★2018 AFI Branch Spouses of the Year★

Congratulations to the 2018 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year branch winners

Here are the amazing military spouses who have been selected to represent the branches as the 2018 Armed Forces Insurance Branch Military Spouses of the Year.

THE NATIONAL VOTE to determine the overall Military Spouse of the Year is MARCH 2. Come back and VOTE for one of these 6 incredible military spouses!

All of these spouses will be honored at the USO-Metro Gala in Washington, D.C. on May 10.

Army Krista Simpson Anderson Fort Lewis I am the spouse of an active duty Special Forces soldier as well as the Gold Star Spouse of SSG Michael H. Simpson KIA 1 May 2013 AFG. One day I was a military spouse. The next I was a military widow. I want other military spouses to see through my journey that we all have the strength to get through anything. I want to bring awareness to who we are as military spouses and what we do for our nation through our families. I want to be a light for those who may be sitting in the darkness. I want people to be able to ask my the hard questions because my answers will be honest and true. I want to show others that military spouse are fierce and graceful. I want to empower not only military spouse but all women. I want to prove that following your husband doesn’t mean your weak and highlight the selfless service we provide daily. Read more about Krista here ! Marines Jolynn Lee Camp Lejeune If I were chosen Military Spouse of the Year, I would want to bring attention to trauma related issues suffered by those in my community. REBOOT has shown me firsthand that there is hope for recovery and restoration. Whether it is childhood trauma, sexual assault, or combat issues - you do not have to walk alone. Trauma hurts, but there is hope for healing! Read more about Jolynn here ! Navy Brian Alvarado Naval Base Point Loma The Military Spouse of the Year title is just that, a title. What you do with it and how far you go with it, has been unique to each winner. Imagining myself in that role is a humbling and exciting thought. The MSOYs that I have had the pleasure of knowing are leaders with compassion, role models with class, and strong advocates with passion. One thing I would want to accomplish with this title is to follow in their footsteps, make them proud, and take the MSOY Program to an even higher level of visibility and exposure. This program and the people in it have the power to change the world for the better and if I was to carry the torch I would want to grow and continue to reach and strengthen our community. This is all about what you do and who you effect and understanding that is the most important piece of this amazing process. Read more about Brian here ! Kristen Christy Peterson AFB I heard a saying a few years ago, which resonated with me. Life is a tough teacher; we take the test first and THEN learn the lesson. We cannot necessarily be there to help others through the pop quiz, but we can help tutor through the lesson. Suicide prevention is something I have been working on as an aspect of an overarching issue of helping people overcome obstacles in their teaching/lesson moment. Let us use our resiliency and lessons learned to help others transition from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) to PTG (Post-Traumatic Grow). My family has experience the anguish of a suicide and the lasting effects. If I could go back in time, well I'll just say hindsight is 20/20. After 10 years, we are ready to share our story. Let our 20/20 hindsight be others 20/15 foresight. Read more about Kristen here ! Coast Guard Stacy Bilodeau District 14 This past year I had the wonderful opportunity to be on the board for the Joint Spouses' Conference. Which is a yearly non-profit conference that gathers over 500 active duty, reserve, retired and Gold Star Spouses from all Military branches for a day long conference on Oahu; filled with workshops, speakers, meals, music, entertainment, a retail and a information Marketplace. It's a full day of just fun for Military Spouses, selecting form a verity of workshops such as paddle board, historical tours, self-defense/workout classes to presenters such as Space A travel, money saving tips, empowering yourself and career. With the Military Spouse of the Year title I would like to partner up with Military Spouse Magazine and bring this conference to the mainland, doing one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast. Seeing the joy of over 500 Military Spouses come together, connect, have fun, gain Military Lifestyle Knowledge, meet new people and take a day for themselves was something I wish all Military Spouses across the United States could and should experience. Even though our Service Members are in different military branches, we all have one thing in common, being a Military Spouse. And that is a special bond that should be shared and celebrated. Read more about Stacy here ! National Guard Shelia Brookins Kentucky National Guard I would like the civilian community to understand that our service men and women are the 1% that not only serve their country but they are also local citizens too. Their spouses, children, parents, family, and friends are a part of the community. The reason they do what no one else wants to do is because of the love they have for their community. I want the community to be educated on the differences as well as commonalties that exist in Active, Reserve, and National Guard and what they can do to support all branches and the families that live in their community. Read more about Shelia here ! Connect with us on Facebook!