MADISON, Wisc., - Janell Kellett has found that moving forward and giving back can bring satisfaction and purpose to her Family Readiness Group - and a special invitation to the nation's capitol.
Kellett, who is the lead volunteer for the Wisconsin Army National Guard's Family Readiness Group, learned last week that she had been selected to attend the State of the Union address Jan. 27 as the guest of First Lady Michelle Obama.
She will be among 23 guests, civilian and military, to sit with the First Lady as well as Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden.
"It's totally awesome," Kellett said. "If you would have told me four months ago or even four weeks ago that this was a possibility, I wouldn't have believed it."
Her husband, Army Maj. Michael Hanson, recently returned from Iraq following a year-long deployment with the 32nd Brigade Combat Team of the Wisconsin Army National Guard.
While that 3,200-Soldier unit was training, mobilizing and deploying, Kellett served as the lead volunteer for the brigade's Family Readiness Group for which she coordinated the efforts of about 27 subordinate-unit Family Readiness Group volunteers.
They launched a community service campaign called "Moving Forward, Giving Back" to bring together families of Soldiers, who have deployed in the past, with families experiencing their first deployment, as well as to provide a focus outside of deployment concerns.
The Wisconsin National Guard learned late last year that the 32nd Brigade's Family Readiness Group was named the best in the Army National Guard for 2009 and will be one of seven reserve component family readiness groups to receive a Department of Defense award next month.
Kellett contends that her volunteer work, both with the Family Readiness Group as well as other organizations, likely played a major role in receiving the invitation.
For example, a food drive the 32nd Brigade Family Readiness Group conducted at Volk Field as Red Arrow Soldiers were returning from Iraq netted more than 2,000 pounds of food for the Mauston Food Pantry.
"Our leadership here in Wisconsin, as well as our leadership in Washington, support volunteerism and clearly support these efforts," she said. "It's a lot of hard work, but a lot of rewarding work. I truly believe our volunteers are serving the National Guard, definitely making an important contribution."
Air Force Brig. Gen. Don Dunbar, the adjutant general of Wisconsin, agreed. "We are very proud of Janell and grateful for her tireless efforts on behalf of the 32nd IBCT," he said. "She has a heart of gold and is the perfect choice to represent Family Readiness Group volunteers across the military.
"I am also very appreciative of the honor that the First Lady is bestowing to Janell and all volunteers who support our military family," Dunbar said. "Clearly, our First Lady understands the importance of family support to our nation's warriors."
Kellett was nominated by Col. Steven Bensend, commander of the 32nd Brigade, as well as by Jan Van Kirk, lead volunteer for the 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, and by Lt. Col. Tammy Gross, director of the Wisconsin National Guard's Service Member Support Division.
Kellett said her husband, who will watch the speech from the theater room of the White House while she is at the Capitol Building, jokes that he is the "and guest" part of the invitation.
She disagreed. "If it wasn't for him, I never would have been asked," said. Kellett.
As the only National Guard spouse to be invited, Kellett described the invitation as a great honor, and said she struggled to justify why she was selected over other deserving candidates.
"At first I was excited, and then I was panicked, and then I was wondering why someone else wasn't picked," she explained. "Then I accepted that I was picked, and then I was excited again."