Lyndsey Ballard is on top of the world.
Well, at least you can almost see it from there.
Ballard, 34, a 1999 Brandon High School graduate, is the wife of Master Sgt. Ryan Ballard, 354th Fighter Wing inspection general self-inspection program manager stationed at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The base is located about 26 miles southeast of Fairbanks and only 110 miles south of the Arctic Circle.
‘Polar bears can be found about two hours north of here, but moose do wander on base especially in the spring,? laughed Ballard. ‘It’s very isolated and dark. In the winter we have about five hours of daylight every 24 hours and when it snows in September it stays until May.?
The rather harsh environment compared to the lower 48 states is still home to more than 3,000 servicemen and women along with their families.
‘In addition to the often difficult transition from other military bases for families, we are really cut off from the rest of the world up here,? said Ballard, an Air Force veteran who served from 2003-07 at Keesler AFB near Biloxi, Miss. ‘To help cope we have a very strong spouse group here. We don’t have a Target store or an Applebee’s to go have dinner either and there’s only three McDonald’s within eight hours of the base. We moved here in November 2013 when it seems to be dark all the time.?
Lyndsey is no stranger to military life.
The Ballards were married in 2003 and have two children, Wyatt, 6 and Rylee, 5. Ryan has served in the Air Force for 18 years and plans on continue his career.
During the 2 1/2 years at Eielson AFB, Lyndsey has reached out to many of the spouses on base.
As a result of her efforts to help those families at Eielson AFB she was recently presented the Pacific Air Force’s 2016 Joan Orr Air Force Spouse of the Year Award’given annually to civilian spouses of military members for their significant contributions to the United States Air Force. Because Ballard won at the wing and major command levels, she will now compete at the Air Force level.
According to the information provided from Eielson AFB’Ballard’s service went far beyond the 300 Airmen she serves as the 354th Medical Group and Wing Staff Agencies? key spouse. During the past year she coordinated care packages to 68 deployed airmen, served on several boards, coached soccer teams, mentored incoming families, led food drives and holiday meals and many other activities outside of parenting two young children. Perhaps one of the most selfless acts Lyndsey displayed this year was organizing a vigil after the death of an active duty service member. The impact of the loss was felt far beyond the wing, but was memorialized at the hand of Lyndsey’s hard work.
‘Without a doubt, spouses make up one of the most valuable groups for airmen in our service,? said Chief Master Sgt. Michael Brown, 354th Fighter Wing command chief. ‘We take pride in saying that, despite there being so many amazing spouses, Lyndsey has shown so much care for her community that we proudly nominated her for this award. It’s impossible to share the magnitude and reach of Lyndsey’s hard work. Her perfect balancing act of her family and the Air Force family isn’t just felt immediately, but the programs she’s led and created will have a lasting effect on future airmen who come to the Iceman Team.?
‘She wants to genially help the community,? Ryan Ballard said of his wife. She has something going on everyday whether its meals, meetings, games or events, but the biggest thing I see is that she doesn’t do it for herself. With all this on her plate, she is still the best wife and mom ever. A lot of what she does relates to our family. Our family is number one to her, which helps me be successful at work, but she always finds time for others.?
While the Ballards have made the best of the Alaskan climate it’s doubtful they will become permanent residents.
The Ballards will be reassigned to a different base in November 2016.
‘We can’t choose where the next assignment will be’but we do have a dream list. We’ve selected Hickman Air Force Base in Hawaii.?