New Post has been published on Military Spouse
New Post has been published on http://militaryspouse.com/msoy/top-18-base-spouses-of-the-year-2016/
★Top 18 Base Spouses of the Year★
Congratulations! Below are the Top 18 Base Level Spouses of the Year who will be moving on to the Branch Level voting process. Voting takes place this Thursday, February 4th!
View All Candidates Here
Army
Shannon Simpson
Fort Irwin
One thing that I would like to accomplish with the MSOY title is to expand the reach of my advocacy for military families who face inequalities for reasons such as, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. I truly believe a large reason for discrimination stems from lack of education/knowledge of minority populations. Part of my advocacy would entail educating others at a national level about these inequalities and how they can be corrected. The traditional stereotype of a military family has changed and now includes individuals of all different races, religions, and sexual orientations. We as a military community need to recognize this change and celebrate our differences by embracing one another. Read more about Shannon here!
Janine Boldrin
Pentagon
Military kids are a huge focus for me, particularly access to mental and medical health care, and educational opportunities. Specifically, I want to put more of a spotlight on the kids who are falling through the gaps by identifying the groups that are struggling to find support, highlighting the processes that are failing them, and advocating for changes that will support the kids who need it most!
(* I know I am supposed to say only one thing but military spouse entrepreneurship is also very important to me. I want to work on getting some huge speed bumps out of the way for military spouses who own their own businesses and/or live on post. Problems surrounding this have been brought to me, as a military spouse business owner/speaker on entrepreneurship, and I strongly believe it is the right time to get a lot of these issues solved.) Read more about Janine here!
Dave Etter
USAG Kaiserlautern
First and foremost, my passion is to help people. After nine and a half years in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force and five years as military spouse, I have learned so much and I love to share that information with others. Whether I am talking to a new service member, family member or civilian, there’s always an opportunity for me to share my knowledge to help them have a more fulfilling military experience.
I have been honored to serve as a Spouse Master Resiliency Trainer, Army Family Team Building Instructor, Army Family Action Plan delegate, Family Readiness volunteer, Ramstein Enlisted Spouses Association member and a Boy Scouts of America (BSA) District Leader. In my passion for serving others I have volunteered more than 1,200 hours with the military and with more than 7,000 hours in the past 20 years with the BSA.
As the MSOY of 2016 I would continue to encourage building our family resources to focus on stronger families. In addition, I would promote mentorship from our male spouses for our young people and new incoming spouses. Male spouses who have been involved are making a positive impactful benefit at our military installations. We are an untapped resource and can bring a well-rounded military experience for the family as a whole. Read more about Dave here!
Air Force
Taurus James
Wright Patterson AFB
I want to help make people aware of the growing diversity of military spouses, including the growing number of male military spouses. I also want to help male military spouses connect with the people and information they need. I am humbled and grateful for the MSOY Base title and I will use it to serve as a voice and face for military spouses. With the overall MSOY title, I would continue to help military spouses and their families any way that I can to show them that they are not alone in this journey. Read more about Taurus here!
Michelle Aikman
Fairchild AFB
Two issues…
1. Communication and Community. Our world is so fast-paced and plugged-in that we have information screaming at us 1,000 mph. You would think that we would have the information we need as spouses, but we don’t. There are too many outlets and we are overloaded. The messages are not being received and it is contributing to a disengaged community. We need streamlined communications and a renewed commitment to community building.
2. Careers! Fulfilling careers! I am a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) proponent. There is a lot of activity around military spouse employment but there is a lot of ground left to cover. I would use this platform to advance the conversation past “let’s get military spouses employed” to “let’s get military spouses in positions that align with their career interests.” We are highly educated, we should be putting that to work in careers that are fulfilling and enhance our quality of life.
At the end of the day, the military and our nation will benefit from improvements in these arenas because an improved quality of life and satisfaction for the spouse means higher retention rates for service members. Read more about Michelle here!
Ashley Shulski
Los Angeles AFB
My name is Ashley Shulski and I am blessed to be an Air Force spouse and an Air Force mother. It is a great honor to be named a 2016 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year for the Los Angeles Air Force Base.
The ability to see the world from a very unique perspective is the best aspect of being a Military Spouse. Military families may not be able to travel like rock stars and go on a world tour, but with a little ingenuity being stationed in England can turn into a 17 country European expedition. You can “hop” around the Pacific. You can drive coast to coast staying on military bases along the route. Or, you can visit one of the many military resorts around the world. You never know when the Department of Defense will fund your next adventure, but it can be taken full advantage of!
What I would do as Military Spouse 2015 is to continue growing my voice of educating military spouses and military spouse caregivers on domestic violence, mental health, and how to connect them with resources. I also want to better grow and build my network of partnerships so that Healing Household 6 can continue to grow as well. Read more about Ashley here!
Coast Guard
Jennifer Mullen
USCG District 1
I would work to bring access points of information to Coast Guard families and communicate ways to assist with bringing our Coastie Kids together to help them through missions, deployments and consistent changes.
