MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) and 5th Air Force (5AF) commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost and his spouse, Kelly Jost, recently visited Misawa Air Base, reconnecting with the base’s community and sharing valuable insights. What many might not know is that Mrs. Jost previously served as the 35th Maintenance Squadron (MXS) commander at Misawa AB, offering a unique perspective during her visit.

During Mrs. Jost’s time here, she visited various agencies where she shared candid experiences about balancing work and family life, particularly during challenging times, encouraging the next generation of Airmen to embrace innovation and leadership in their careers. By leveraging the experiences she garnered both as a prior squadron commander, and as the spouse of the USFJ and 5AF commander, Mrs. Jost came to Misawa Air Base to hear and advocate for those within the military, for Airman and spouse roles.

“Working and living in the military come with many daily problems, and every one of them, when you peel it back, comes down to time and how limited in nature it is,” said Mrs. Jost. “I had to learn to balance priorities because I couldn’t do everything. There’s always something hot; there’s always problems to solve.”
Mrs. Jost described the demanding circumstances she faced as a squadron commander. Not only did these demands extend to her work life, but her home life as well.

“I took command in my 18th year in service. We were a family of four with two little kids,” she said. “Work started well, but the time demands were crazy. Then my husband was assigned to a base in Florida, leaving me overseas with two little kids… It was nuts—absolutely nuts.”

Like many in the military today, Mrs. Jost’s experiences highlight the difficulties of being a parent while serving. She expressed her commitment to addressing those challenges within the Air Force.
“Parents, we see you. Single parents, we see you. Unaccompanied parents, dual-spouse parents—it’s hard work,” said Mrs. Jost. “The daily struggle has no script. You do what you do every single day to survive, and every day is a new challenge.”

While visiting the current 35 MXS commander, Mrs. Jost shared one memorable example of finding creative solutions to balance work and parenting.

“Sometimes, we’d have a 12-hour workday on a Saturday. The way we made it work was to pull out the full-size bouncy castle from under my desk, set it up in my office, and let the kids bounce while we worked. We’d get Burger King, plug in princess movies, and process Enlisted Performance Reports for 12 hours. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked.”

Lastly, Mrs. Jost emphasized the importance of taking time to enjoy life and gave advice on how to take the moment for what it is.

“Enjoy the ‘now’ because you’re working hard, and your families know it,” said Mrs. Jost. “Every day is a different struggle. It’s very easy to get into a mindset of, ‘We’ll be happy when…’ or ‘We’ll be better off when…,’ filling in the blank with the next assignment, when the snow melts, or when the kids aren’t sick. Don’t let that happen. Enjoy the blessings around you. Look around, take a deep breath, and find something to spark joy in your day. Cling to that, because if you don’t, you’ll miss happiness. Life is too short to miss that.”

Mrs. Jost’s visit offered a meaningful connection to the past while addressing the current needs of Misawa’s military families. Her journey is a testament to resilience, teamwork, and the importance of community in overcoming challenges.