Vance Spouse Spotlight: Anthony Peters

  • Published
  • By Sarina Houston
  • 3rd Flying Training Squadron key spouse
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  
Name: Anthony Peters

Base affiliation: My wife, Capt. Manuela Peters, is the Command Post chief and a T-6 instructor pilot with the Mighty Ballers (8th Flying Training Squadron). If Vance has a snow day this year, you can thank her for that, and for outstanding future Air Force pilots.

In other words, I married up and it was the best decision I ever made.

Tell us about your family: We have two little gifts. Simon is 4 and Amelie is 2. They play all day with the best Child Development Center staff in the Air Force.

Simon loves cars and Transformers. He even made up a verb: "chook", meaning: "to change", as in "That car chooks into a robot!"

Molly plays with babies and punishes them by putting them in the corner in "mime out."

What is your professional background? The real world is scary so I spent a lot of time in school. I graduated with a Civil Engineering degree from Virginia Military Institute. I followed that with Navy Nuclear Power School, submarine service and eventually a master's degree in Engineering and Technology Management from Washington State University (Go Cougs!).

I finally decided what I wanted to be when I grew up and used my GI Bill for a Master in Teaching from Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash.

Where do you work? I am the 7th grade math teacher at Longfellow Middle School and the Junior High wrestling coach. I am also a Navy Reserve lieutenant drilling with Navy Operational Support Center in Oklahoma City.

What are your hobbies? Hobbies? More like hobby, singular. I work nearly year-round with the Enid wrestling program. However, I enjoy building forts out of couches, putting baby-dolls in "mime out," and drinking coffee.

Do you volunteer? I'll be honest -- I have no idea where my paid duties end and my volunteer time starts.

What's your favorite thing about Enid? I love my kids. I work with an incredibly diverse group of kids from across the community. They are the future of Enid, the state of Oklahoma, and the nation.

Do you have any advice to other spouses? Work hard to define your spousal roles and responsibilities -- then forget them and do whatever you have to do to get the job done.

Hold yourself and your spouse to a high standard -- then forgive each other when you mess up.

Fill your time with as much as you can to feel you are contributing -- then fight to find as much time for your family as possible.

Lastly, get a bi-weekly housekeeper. Seriously. It is worth every penny.

What else should we know about you? I have the entire book "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" memorized and I recite it every year for family and friends. It is my favorite story.

Sarina is the Key Spouse for the 3rd Flying Training Squadron and is married to Capt. Jacob Houston in the 71st Flying Training Wing Safety Office at Vance AFB.