Meg Mitchener has been a military spouse for over 10 years. (Meg Mitchener)
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 Spangdahlem Air Base Spouse of the Year winner Meg Mitchener and she told me a little about herself and her platform.
Mitchener has been a military spouse for over 10 years, and her platform focuses on making personal and professional development opportunities and leadership training available for military spouses, especially those stationed overseas.
“I feel like that is my slogan this year: ...meeting people where they are at, but also getting them the resources for where they want to go.”
— 2026 AFI Spangdahlem Air Base Spouse of the Year, Meg Mitchener
When asked what advice she would share with newer military spouses, Mitchener responded: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions....You don’t know what you don’t know.” She also advises newer military spouses to “get rid of the word just.” I think this is advice anyone can benefit from.
For those who may be experiencing an OCONUS base for the first time, she recommends people to “lean into it and embrace it fully.” She continued with, “travel, try the food, attempt the language, make the friends, get out into your community, get out beyond the base...and just immerse yourself in the experience.”
Mitchener’s platform focuses on making personal and professional development opportunities and leadership training available for military spouses, especially those stationed overseas. (Meg Mitchener)
I also asked Mitchener some “fun” questions about military life. With regard to her favorite military-life perk, she (laughingly) stated that her employment with FSS (Force Support Squadron) contractually obligates her to talk about their services. In all honesty, she really believes in what FSS provides for service members and their families, especially overseas: ITT trips, discounted tickets and library services that allow individuals to not only check out books but other useful items as well such as projectors and giant screens for film screenings.
One of the last things she wanted to talk about was the upcoming 70th annual AWAG (Americans Working Around the Globe) seminar in Garmisch, Germany in April 2026. Not only will she be there, but Stars and Stripes will be there as well, so we can definitely recommend you check it out.
Mitchener wanted to talk about was the upcoming 70th annual AWAG (Americans Working Around the Globe) seminar in Garmisch, Germany in April 2026. (Meg Mitchener)
You can learn more about Mitchener’s military spouse journey by watching the above video and checking out her Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year profile.
