Congratulations to our 2020 AWN Empowerment Gallery Recipients! If you or someone you know would like to join the ranks of these elite empowerment champions, nominate an individual for Everyday Empowerment or a charitable organization for AWN Empowers. 

January Recipients:

Band of Bloggers MRE: Jessica Hall 

Jessica Hall has been an Army spouse since 2004, when she said “I do” to her beloved infantryman-turned-pilot husband, Tim. She has two children, Owen and Olivia, and a black Labrador named Bailey. Jessica resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she has converted from a warm-weather beach lover, to now cherish the mountains and cooler weather (although the deal in the Hall family is that she gets to travel back to the east coast at least once a year to dip her toes in the ocean).

Jessica is not only an Army spouse, but also a full-time mama to two amazing children, part-time homeschool mom, and part-time Pediatric Occupational Therapist. She also enjoys serving at her church, where she leads a small group for military spouses called Wives of Warriors. She loves dark chocolate, crafting, running, and exploring Colorado with her family. She is grateful for the adventures that the Army has provided and hopes to encourage other military spouses on their journeys as well.

Command Team MRE: Caroline Schafer 

When Caroline was asked about receiving this recognition, here’s how she responded:

“I have been a Command Team member with AWN’s podcast for two years now. From the very beginning, the owners saw potential in me that I didn’t even see. They believed in me, far greater than I believed in myself. Winning the MRE award means so much to me because I am thrilled to be a part of an organization that is so deeply interested in the needs of the military spouse and military family journey. There is such a desire to impart an attitude of hope, resilience, perseverance, and strength throughout the community. AWN has not only empowered me to believe in myself, but reminded me that courage, which can be hidden in times of struggle, is already within me. Sometimes, we need the support of others to act on that courage and because of that support, our community is one of the bravest I know. Pain doesn’t mean you’re not strong, courageous, or brave; pain is just a reminder that those three character strengths are a part of who you are.”

February Recipients:

Command Team Member MRE: Marryn Chaney, Special Projects Coordinator

Marryn tied the knot to her best friend and most beloved Infantryman, William, at the end of 2019. Following the wedding, this east coast native made the trek to their current duty station in Fort Bliss, Texas, where she assumed the title of Army spouse and jumped right in to all it has to offer. Marryn has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from West Chester University and plans to pursue a career in the legal field. She is an alumna of Delta Phi Epsilon sorority, where her love for leadership and service ignited her involvement in community outreach, philanthropic causes, and chapter leadership. Marryn enjoys working out, traveling, a good brunch, quality time with friends and family, enneagrams (she is a type 1), and a fulfilling day of organizing. She can often be found with a coffee in hand and listening to her favorite podcast, Crime Junkie. Marryn is excited to serve as the Special Projects Coordinator for AWN and hopes to empower fellow military spouses throughout their military tenure. She can be found on Instagram at @mm_chaney.

Band of Bloggers MRE: Katharina  Ingle

Katharina met her husband in 2001, while he was stationed in Germany. After, experiencing the first tastes of military life while dating (for example, 9/11, school in the US, and a few field problems), they got married in November 2002 in Germany. After their first deployment as a married couple, they received their first orders to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After recovering from a culture shock, Katharina started her college journey. Five years, two children, one dog, and another deployment later, she enthusiastically graduated from Liberty University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration/international business.

Katharina has volunteered with Shared Hope International as well as EP CARES in bringing awareness to the community about minor domestic sex trafficking. Additionally, Katharina volunteered with the Army Community Service’s Financial Readiness Program. In her free time, Katharina loves to explore the outdoors and travel. She loves reading books and playing board games with her family.

March Recipients:

Empowerment Platoon Member: Stormy Nichole Shields

Stormy has been very active on AWN social media pages, and we wanted to take a moment to recognize her. Stormy writes: “We are currently located at Fort Hood; my husband is enlisted in the Army. I am often on different pages and posts trying to offer support and advice in any way I can. Most of the time, I’m drawing on my own personal experiences, and sometimes I use the experiences of the people close to me. I believe that spouses should be a pillar for those who are thinking about or have recently tied themselves to a service member.”

