JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – Meet Alexander Guizar, spouse of Capt. Kennisa Rafanan-Reynolds with the Air Force Services Center in San Antonio. He's our #IMSCFamily spouse spotlight for August.
Guizar says “Go Army,” having served four years with the U.S. Army before joining the Air Force family with Rafanan-Reynolds
We asked him to tell us a little more about his life as a military spouse.
What’s your first memory as the spouse of an Airman?
My first memory as Kennisa’s spouse was the day of our marriage. After living with each other for a little over three years, Kennisa and I decided to tie the knot. We drove from Montgomery, Alabama, to San Antonio, where we would get married and explore the new city she recently received orders to. Unfortunately, our plans came to a standstill when a truck’s tire came off while driving full speed down the highway in Louisiana. After spinning into a ditch, the tire launched back into the air and found its target on the hood of our truck, totaling it. This, of course, wasn’t going to stop us. We immediately got a rental and headed back to Montgomery, where we got married the next day. It just so happened that the day of our marriage was also the day the federal government declared the COVID-19 virus as a national pandemic -- an eventful weekend to say the least.
What’s your best experience as the spouse of an Airman?
Watching the amount of impact Kennisa has in the lives of other Airmen. From helping FEMA during hurricane season in Alabama, to allowing her Airmen to leave work early and take care of their family emergencies, my wife is a hero.
What’s a challenge you and your spouse overcame as a team?
When I was attending courses at Auburn University, I was going to have to complete my last semester in Auburn, Alabama, while my pregnant wife was stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. From the beginning it was a struggle. When we first arrived in Auburn from Texas, the mobile home I signed a lease for was infested with cockroaches. Once we overcame that issue after several weeks by threatening to sue, we received our refund.
The next issue was figuring out how I would be able to attend the birth of our daughter, Alisia, in November. We video called every night, with the majority of our time consisting of studying or building websites for clients. At the same time, Kennisa was packing our apartment for a move in October. It felt like the pressure was closing in on us but as long as we were together mentally and spiritually, I knew we would get through it. After many 13-hour trips from Auburn to San Antonio and back, we were able to complete both packing the apartment and taking my finals early.
Crazy enough, her pregnancy wasn’t exactly smooth either; Kennisa needed an emergency C-section.. Luckily everything worked out, and we were blessed with a healthy little girl. Sadly, I was required to present a senior design project in person the week after our daughters’ birth which meant I had to leave them both for a week. But like everything leading up to that point, we got through that as well.
What is your best advice for other AFIMSC spouses?
It’s absolutely OK to be stressed. Being a military spouse applies pressure on a marriage in unique ways. Find methods that alleviate stress, whether that is working out, jamming out to Wu-Tang Clan, painting along to a Bob Ross video or meditating. Finding healthy ways to exert stress has been paramount to keeping a healthy relationship.
Do you have a mantra that you live by and how does it help?
I personally use the word “fuerza,” which means strength in Spanish. It is something my father taught me to say after every exhale. Saying the mantra has always brought me mental peace in times of stress.
What’s something you cherish from your time as a spouse and why?
I have fallen in love with the journey. In the few years I have known Kennisa, life has thrown a few curve balls at us, some joyous, others, not so much. In that, we are still able to enjoy each other’s presence. Kennisa is a fun and amazing person to be around, going on dates still feels like they did seven years ago.