Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year logo (Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year )
“I don’t want military families to just feel like they are just ‘surviving’ that duty station. I want them to feel like they can thrive and be the best they can.””
— Margaret Stolzoff
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 2025.
This year in Europe, six military spouses won at the base level for USAG Rheinland-Pfalz, USAG Wiesbaden, NSA Naples, USAG Italy, NAVSTA Rota and Ramstein Air Base. I had the pleasure of talking to USAG Rheinland-Pfalz winner, Margaret Stolzoff, and she told me a little about herself and her platform.
Along with working with the American Red Cross and Wounded Warrior Project, Stolzoff also serves as the current face of Kaiserslautern Day Tripper (KDT). KDT is a brand and popular local Facebook page created by Oliver and Susan Davis that provides easy-to-understand travel tips, restaurant and hotel recommendations and everyday life advice for those in the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC). The Davises inspired Margaret in what she referred to as “a dark period” in her life to take over their brand. Stolzoff knows how difficult it can be to acclimate to life overseas and that sometimes even a trip to the local grocery store can be “intimidating.” She wants to help people get over their insecurities the same way the Davises helped her.
Stolzoff wants to use her new network with AFI MSOY to help grow Kaiserslautern Day Tripper into a global resource known as “Base Bound: A platform that inspires military families and newcomers to explore, connect, and thrive in their local base communities by discovering hidden gems, creating a sense of belonging, and encouraging new adventures.” Base Bound’s mission is for military families across the world to “connect, explore, and thrive wherever you’re stationed.”
“If we could have KDT at every base that would be fantastic…It is such a unique way of engaging with a community.” Margaret Stolzoff
Before letting her go, I asked Stolzoff some fun questions about her favorite military base and free military family perks. Her favorite base has been living in the KMC area. When asked about her favorite military-related perks she stated that they were the “VAT Forms” here in Germany, the discounted Disney tickets and the bus travel tours offered by MWR.
Read Stolzoff’s full profile on the AFI MSOY website.
Watch the accompanying video to learn more about Stolzoff’s platform.