Everyday Empowerment: Chandee Lee Ulch

Chandee has been married to her husband for almost 20 years. He has served in the Navy and will be retiring from the Army in two years. Between military service, he serves as a police officer and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) worker, which is where they met. Chandee also  served as an EMS and for almost 10 years in North Carolina. She walked away from EMS and worked in a hospital for a while, and then when he went active duty and deployed, she stayed home with her children. At the time, they had a premature baby at home who needed someone to be with him. (That is a long story for another time.)

Band of Bloggers MRE: Anna Larson

Anna grew up in the beautiful, idyllic Pacific Northwest, wearing socks with sandals, recycling when it wasn’t a “thing,” and having no idea how to pump her own gas.

In 2006, she agreed to marry her soldier with the promise that he’d travel the world with her. Two children (Bella, 11, and Jax, 7) and one fur baby (Rocco) later, he didn’t disappoint. Their nomadic family of five has spent the past 16 years visiting as many countries as they can.

In her free time, Anna writes, dabbles in art and photography, and homeschools her two seriously cool kids. She just made the big decision to quit 16 years of corporate marketing and program management to strike out on her own. NomadAbout offers copywriting, web design, and social media strategies for small businesses. You can find her on social media by looking for @iamnomadabout.

April Recipients:

AWN Empowers: Kimberly Basco- InDependent

When Kimberly became an Army spouse in 2001, and then a mom in 2004, she exchanged an office with a view for a life of adventure. Currently, Kimberly is the Operations Director of InDependent, a non-profit whose mission is to make wellness accessible to all military spouses. She is also the managing editor of Legacy Magazine, a print publication celebrating military families and the communities that support them. Additionally, Kimberly is an experienced registered yoga teacher and a lifelong vegetarian who can often be found traveling off the beaten path with her husband, daughter, and miniature poodle.

Command Team Member MRE: Anika Matheidas, Podcast Production Assistant

Anika has been a milspouse since January 2019 and has been married to her husband, David, for two years. College Station, Texas, is her hometown, and she has been stationed in Fort Bliss since November 2019. Anika holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University and a Master’s in Social Work from USC online. She believes the most exciting part of being a military spouse is meeting so many new people. Although Anika and David do not have any children, she recently became a dog mom to two adorable puppies. Anika believes that she owes all her blessings to God and is at peace knowing that He is watching out for us.

Band of Bloggers MRE: Newell Dickerman

Newell received an undergraduate degree from Kansas State University and currently resides in Overland Park, Kansas. She has been married to her soldier since 2018, and he deployed a month after they were married. Although he is home now, the deployment gave her a new perspective about military life, and she is on a mission to connect those that feel disconnected within the military community. Newell and her husband enjoy swing dancing, playing music together, nights out on the town in Kansas City, traveling, and attending arts performances, which just happens to be how they met.

Everyday Empowerment: Malissa Borden

May Recipients:

AWN Empowers: Hire Heroes USA

Hire Heroes USA has helped more than 40,000 veterans, service members, and their spouses achieve financial security, as well as their professional goals. They do this one client at a time because Hire Heroes USA focuses on one problem: employment. While the unemployment rate for veterans has decreased over the last several years, unfortunately many veterans and service members face underemployment and other employment issues when they transition to civilian life. Hire Heroes USA’s true impact is in the individualized care and attention they provide their clients.

Command Team Member MRE: Angie Andrews, Content Editor Assistant

Angie considers herself lucky and blessed to be an Army spouse. Angie’s husband began his military career in 2008, and they were married in 2013. They met in Florida, which is great because she loves the beach. She also loves writing, a good laugh, a good friend, and a good book. Angie has some serious favorite things like food (macaroni and cheese) and music (Tom Petty), and she loves to work out on the elliptical machine. With a degree in elementary education from the University of Central Florida, she had the honor of teaching for seven years before PCSing. Angie is thrilled to be a part of the AWN community.

