Washington -- Military Spouse Magazine held the 8th Annual Awards Luncheon to crown the 2015 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year at Joint Base Myer- Henderson Hall, May 8, 2015.
Six spouses sat in the crowd, each representing their spouse’s respective service. These women distinguish themselves by going above and beyond their daily duties to make a difference in the lives of people just like them.
After being nominated by their installation, they were then chosen by a Military Spouse of the Year panel as the branch-level top six representatives of what it means to be a military spouse.
“I have such a deep love and respect for not only Marines, but for the families and the obstacles that they endure, and how they rise above them,” said Nicole Spaid, who was named as the 2015 Armed Forces Insurance Marine Corps Spouse of the Year.
During Spaid’s time as a military spouse, she has persevered and overcome obstacles of her own, including battling cancer. However, this has pushed her to help other spouses bloom and better themselves.
“I think when you’re going through cancer you want normal back and you want the Thursday before the Friday that you were told that you had cancer,” said Spaid.
Her objective was helping local military spouses find support groups and organizations that they could benefit from. Spaid guided families to resources available to them and gave them advice on how to search for support groups.
“I think military spouses are important because they’re the backbone of what we do,” said Sgt. Maj. Ronald Green, the 18th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. “They support us in everything we do and they’re the reason why we fight for freedom and our liberty in this country. You don’t have to be in uniform to serve. All you have to do is something positive for someone else.”
Spaid suggests to spouses that in order to prevail amidst their constant struggles, spouses should take pride in their military life, press forward and seek self-improvement for their future by using all of the resources available to them.
“You may not always be a military spouse but when you’re no longer within the military you will be able to be a productive and successful person outside of what we’re doing now,” said Spaid.
The top spouses of each service also competed against each other to be named the overall 2015 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year. Corie Weathers, an Army Chaplains wife from Fort Gordon, Georgia, won the overall award.