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps What qualities did you admire about your spouse then. . and now? We had a lot of the same interests: ROTC, serving our country, travel, sports, committed to doing the right thing and placing significant importance on each other and our families. What was special about the proposal/wedding? The proposal happened when Steve (2nd Lt.) visited his alma mater (Clarkson University) to attend an AFROTC Dining Out with Gina. He proposed in the afternoon and then the AFROTC cadets had to introduce their special guests at the dining out....so Gina got to introduce her special guest, 2nd Lt. Oliver, as her fiancé. Our wedding was great, except the photographer was a witch. What's your formula for a successful marriage? Be each other's biggest fan. Keep God in our marriage. Communicate, communicate, communicate ... and work to always see the best in each other. How do you support each other in these very demanding and time consuming jobs? We are partners in all we do. We adjust as needed to support the other person and are always each other's sounding boards. Any advice for other young couples? Be each other's biggest fan. Keep God in your marriage. Communicate, communicate, communicate ... and take the time to listen to each other. Be your spouse's best friend; this is an intentional choice by both people. What's a favorite memory about life as an Air Force couple/family? There are several, but one of the best memories was spending three years at Ramstein and traveling throughout Europe and Southwest Asia. The Air Force has been very good to us. During our time of serving, we've traveled to so many places together, enjoyed wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and made lifelong friends. Col. Curt and Carole Piontkowsky 375th Communications Group commander Family/children: Christina (Math teacher married to Ryan) Age: 25; Jack (Firefighter married to Tamara) Age: 22; Carl (student at SWIC) Age: 19; Craig (student at Scott Elementary) Age: 7 Wedding Date: Sept 5, 1981 How we met: Carole: We were introduced by mutual friends in Michigan more than a year prior to Curt's enlistment in the Air Force. What qualities did you admire about your spouse then. . and now? Col. Piontkowsky: Her intelligence, independence, patience and a sense of humor ... strength of character, understanding nature and independence. Carole: His ability to make me laugh no matter what, and his loyalty and understanding. What was special about the proposal / wedding? Carole: Our wedding was special since he came home to Michigan on leave and we had all our family and friends there. What makes your marriage work? Mutual support. She takes care of home, while he takes care of work and sharing all other responsibilities. How do you support each other in these very demanding and time consuming jobs? Teamwork, communication and organization. Any advice for other young couples? Talk it out. Listen to each other. Communicate and realize things are never going to be 50/50--some days he takes 10 percent and gives 90 percent and other days she takes 10 percent and gives 90 percent. Also "bloom where you are planted," that is don't sit in your new home at your new assignment and complain. Go out, make new friends, volunteer and make the best of it! What's your favorite memory about life as an Air Force couple/family? Lots of friends and unique experiences. We've had 15 family moves, two year-long remotes, three four-plus month deployments, travel throughout Europe, meeting Robin Williams at Rhein-Main Air Base Germany, Thanksgiving in Oberammergau and a beautiful winter morning breakfast at Hotel Zum Turken Berchtesgaden-Obersalzberg, Germany. Colonels Melissa and Tim Applegate 375th Airlift Wing Mission Support Group commander Family/children: Lauren (2) and Beau (au pair) Wedding date: Dec. 27, 1987 How did you meet? Introduced by a mutual friend at a dance club while in college. What qualities did you admire about your spouse then. . and now? Col. Melissa Applegate: He makes friends easily and with everyone and he's still funny. Col. Tim Applegate: She is very smart, full of energy and drive, and is an awesome mother and partner. What was special about the proposal/wedding? Col. Melissa Applegate: Tim served me breakfast in bed and placed the engagement ring in a box of my then-favorite cereal--Golden Grahams. What's your formula for a successful marriage? Mutual respect for each other and a lot of give and take. How do you support each other in these very demanding and time consuming jobs? Always be willing to listen to each other. With us both being military, we've been able to help with advice on how to handle our difficult challenges. Right now, we use Skype Internet video teleconferencing to keep in touch and talk "face to face." Any advice for other young couples? Patience goes a long way. Don't get hung up over small issues or blow them out of proportion. What's a favorite memory about life as an Air Force couple/family? Traveling/discovering Europe together. Col. Curt and Cecilia Connell 375th Airlift Wing Operations Group commander Family/children: Nina (23), Natalie (19), Seth (16) Wedding date: Nov. 12, 1983 How did you meet? We met during our senior year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Cecilia and I were architectural students and we had three classes together. She was a foreign exchange student from the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Mexico attending the University of Nebraska for one semester. That's all it took ... one semester and I was hooked. What qualities did you admire about your spouse then. . and now? Cecilia is a godly woman who is cute, funny, smart, has excellent attention to detail, and sincerely cares about others more than herself ... all of these qualities and characteristics are the same 25 years later. It's true that we enjoy spending time together today as much as when we first met. What was special about the proposal/wedding? We had our wedding in an absolutely beautiful garden at the Camino Real Hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico. Since our wedding ceremony was during the late morning hours, we had a fabulous Mexico brunch in the outdoor garden for our guests. What's your formula for a successful marriage? Love each other unconditionally. We made a promise 25 years ago before God to love each other and remain married until death. By understanding that our love is much more an act of the will than a fleeting emotion, we overcome the periods when our "emotions" may not be as strong. Thankfully these periods of less "emotion" are very rare in our marriage. How do you support each other in these very demanding and time consuming jobs? By being best friends, spending quality time together, not arguing (especially about money), and supporting each other and praying together. Any advice for other young couples? Don't be selfish, and reread the above formula for a successful marriage. What's a favorite memory about life as an Air Force couple/family? Too many to list, but some of the highlights include our first year as newlyweds in Del Rio, Texas, enjoying simple and cheap activities because we didn't have much money; our three year assignment as a family in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and living in the beautiful Northwest while stationed at McChord AFB, Wash.