Band of Bloggers MRE: Annie Pierce

Annie was born and raised outside of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and met her husband in Alexandria, Virginia, more than 10 years ago. She is also a first-time mom and has experienced some adventurous moves as a military spouse. Annie has a passion for event planning. In fact, she used to own her own event planning business, where she served in multiple roles for large events and has managed multiple events for an economic development organization. Annie holds a Master’s of Science in Integrated Marketing Communication from Northwest University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Integrated Marketing Communication from Ithaca College.

Empowerment Platoon Member: Sheila Talent Boone

Sheila started following AWN back when it was called the Loving a Soldier blog. She loves reading the cute memes on Instagram and visiting the website for articles. Sheila has been a milspouse for more than 20 years and served in the SFRG for five. She currently works in banking and has been a Mary Kay consultant for 20 years. She has also worked in health care and has made jewelry. Sheila’s favorite job, however, was staying home with her children for five years.

One of the things she has learned as a military spouse and as a military brat is to bloom where you are planted. She has had that affirmation hanging on her mirror everywhere she has lived (and she has moved a lot). Another thing she has learned is to be flexible and always have a Plan B, which Sheila says “2020 has definitely put that to the test.”

Everyday Empowerment: Emily Pugh

The person who nominated Emily says “She is one of the most giving and encouraging people that you will ever meet. Emily constantly reminds me that I could always get through my husband’s deployment. Emily’s words are so powerful, and she is the perfect example of a military spouse. She’s a blessing to so many people and is always kind and ready to help whenever she hears about a need. Emily is a genuine person and yet she is very humble.”

June Recipients:

Command Team Member MRE: Amber Peterson, Social Media Assistant

Amber is originally from Colony, Kansas, and currently resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Prior to moving to OK, Amber, her husband, and their daughter were stationed in South Korea. This allowed Amber the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom, and during that time, she graduated from college, started the Camp Humphreys Mom Meetup, and hosted the Camp Humphreys spouses social. Amber also has a home-based business that she started. After realizing there weren’t many gluten-free options at Camp Humphreys, Camp Humphreys Gluten Free Treats was born and has been up and running ever since.

Band of Bloggers MRE: Scot Shumski

Originally from Vermont with his family going back seven generations, Scot currently resides in the Bavarian region of Germany with his wife and three children. In the 15 years with his wife, he has lived in Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Fort Lewis, Washington; and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Scot loves to travel and has visited all 50 states. He has visited 20 countries so far and is planning on visiting all 27 EU member nations. Scot’s life goal is to visit every single nation one day.

Empowerment Platoon Member: Brittany Martin

Brittany married her sweetheart in October 2019. The couple met in college, and although they endured a long-distance relationship, they stuck it out for three years. Their relationship would go through two years of long-distance dating and a nine-month deployment. However, Brittany was able to finish her degree in cinematic art and technologies with an emphasis in radio and broadcasting. She even landed her dream job at her hometown radio station! During that time, she sent loving care packages to her sweetheart, all while dreaming up the perfect wedding. Following the wedding, the couple moved across the country from California to Georgia, where they are currently stationed. With PCS orders already in hand, the couple is ready to set off on their next adventure.

Everyday Empowerment: Shamberly Coleman

Shamberly exemplifies empowerment as a military spouse and mother. She puts her husband’s needs first but is also passionate about encouraging others in health and hope. She inspires us to be more empowered military spouses and always face challenges with an attitude of courage, honesty, and problem-solving. Shamberly is one of those gals who isn’t going after recognition of her own (even though she certainly deserves it). Her quiet leadership, genuine spirit, and kindhearted approach to life always leaves people and places better off than when she arrived. Shamberly is a multitalented and courageous milspouse.

August Recipients:

Command Team Member MRE: Sarah Peachey, Content Editor

Sarah is a journalist from southern Pennsylvania currently living in the Midwest. She lives with her husband of more than 11 years, three children, one very spoiled Dachshund, and a cat who leaves a dusting of white fur on just about everything.

She began a career in journalism with The Fort Polk Guardian, an Army installation newspaper, winning three state awards for her work. Her work has appeared on MilSpouseFest, The Homefront United Network, Military.com, SpouseBUZZ, and Army News Service. 

