Honor A Military Spouse WIth Contest Nod

Posted Nov 25, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated Nov 25, 2011 at 10:22 AM

Time and time again, I hear a similar refrain from those sent to the frontlines.

Deployment is often toughest on those left behind.

Here’s a chance to recognize spouses who are here at home, holding it all together.

Military Spouse magazine announces open nominations for the 2012 Military Spouse of the Year award sponsored by Armed Forces Insurance. Now in its fifth year, the award honors military spouses from all branches of service and all ranks. The awards ceremony has grown in scope to include the Legislative Impact Award and Gabby Giffords’ Award for Courage and Bravery.

According to the magazine:

In keeping with the White House’s Joining Forces initiative, Military Spouse magazine is encouraging both the military community as well as all Americans to consider nominating their friends, relatives, neighbors or colleagues for this prestigious honor.

“This year, civilians have an unprecedented awareness of the sacrifices of over 1.1 million military spouses. They’ve seen extensive coverage of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the War on Terror. With the White House drawing national attention toward military families through the Joining Forces campaign and celebrities like Oprah Winfrey discussing the importance of recognizing military families, we are expecting a large number of Americans to seize the chance to nominate a deserving military spouse,” says Babette Maxwell, a Navy spouse and founder of the magazine and award.

The award recognizes military spouses’ important contributions and unwavering commitment to the military community. A nominee must be the spouse of a current member of the U.S. Armed Forces. Criteria used for selecting the recipient include impact on community change, volunteer efforts, personal sacrifice, professional pursuits and specific efforts to support the military community. Nominees can also submit an issue that is impacting the military community and a recommendation for how they would like to influence change in this area.

Nominations can be submitted to the magazine’s website through December 14. A winner from each of the five military branches will be chosen through an online vote in January. The overall 2012 MSOY winner will be selected from the five service winners in subsequent online vote in February. The 2012 MSOY will be honored at the fifth annual awards luncheon on May 10, 2012 in Washington, D.C.