Our children are astoundingly resilient, but helping them understand at their level what is happening would lift the load off the Spouse. Even as simple as worksheets or gathering with other dependents their age, can relieve the daily stress while the other parent is away! There are not many books or resources specific to the Coast Guard, and having children’s books to understand what is in front of them (with their parent’s boats and uniform in tow) would be one extra tool or three for the Spouse! Read more about Jennifer here!
Rebecca Brinkley
USCG District 17
My immediate, tangible goal, would be to develop a program that raises money for restaurant gift cards for families that are PCS’ing. It is so expensive to transfer, especially across the country (even though most costs are covered by the government), the food alone can put people into debt. If you have four kids and are taking a week to get to the next unit 4,000 miles away, the per diem isn’t going to cover food costs (at least not well-balanced and healthy meals). I hope to team up with major chain restaurants (not gas stations or places where you can buy things other than food), and start a campaign that lets people donate for gift cards. When families are getting ready to PCS, they can apply for these gift cards and hopefully have some assistance on their journey. It would be a great way for business and the military to show support for healthy eating habits and financial assistance during a very stressful time in a military family’s life.
In addition . . .
I want spouses to know that we make a bigger difference than they might believe. I am not referring to the difference they make at home or in their jobs but that they are changing the world. They are the truest of patriots because they not only support those defending our country but they keep the home front working. As MSOY I would hope to help military families fight for higher wages, more consistent career paths, mental health assistance and increase spousal direct contribution to units. It is important that we all feel needed and part of the big picture. I want to share with other spouses how to define their roles in their husbands or wife’s career or how to contribute to help their spouses career. Our country is amazing and it’s because of people like our military spouses. I want to listen and help those who need it any way I can.
Erica Parra
USCG District 5
I want to see the military child “Buddy” program I launched at my son’s school adopted at all military connected schools. This program requires NO startup costs and only ONE volunteer to run it. The benefits of this program are impressive. With a military child “buddy” program student transition needs are met by: providing friendly peer contact, creating a positive environment for military families and encouraging 100% acceptance. New students are not the only ones that benefit. New parents often attribute the program for helping them make early and lasting connections to the community. Additionally, students acting as a “buddy” improve their confidence and communication skills, they get to see first hand the effects of community service and feel the satisfaction of helping others. Both children get to make a new friend that understands what being a military child is all about. Long term, the program plants the seed that bullying and social exclusion are wrong. As we all have seen, horrible things can happen if we do not plant 100% acceptance seeds early! Establishing a culture of inclusion and respect that welcomes all students is the best way to prevent bullying in the school environment.
I have written a detailed 6 step program guide to help others start a “buddy” program in their school. If I was awarded the MSOY title I would use the title to broaden my reach and market this program nationwide. https://www.facebook.com/militarychildbuddyprogram/
Even if I do not win MSOY I am still working hard to get the buddy program guide information to military families. MOAA’s “Making it in the MilLife” blog will be publishing an article I wrote on the program in Feburary. I will be working with Blue Star Families, Ft Belvoir school liaisons and the Coast Guard “From the Homefront” blog writer to advocate for this program. I have already had a few people ask for the information after they saw my viedo on this site, so MSOY is already working!
Navy
Michelle Mance
NAS Whidbey I am currently a military spouse attorney working at a small law firm in Anacortes, Washington. My husband of 10 years (6 while in the military) is active duty Navy. In the past year, my husband returned home from his second deployment, I graduated law school with honors, we PCS’d to Whidbey Island from San Diego three days after graduation, I took and passed the Washington State Bar exam, I started my first lawyer job and I rounded off the year by running my first marathon (the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington DC). I am the mom to the most amazing 8 year old boy and am loving living among the trees up here in the Pacific Northwest enjoying the most family time we’ve gotten in a long time!
I would want to help other military spouses to grow and thrive in whatever season of life they may be in at this moment. Military spouses are some of the most incredible, spunky, hard-working, devoted, and amazing people and it would be an honor to represent them as the MSOY!
Linsday Bradford
NS Newport
Companies tend to underestimate the contribution military spouses can make, no matter how short a time they may have in a given area. I want to change this opinion of businesses who only see the “moving date” when they meet a military spouse. Military spouses deserve the opportunity to showcase the amazing talents that they can provide a company. I guarantee if a spouse were given the opportunity with the right job, they would be one of, if not the, most passionate and hardest working employees in their workplace, never giving less than 100%. I understand the limitations our transient lifestyle place on us, but in this day and age there are many jobs that could be executed via remote access, teleconferencing, or video conferencing. I would love to establish or work for an advocacy group that educates companies about the superior talents spouses encompass and promotes the creation of this type of job opportunity. Doing so could allow a greater number of military spouses to have a career, while still meeting their familial obligations, and at the same time provide a more diverse and robust workforce to local and national businesses.
M. Gabriela Failing
Naval Hospital Beaufort I would love to develop a pilot program to provide targeted transition assistance to spouses and military children. As military families, we have a variety of resources available to us. However, these are highly structured and specific so lots of families find it cumbersome to navigate. I envision something a bit more person-driven. Ideally, a strong volunteer program that focuses on short-term resources to assist in identifying the standard things we need when moving, like housing and school information, but also provides individualized assistance with long-term goals. My view is that when spouses and children have strong ties to their communities, they find it easier to manage changes and unpredictable life events. Many spouses feel their careers and goals must come secondary and, as a result of this, many pause their own aspirations I would love changing that myth. We can have it all; not all at the same time, but we can certainly be parents, supportive spouses, and professionals. Careful planning and focused decision-making is key, and I would love to guide others to see and live this.