When not writing for military spouse support sites, she is currently working on her second novel while also volunteering as AWN’s Content Editor. When she can carve the time into her schedule, she writes about parenting, travel, books, and politics on her website, Keep It Peachey. You can find her on Instagram @keepitpeachey. With all of her incredible talents, Sarah has truly been an asset to Army Wife Network.

Band of Bloggers MRE: Sara Jane Arnett

Sara Jane is a seasoned Army spouse of 13 years, mother of four boys, and considers supporting fellow military families as one of her greatest joys. She serves in various leadership roles through military and civilian organizations and currently serves as Great Lakes Recruiting Battalion’s SFRG Senior Advisor and is an Army Family Team Building and Four Lenses Self Discovery Instructor. Sara Jane actively collaborates with SFRG leaders, volunteers, battalion staff, and company commanders throughout the state of Michigan, ensuring all families are taken care of and remain valued. To read her empowering blogs, please visit the blog section of our website.

Empowerment Platoon Member: Amanda Krieger

Amanda shares that she met her husband Tom while he was in the enlistment process. She was sure that her cerebral palsy and the mobility issues that come with it would make military life too difficult for her, but when she realized that she loved Tom, Amanda knew that she would do whatever it took to make military life work for her. 

Amanda has adapted to life as an Army cook’s spouse and stay-at-home mom. In order to take care of her family, Amanda has dabbled in direct sales and found creative ways to get errands done (she loves Amazon, Instacart, and Audible). She loves to serve others, so she recently started a YouTube channel, where she talks about her life as a disabled military spouse to let others know that they can do it, too.  She is now very excited to make the transition from fan to blogger for Army Wife Network!

Everyday Empowerment: Evelyn Roberts

Evelyn spent her childhood as an Army brat, growing up near Fort Bragg.  She is an Army wife of seven years. As a real estate broker in three states, every PCS has meant starting over in a new community with no network.  So, Evelyn created a space where milspouses who felt similar PCS difficulties could connect on social media. Her page has helped hundreds of milspouses in the Fort Carson community network and promote each other’s personal and professional ambitions through frequent meet-ups, coffee dates, and a variety of other group activities. She loves to help other military families find their forever homes and also provides coaching in long term real estate investment strategies as families transition from one duty station to the next. She is a former ambassador in the Fayetteville and Colorado Springs Chambers of Commerce and is an expert in helping milspouses connect with their local community when they are new to the area. In her spare time, she enjoys reading books and spending time with her husband, fur baby (George), and doing DIY projects at home.

September Recipients:

AWN Empowers: Military Spouse Advocacy Network

Military Spouse Advocacy Network was nominated by several spouses who wanted to recognize the amazing services the organization provides, such as mentorship, resources, community, and a safe place where they feel their voice is heard. The mission of the organization is “to create stronger military families through education, empowerment, and support.”

MSAN states that “focus is the key to developing strong military spouses, [and it] depends on the ability to link spouses to the information and support they need to adjust to a military lifestyle.” While benefits and resources are available, there is still a lack of experience and inability to access an installation prior to arrival at the first duty station that stifles spouses’ ability to learn. This illustrates the need for a system of mentors to bridge the gap between new military spouses and information. The New Military Spouse Support Program serves as a resource for spouses to gain knowledge and thrive on their new journey. Without a doubt, many spouses recommend that anyone new to milspouse life should reach out on Day 1.

Command Team Member MRE: Amanda Bicknese, Empowerment Agent

Amanda officially became a military spouse in 2014. She is a mom to her 2-year-old daughter, Mikayla, and to two fur babies—a dog named Daisy and a cat named Cadet. Amanda is from Florida, where she and her husband, Michael, met in high school and began dating during their freshmen year of college. She holds a Bachelor’s in English Literature from the University of Central Florida and a Master’s in Teaching Elementary Education from North Carolina State University. Amanda has a passion for teaching and is currently a part-time online ESL teacher, as well as a full-time third grade teacher at a Project-Based Learning school in Colorado.

