It's a thankless job, but Jennifer Schnoebelen is more than happy to do it.

Sure, it's an unpaid volunteer position. Yes, it's a part-time job, but it feels more like a full-time job. When you're the new McChord Officers' Spouses' Club (OSC) president, that's just the way it works.

Schnoebelen, 31, was sworn in at the last OSC meeting on May 15. The previous president, Leslie Long, served for two years and will pass the torch to Schnoebelen at a meeting in the next couple weeks.

Her interest level was high after hearing Long was planning to vacate the position.

"I really do enjoy getting to know various individuals and working with groups of spouses or military members and partnering with other organizations to work on projects together," she said.

In college, Schnoebelen served as the president of a social organization and has held a couple of different management positions for retail companies. She said she understands how to manage people, but with her teaching background, understands the personal side, too.

One of her main priorities as president will be the continued partnership of the McChord Thrift Shop, which generates the majority of OSC funds. One of her job duties is to make sure thrift shop activities are being handled properly. "I'm encouraging the club to continue to go forward," she said. "I want to see membership grow. If you stay with the status quo, you're never going to continue to grow."

Schnoebelen has been involved in the military for her entire life. She and her family moved around from Colorado to New Mexico, where she earned a degree in child science psychology from New Mexico State University.

She accepted a job offer in Washington state, where she met her husband, Steve Schnoebelen, through a bible study fellowship. They married and lived in Germany from 2008 to 11. The couple, parents to 5-month-old son Elliot, now live in Spanaway and have lived in Washington for a total of five years. 

The new position is a large undertaking, she said, but it's a huge honor to carry the legacy that other presidents have formed.

As long as her husband, a major in the 4th Airlift Squadron who flies C-17s, is stationed at McChord Field, Schnoebelen said she will remain committed to the position.

"In some instances it's overwhelming because there are big shoes to fill," she said. "But I really do enjoy investing in an organization that I stand behind."

The McChord OSC consists of about 50 members, a number Schnoebelen hopes to see increase. The nonprofit organization hands out nearly $35,000 in scholarships to 15 individuals every year as part of an education charity network. The cost to join dropped to $60 this year, a $12 reduction. For more information, visit www.mcchordosc.com.