PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. — A military spouse at Patrick Space Force Base is being recognized for years of service supporting Air Force families.
Lael Cowell Anderson, known as “Lolly,” was named Key Support Liaison of the Year at the squadron, group, center and numbered Air Force levels for 2025, according to the Air Force Technical Applications Center.
She was also selected as the Armed Forces Insurance Patrick Space Force Base Spouse of the Year and was nominated as Air Combat Command’s Joan Orr Air Force Spouse of the Year.
Cowell Anderson serves as a Key Support Liaison and Key Support Mentor at Patrick Space Force Base. Her husband, Lt. Col. Anthony Anderson, commands the 709th Support Squadron at AFTAC.
AFTAC officials said Cowell Anderson’s work has included supporting military families during emergencies, helping connect families with food resources during a federal government shutdown and authoring an Air Force-wide resiliency guide that helped shape crisis intervention policy.
The guide was published and distributed by Five & Thrive, an Air Force-wide program focused on improving quality of life for military families.
“Military spouses are the silent strength behind our mission accomplishment,” said Col. Gabriel Avilla, 709th Support Group commander. “Lolly has been an incredible asset not only to the Airmen and families in the 709th SPTS, but also to numerous other spouses in AFTAC who have positively benefited from her knowledge and insight.”
Cowell Anderson, whose father retired from the Air Force after 21 years of service, said military life comes with constant change but also a deep sense of community.
“There are always challenges that come with the territory, but there are also incredible benefits as well,” Cowell Anderson said. “One of the biggest challenges is the constant resetting of normal — normal for my kids, normal for my career path or volunteer work, normal for our marriage, or even normal for our everyday family rhythm.”
She encouraged new military spouses to get involved early, even when it feels uncomfortable.
“The worst someone can tell you is no, but ‘no’ doesn’t always mean ‘never’ — sometimes it just means ‘not yet,’” Cowell Anderson said.
Cowell Anderson will now compete at the Department of the Air Force level for the Joan Orr Air Force Spouse of the Year award.
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