In her spare time, Amanda enjoys reading, hiking, traveling, practicing yoga and barre, watching movies, trying out new restaurants, and exploring new places and activities around her. She finds daily inspiration through a favorite quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Amanda is very happy to be a part of such an amazing and supportive community and hopes she can provide encouragement and empowerment anywhere she goes.

Band of Bloggers MRE: Anna Larson

Anna is a 14-year military spouse, homeschool mom of two amazing kids, fur baby owner, and entrepreneur. She started her own business after nearly 20 years in marketing and program management. NomadAbout helps businesses with copywriting, social media management, and marketing strategies. She contributes monthly to a number of publications, hosts a weekly podcast and livestream business show called 15ish Minute Coffee Chat, sits on the board as the Director of Operations for a non-profit that offers support to cancer patients, and co-leads the Fort Hood chapter of the Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs. In her spare time, she likes to travel the world with her family. You can find Anna on social media @iamnomadabout or visit her website.

Empowerment Platoon Member: Lisa Gheno-Cuevas

Lisa is an engaged supporter of AWN, but that has been her standard for many years as a milspouse. She has served in a variety of capacities, including ACS community mayor in the Presidio of San Francisco, Fort Campbell, West Point, and Fort Benning. She became the program manager at West Point, Fort Lewis, Fort Benning, and Hunter Army Air Field, and she provided training on active-duty installations for the Army Reserve and National Guard.

Everyday Empowerment: Melinda Kriefels

The person who nominated Melinda shares that “Melinda is one of the strongest women I know. When she sets a goal, she works hard to reach it. She pours her whole self into supporting her husband and raising her kids. She puts so much into homeschooling and being an amazing mom to them. She is purposeful in her day-to-day life. Melinda manages her home with intentionality and dedication. Through her example, I have learned to be more intentional about how I spend my time and to prioritize the most important things in life: God, family, and friends. 

Melinda is the person who always keeps it real. She encourages me every day to do better and be better, to work toward my goals and not give up—even on those days when you just want to quit. I know that when I am feeling down or discouraged, I can go to her, and she will help lift me up. When I am excited, she will celebrate with me. When life is hard, she will be there and she will listen. She accepts me as I am, while always encouraging me to strive for my personal best. She loves the Lord and reminds me to look to Him. She is my best friend. She has helped me become a better parent, by not only being an amazing example, but by being a sounding board, helping me to regularly navigate these difficult waters of raising children and living this Army life.”

October Recipients

AWN Empowers: Military Special Operations Family Collaborative

Military Special Operations Family Collaborative (also known as MSOF) is a public health initiative for the special operations community. They connect with families and collaborate to get all special operations families the resources they need, when they need them, to better enable families to live well and thrive from qualification and beyond.

MSOF was nominated for its ability to recognize the unique and often unknown struggles of the special operations community. They focus on connecting special operations families through efforts that strengthen the whole family. Currently, they are rolling out a health and fitness program and beginning a project that focuses on healthy family dinners.

MSOF was founded to uniquely support the special operations forces family. MSOF enables families to achieve and sustain their maximum potential.

Command Team Member MRE: Chrissy Gibbs, Content Curator

Chrissy joined the military spouse life in 2010 when she married her favorite tanker. She knew that life would be more adventurous and sometimes more difficult, but it would always be worth it. She had previously received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Niagara University in Special Education and spent a few years teaching, but once she began having children, she chose to put those talents to work in her own home. Chrissy is a mother to four energetic boys and one husky pup, and the whole family is currently choosing to live small (to live big) in an RV, with plenty of traveling adventures. Outside of the normal Army moves (Fort Knox, Fort Benning, Fort Bliss, and soon, Fort Leavenworth), Chrissy and her family have visited 41 states, Canada, and Mexico during their road travels and hope to add some different countries to the list.

Band of Bloggers MRE: Amanda Krieger

Amanda shares that she met her husband Tom while he was in the enlistment process. She was sure that her cerebral palsy and the mobility issues that come with it would make military life too difficult for her, but when she realized that she loved Tom, Amanda knew that she would do whatever it took to make military life work for her. 

