I had the pleasure of talking to 2026 AFI USAG Stuttgart Spouse of the Year winner Shay Miller and she told me a little about herself and her platform. (Brian Cann)

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 USAG Stuttgart Spouse of the Year winner Shay Miller and she told me a little about herself and her platform.

Miller has been a military spouse for about 15 years and stationed at Stuttgart for almost four years. She has spent years being involved with her local community (wherever it may be), even serving as mayor of her hometown of Leavenworth, Kansas. However, her nomination for AFI MSOY was inspired by her work creating and promoting an on-base food pantry in Stuttgart.

As someone who married her spouse in the middle of his military career, rather than right at the beginning, she talked about the struggles of coming into the miliary life as someone’s “dependent” after being rather “independent” most of her adult life.

For a lot her time as a military spouse, she has only been in a location for one year before moving onto the next, so she has learned how to jump in immediately when moving somewhere new.

For those who may be experiencing an OCONUS base for the first time, she recommends taking advantage of the travel opportunities.

Miller has spent years being involved with her local community. (Shay Miller)

Before the interview ended, I asked Miller some more “fun” questions about military life. With regards to her favorite military-life perk, she stated that it was the ability to get Girl Scout cookies while being stationed overseas. As a lover of Thin Mints, I don’t disagree. She also really appreciates the comradery that comes with being in the military community.

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