Nellis family wins Air Force Family of the Year Award Published Oct. 2, 2009 By Airman Cynthia A. Haughton Nellis Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- For 40 years, the National Military Family Association (NMFA) has been dedicated to strengthening and protecting military families. The association's Military Family of the Year Award recognizes strong military families who embrace their service our nation, are role models in their community, and understand that together, they are stronger. Each year, one family from each of the seven uniformed services is selected from nominations to represent their branch of service and to be in the running to be named as the Military Family of the Year. The families receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the award ceremony and announcement of the grand prize winner. The recipient of the NMFA Military Family of the Year Award will also receive a cash prize of $1,000. This year, the family chosen to represent the Air Force is Nellis' very own Master Sgt. Wayne and Tech. Sgt. Thane Ojala. "We're very honored and humbled to be selected as the National Military Family Association's Air Force Family of the Year," said Sergeant (Thane) Ojala, 99th Force Support Squadron food service accountant. Sergeant (Wayne) Ojala and Sergeant (Thane) Ojala met on a mobility processing line at Barksdale AFB, La., in 1998. "I was a Personnel and Family Readiness noncommissioned officer and Thane was getting ready to deploy with the B-52s in support of Operation Allied Force," said Sergeant (Wayne) Ojala, Airman and Family Readiness Center superintendent. "Thane's mission was canceled at the last minute and I offered to give her a ride to her unit. I must have made a pretty good first impression, because she came to the Airman and Family Readiness Center where I worked to ask me out on a date a week later," he said. The Ojalas, who have been married for eight years and have three children ages 13, 14 and 17, said the biggest challenge for them being a dual military couple is the family separation during deployments. "One of us has deployed every single year since 9/11 and usually for six months or longer. Thane is scheduled to deploy to Baghdad in March, her third tour in Iraq, for six months," said Sergeant (Wayne) Ojala. "The Internet and the Airman and Family Readiness Center's Hearts Apart Morale Call Program go a long way in keeping our family together during long deployments," he said. "Advance planning such as looking at our finances and the children's schools and activities also helps prevent surprises when one of us is deployed," he added. "They say practice makes perfect and after more than a dozen deployments, we're experts!" The Ojalas said that, because they are both in the military, they appreciate and understand each other's military commitments. "We both understand our unit's mission, our training and fitness responsibilities, and family separation due to deployment (before, during and after)," said Sergeant (Thane) Ojala. Outside of their commitments to the Air Force, both Sergeant (Wayne) Ojala and Sergeant (Thane) Ojala are active in supporting the Boy Scouts. "We sponsor and coordinate dozens of local and out-of-state Boy Scout, Cub Scout and Girl Scout tours each year," Sergeant (Thane) Ojala said. "We are also actively pursuing our bachelor's degrees online and hope to graduate in 2010," said Sergeant (Wayne) Ojala. On top of that, the entire family has a gym membership to 24 Hour Fitness and works out together about three days a week, Sergeant (Wayne) Ojala added. The Ojala family, accompanied by a few friends, will travel to Washington, D.C., Oct. 26 to 29 to meet the families representing the other services and to accept their award for the 2009 Air Force Family of the Year. More information on the NMFA and the Military Family of the Year Award can be found at www.MilitaryFamily.org and www.MilitaryFamilyAward.org.