Amanda has adapted to life as an Army cook’s spouse and stay-at-home parent. In order to take care of her family, Amanda has dabbled in direct sales and found creative ways to get errands done (she loves Amazon, Instacart, and Audible). She loves to serve others, so she recently started a YouTube channel, where she talks about her life as a disabled military spouse to let others know that they can do it, too.  She is now very excited to make the transition from fan to blogger for Army Wife Network!

Empowerment Platoon Member: Angel Chubarov

Angel writes, “It’s definitely been a real experience for me with being a military spouse. It’s been about a 15-year road with a lot of learning. At first, I didn’t see the need to be involved, due to my husband being enlisted personnel with the National Guard, but that all changed when my husband was deployed, and I didn’t see much from the SFRG for me. I wanted to help other families in similar situations and make it better for them. During a training that my husband’s unit did in the Republic of Georgia, I specifically was able to do just that. While we are the silent support system for our service members, I always do my best to build up the family. We are not unseen, but we can be in the civilian perspective. It’s a tough position to be in, and sometimes the little reminder that we are doing a great job with it goes a long way. It’s truly been a passion and a calling on my heart for more than 10 years.” 

Everyday Empowerment: Katie Hefti

Katie met her husband in 2008. He had already been in the Army for a couple of years, and she was teaching at a small school in Ohio. They were married within seven months, and he left for his first deployment about seven months after that. She didn’t know the first thing about Army life and had a lot of learning to do. Katie shares that she had the most amazing mentors and friends throughout the early years of her husband’s career. They showed her how to handle the adventure and stress with grace and a positive outlook. Now, 12 years later, she can’t quite imagine a life outside of military life. She has met some of the most outstanding people that she is blessed to call her dear friends, her tribe. It’s amazing how much more they all have taught her about what it means to be a strong, supportive, and resilient person. She only hopes she is able to reach other military spouses in the same way.

November Recipients

Command Team Member MRE: Sarah Robichaud, Virtual Administrator

Sarah is a Maryland native who married her husband, Andrew, in 2012. Since then, she has had the opportunity to live at Fort Benning, Georgia (twice); Vilseck, Germany; Fort Bliss, Texas; and now lives in southern Virginia where her husband teaches ROTC. Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Salisbury University and a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Counseling from Liberty University.

The  majority of Sarah’s time is spent rocking the stay-at-home-mom life with her two amazing children, Emily (5) and Logan (2). She also has two small dogs and an out-of-control vegetable garden. During her free time, you can probably find Sarah out for a jog or playing at the beach.

Band of Bloggers MRE: Dakota Bazzell

Dakota is fairly new to the military way of life. She joined the Army Reserves three years ago, and it’s been one of the best learning experiences she’s had so far. She grew up in a small town in Central Illinois. Since then she’s lived in Texas and most recently moved to Fairbanks, Alaska. Currently, she’s enrolled at the University of Fairbanks and works full-time at an Assisted Living home. When she isn’t studying or working, you can find her cooking up something new in the kitchen, working out, or spending as much time as possible outdoors.

Everyday Empowerment: Catherine Wee

The person who nominated Catherine was her very own husband, Chris. He states: “I am currently re-classing into another MOS. During this past year we have PCSed 3 times! PCSing once every two to three years is stressful enough, but to PCS 3 times in ONE year is ridiculously stressful. Despite the loneliness and stress of being thousands of miles away from home, my wife is the best supporter. Even though she does not have a large community of support here, she wakes up to support me even when she is tired, lonely, and stressed. She is both a soldier and nurse who does drill every single month AND recently worked at a VA hospital taking care of elderly veterans who have fought in wars like Vietnam, Korea, Desert Storm and more! While working there, she was not only serving as a health care worker, but also as someone who listens and encourages others. She may not think so, but she is a hero. Catherine is not just a military spouse, nurse, or wife, but she is a pioneer, an adventurer, and a leader. Even through the tough times, she still empowers me to conquer the day and motivates me to be a better version of myself. She has empowered me to be who I am today and who we are as a couple.”