I had the pleasure of talking to 2026 AFI USAG Bavaria Spouse of the Year winner Colleen La Plante and she told me a little about herself and her platform. (Colleen La Plante)
Since 2008, Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) has honored military spouses from each military branch all over the world with the Military Spouse of the Year (MSOY) award. The award recognizes military spouse contributions that help the military community. Nominees compete at the base and branch levels for the ultimate honor of being named the Military Spouse of the Year.
The overall winner this year will be selected in May 2026. In 2026, eight military spouses in Europe won at the base level for USAG Rheinland-Pfalz, USAG Wiesbaden, NSA Naples, USAG Stuttgart, USAG Bavaria, RAF Mildenhall, Ramstein Air Base and Spangdahlem Air Base.
I had the pleasure of talking to 2026 AFI USAG Bavaria Spouse of the Year winner Colleen La Plante and she told me a little about herself and her platform.
La Plante’s platform focuses on military spouse wellness and creating connections. (Colleen La Plante)
La Plante has been a military spouse for almost 11 years. She has lived in the Hohenfels base area for less than a year and refers to the area as a “hidden gem” because of the beautiful rural areas and quick access to the bigger cities of Germany.
Her platform focuses on military spouse wellness and creating connections. She works with the non-profit InDependent. She was inspired to advocate for these things when she began taking leadership positions in SFRGs and other military-related organizations and noticed a lot of burnout among the spouses.
When asked what advice she would like to share with newer military spouses, she responded, “be brave.”
“The rewards are so great, and the opportunities are endless if you are brave enough to seize them and just push beyond the comfort of what you’ve always known.”
— 2026 AFI USAG Bavaria Spouse of the Year winner, Colleen La Plante
For those who may be experiencing an OCONUS base for the first time, La Plante recommends planning trips. For those specifically PCSing to Germany, she also advises people to “embrace the slow down” of German culture that focuses on fewer fast-food options and relaxing Sundays when many stores and places are closed.
Before we parted ways, I asked La Plante some more “fun” questions about military life. With regard to her favorite military-life perk, she stated that since having kids, her favorite perk has become the library. She gave a shout-out to the Hohenfels Library and their programs.
You can learn more about La Plante’s military spouse journey by checking out her Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year profile.
