I had the pleasure of talking to 2026 AFI Ramstein Air Base Spouse of the Year winner Nelcy Avila and she told me a little about herself and her platform. (Nelcy Avila)

Since 2008, Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) has honored military spouses from each military branch all across the globe 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 Ramstein Air Base Spouse of the Year winner Nelcy Avila and she told me a little about herself and her platform.

Avila has been a military spouse for three years and has been stationed at Ramstein Air Base since August 2024. She volunteers with the Military Spouse Advocacy Network as the education advocate, informing the military spouse community about education and scholarship opportunities.

As a graduate of Wiesbaden High School herself, she was initially nervous about navigating the world of finding money for college, especially for military families. Her mother inspired her to find as many forms of scholarships as possible, and she learned on her “senior night” that she was the senior to receive the most scholarships from the community. She now shares her strategies, research and knowledge with others. She is also using her own advice; she is currently using external funding to pursue her doctorate in organizational leadership.

These are the words of wisdom Avila had to share with newer military spouses. She continued with, “you are a Subject Level Expert in whatever it is you are passionate in.” She also recommends finding community in your new community: making connections to cheer you on during the good times and get you through the difficult times.

Nelcy works with education and employment advocacy. (Nelcy Avila)

For those who may be experiencing an OCONUS base for the first time, Avila recommends “network aggressively.” This branches off of her earlier discussion on making connections.

Before we parted ways, I asked Avila some more “fun” questions about military life. With regard to her favorite military-life perk, she stated that it is RTT Travel. The organization is her go-to when she wants to find a weekend trip that aligns with her budget and schedule. She also appreciates the ability to have easy access to on-base faith communities while living overseas.

You can learn more about Avila’s military spouse journey by watching the above video and checking out her Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year profile.