Last year was huge, in every sense of the word, when it comes to women, especially military spouses, taking a stand and making a difference. There are so many ways to make your voice heard loud and clear in 2019. All it takes is that first big, slightly scary step.
Luckily, there are tons of brave and groundbreaking examples to follow within our own ranks. Take a page from these military spouses when it comes to activism and creating major positive changes!
Make Your Voice Heard Loud and Clear in 2019
No matter which brave and vocal changemaker you choose to emulate, remember to pick a position that fits your own moral compass and personal values. Then, act boldly.
Megan Harless – Viral PCS Petition
You might have seen this hugely viral, emotional and thoughtful post over the last year. Megan’s plea to the top brass about our insane PCS processes has popped up again and again.
Megan, an Army veteran and military spouse who also runs the Military Spouse Chronicles community, shared her family’s repeat expensive moves and posted a petition to Change.org. Over 100,000 people have signed so far.
Megan shared a compelling, personal, and heartbreaking tale of treasured items damaged beyond use and the unhelpful PCS claims process that added salt to her wounds. Her story clearly resonated with the military community.
Brian Alvarado – Employment & LGBTQ+ Changemaker
2018 marked a big year for equality on the Military Spouse of the Year stage. Brian is the very first LGBTQ+ spouse to be selected as a winner at the branch level. He represented the very best of the Navy military spouse community.
In addition to becoming one of the faces of same-sex military spouses, Brian also works tirelessly for military spouse employment opportunities through Hiring Our Heroes. In fact, his work with HOH was what garnered him his initial nomination!
Brian also had the opportunity to appear on Ellen. During their segment, Brian championed military spouse employment and equality for all members of the military community.
Sarah Morgan – #PIF4PJM
You might have been handed a small card recently with #PIF4PJM and a picture of a young Marine in his official portrait. Cpl. Paul J. Miller, KIA July 9, 2010 while in Afghanistan, is being honored with a new campaign of random acts of kindness.
Cpl. Miller’s widow, Sarah, started the pay it forward movement to honor her late husband and share kindness with others.
You can request a free set of PIF4PJM cards through the Facebook page. When you complete your act of kindness, leave a card behind.
Some community members leave their PIF4PJM cards wrapped inside an extra large tip. Others ask the barista or server to hand the card to the guest, along with sharing the news that their order has been paid for already.
Alexa Miller – Stroller Strong Moms
After her third PCS move, Alexa knew that she wanted to create change with functional fitness programs for busy moms. So she built her business, Stroller Strong Moms, based around stroller-friendly workouts that moms can do with their kids.
Alexa’s business has spread across the world, with affiliate groups in many major cities and military hub locations. In each group, the members for a tightknit community and support system. Women have felt more supported and taken the step to seek help for mental health concerns related to postpartum depression or grief counseling after losing a child.
Plus, Alexa is creating great employment opportunities for military spouses that can move with them, no matter where the military sends them!
Jacqueline Goodrich – The General’s Kids
After her husband’s combat injury in 2012, Jacqueline was driven to create change for military kids feeling the impact of battle wounds. To help share her mission, she created The General’s Kids.
Jacqueline is all about making sure that Wounded Warrior Kids feel loved and supported as their parent recovers. Through sponsorships and pen-pal programs, military families facing the unknown will receive comforting messages and gifts to see them through their tough time.
Ashley Broadway-Mack – AMPA President
Ashley knows something about the shadows of the military spouse community. She spent 14 years living under Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) before same-sex marriage was recognized by the military.
Now, as President as the American Military Partner Association, Ashley works daily for equality for same-sex military spouses. AMPA provides the largest support network for LGBTQ+ troops, military spouses and veterans. They are a major force advocating for gender and marriage equality within the DoD and across America.
Find something that drives you, that you’re passionate about. Then, get out there and start spreading your message!
Homefront Rising – Bipartisan Political Training
Military spouses handle so many aspects of truly complicated lives with grace and incredible success. Why not leverage that into running for political office? Handling the rigors of political leadership doesn’t have much on running a cross-country PCS while your spouse is deployed and you’ve got kids running around.
Homefront Rising trains military spouses to run for office, at any level and with any party. They are looking for candidates who want to change the political conversation in America and give military families a seat a the table.
How will you make your voice heard in 2019? What will you be championing?
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Meg Flanagan
Meg is a military spouse, teacher, writer, and mom of two MilKids. She is an education blog and coaching/advocacy service focused on military families. Meg's mission is to help families understand and navigate the K-12 world. She provides timely posts, timeless advice, and personal assistance to families with school-aged children. You can find Meg online at megflanagan.com and @MegFlanaganEducation
Meg is a military spouse, teacher, writer, and mom of two MilKids. She is an education blog and coaching/advocacy service focused on military families. Meg's mission is to help families understand and navigate the K-12 world. She provides timely posts, timeless advice, and personal assistance to families with school-aged children.
You can find Meg online at megflanagan.com and @MegFlanaganEducation