Marine Corps
Heather Smith
Camp Lejeune One thing I want to accomplish with the MSOY title is bringing about a bigger sense of community and togetherness among the military family community. I would hope to develop a stronger sense of importance with participating in the family events held on base. I would love to be able to help spouses become more aware of all that is available to them in their communities and at their installations. Many times I encounter a spouse that says “Wow I didn’t know we had that here!” and it comes down to an issue of spreading the word so that spouses and families know what is available. I would also really love to develop a network of local volunteers that would like to help me provide safe and free transportation for our military service members and veterans in need. A lot of our Marines and Sailors are on very tight budgets, especially our young Marines just getting started in their first enlistment, and sometimes the cost of a taxi cab to the airport after they have already had to purchase expensive plane tickets can make or break a budget. I have had so many Marines thank me for giving them transportation that they felt safe in. It can be very overwhelming in a new area and with many recent tragic events on our own American soil, service members are having to remain extra vigilant at all times when off base installations. I feel proud to help them in their travel and be able to provide that sense of familiarity to them. There are a few areas that have established organized volunteer and scheduled ride services and it’s my goal to help establish that in the Camp Lejeune area.
Natasha Harth
Marine Barracks Washington
When I was nominated for the 2015 MSOY, to say I was intimidated would be an understatement. I looked at the profiles of the past MSOYs and my fellow nominees… these ladies (and a few awesome gentlemen) owned their own businesses, founded organizations, had amazing talents, advanced degrees, and seemed to have unlocked super-star status. I had instant self-doubt, thinking I could never be among the ranks of these elite. Yet, there I was – so it was time to put that good for nothing negativity out of my head and starting doing what I wanted to do – change lives one kind deed at a time.
Being the MSOY on a base level gave me the opportunity to meet people and make amazing connections here in the DC area. I have been inspired by other MSOYs and supported by the people I meet to further my goal in helping others. I am now in the process of founding my own 501(c)3 charity, securing corporate and personal sponsors, and taking off like wildfire – with very little money and fame to back me. Just a huge heart and some hard work, that’s all it took to get started.
My vision is, if I can represent the military community as the MSOY 2016, I can be an inspiration to all the other spouses out there that aspire to make a difference but don’t think they can. The smallest acts of kindness can landslide into a movement. I am living proof that any ordinary person can be extraordinary. One voice can sound loud enough to make an impact, and it doesn’t have to be the voice of someone in charge. Anyone can take charge by never giving up and following their passion. If I am voted MSOY 2016, my goal will be to help the incoming spouses and help those who feel small, to give them a voice. Those who feel small will grow into large, powerful forces. Those who are new will have seeds planted into them that will grow to change the community. Any ordinary person can do the extraordinary.
Danesha Aikens
MCLB Albany I would like to continue to support military spouses. I don’t have a support group or organization all I have is me, me being there for a spouse one day at a time and helping them with whatever the current situation at hand. I love being able to inform spouses about what services are available to them from Tricare, MCCS, Military One Source, EFMP, FMEAP and the list goes on but being able to guide them and tell them about the programs, means a lot.
National Guard
Jennifer De La Cruz
Texas National Guard
My name is Jennifer and I am not only a National Guard spouse, I am also an Air Force “brat.” I graduated high school from Wheatland Union HS, off of Beale AFB, in 2002. However, I was born and raised in Texas and was eager to come back home. I want to finalize my college readiness program and start my National Guard spouse scholarship program in order to help more National Guard families become financially secure.
Jenifer Burris
Alaska National Guard I would want to highlight the debilitating effect PTSD and substance abuse has on our military members and families and how we can all help. I am working with this specific population in my position with the Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital. Our military members are hurting and they are screaming for help. It is our responsiblity to give them the help they are in need of. It is amazing to have degrees to help with specific coping mechanisms and treatment modality, but there are other ways to help. Some of my most treasured moments from my job at the hospital are when the patients tell me how (even though I am not their “official” therapist) I have been a big factor in their recovery. There are times we are simply having conversations about what is troubling them and they just want someone to listen and talk with them. I want to be that person they tell their family “She really made a difference in our lives.” With the MSOY title, I would hope to bring more awareness to the agencies and people who are devoting their lives to making the lives of struggling military members better.
Cara Loken
Nebraska National Guard
The one thing I would like to accomplish with the MSOY title is the ability to reach a wider audience about the onset of Post Traumatic Stress symptoms and other mental health issues sometimes well after deployments and combat. I think even the military programs, such as Yellow Ribbon don’t go far enough in supporting our warriors. I’d like to chance to be a more visible advocate for our service members, their families, friends and community. I would like to have a program like Battle Buddy, in the state of Nebraska to help veterans who struggle from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Battle Buddy is a program that trains service dogs for veterans that suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and it is free to the veteran.