Working wives

Hundreds of women call Clovis home because they are married to airmen stationed at Cannon Air Force Base.

But, being a military wife is only a small part of their lives. Some work full-time while others are stay at home mothers. Some volunteer at military functions while others give their time to non-profit organizations.

The working mother

Denise Stewart spends her weekdays answering phones, typing documents and supporting the management at the Curry County Courthouse.

Her role changes to mother and Air Force wife when the clock strikes 5 p.m.

Stewart, who has been married to a Cannon Air Force Base technical sergeant. for 12 years, said she enjoys her work as a management support specialist for Curry County. But, between raising two young boys and working and being a military wife, she has her hands full.

“It is difficult,” she said, “but I like the job.”

Stewart, who has lived in Clovis for nine months, said she is thankful for her co-workers. “My husband is getting ready to deploy,” she said, “but the girls in the office are rallying around me.”

The young working wife

Bethany Hiller, wife of a Cannon Air Force Base staff sergeant, is employed full-time at Cummins Diesel in Clovis.

Hiller, 24, said she works to help out financially and keep occupied. “I’m paying off student loans,” she said, “and it gives me something to do.”

Hiller, who has been married for six years, said her husband’s career field requires him to leave on temporary duty assignments frequently. “I can’t just sit around,” Hiller said. “I’ve worked the entire time we’ve been married.”

Hiller also attends Clovis Community College where she is studying towards a business administration degree.

The stay-at-home mother

Clovis resident Krystal Ramos chooses to stay at home with her two daughters because of their ages, she said.

“They’re little,” she said, “and right now they need their mom. They need their dad too, but I understand he has to work.”

The 23-year-old mother, who is married to a Cannon Air Force Base staff sergeant, is also studying to become a nurse at Clovis Community College.

But, although the young military wife struggles to divide her time, she said having family nearby helps ease the load.

“It’s really difficult,” Ramos said, “especially right now with my husband gone and the baby sick.”

The humanitarian

Nicole Thompson is employed by the Red Cross as the service center manager. Although she has been a paid employee since September of 2006, her service to the organization began a decade ago.

“I have volunteered for the organization for seven years in Alaska and New Mexico,” Thompson said. “The (Red Cross) organization was built on strong women — their men were off at war time and they wanted to help.”

The mother of three said doing humanitarian work and volunteering work go hand-in-hand with military life. “My husband gives so much and I want to support him and the community we live in,” she said.

The officer’s wife

Christine Caldwell, volunteers an average of 40 hours a month with local non-profit organizations. Caldwell, who has been married to a Cannon Air Force Base captain for five years, gives her time to base clubs and Big Sister, when she isn’t working full-time at the United Way of Eastern New Mexico.

“I think when you’re at a base in a smaller city and there may not be a lot of the activities you’re used to,” she said, “volunteering is such a great way to keep busy and give back and meet friends and feel like you actually belong to the community that you live in.”