Brandi Jones

Share your military spouse story:
I have been married for 15 years to my Mustang Marine. I believe this has giving me a unique outlook, and helped shape my ideas of how to be there for others. Seven years ago I walked away from something that I valued immensely, my education, and I didn’t look back. I’ve helped raise our children and have never left my husband’s side. I’ve devoted every waking hour to this Marine Corps way of life, my family, & my community which isn’t for the faint of heart! I'm excited to have graduated last Spring earning my B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Minor in Creative Writing from Liberty University. I also earned my Graduate Certificate from Cornell in Diversity and Inclusion. Six months ago my family & I were living in Arizona, 3 years before that Northern Virginia, and the year before that Orange County, California and now Monterey California! This is what being a military family is like. My greatest blessings are our children who are ages 12 & 14. They have attended three schools in three different states in a three year window and still maintained straight A’s, & joyful hearts! When it’s time to move as a family we view it as an adventure, a way to serve others & be a part of the local community.

Describe any leadership positions or provide an overview of your leadership contributions within the military community.
During my first PCS as a marine spouse our orders were changed in route & when we arrived at our duty station the new unit my husband was assigned to was already deployed to Iraq. He was given less than a month to help us find a home & unpack before he had to follow the unit there. After he deployed to Iraq our children and I had no friends or family for 1,000 miles. I didn’t know about the family readiness program and had no contact with the unit other than a newsletter that was published quarterly. I felt isolated, but slowly started to make friends. During the next few months I found the family readiness team & joined. I met other spouses and started a playgroup. Within a year I was contracted by the government & my playgroup I created became a preschool.I started my own business to help other military children & families.

What programs or projects are you currently involved in that support the needs of military families?
I have been recognized as “A Hero at Home”, as well as a recipient of the “Opening Doors Award“ from the Girl Scouts for serving an underserved community, military girls. I created the preschool playgroup, “Mommies Like Us,” to bring military spouses with toddles together for socialization & learning. I’m a member of The Spouses of Monterey Bay Club, as well as a contributing writer for Monterey Bay Parent Magazine.

What moments best reflect your impact on building inclusive community among military spouses?
My family & I were stationed in a community that had little military awareness. A place that many military children & families were stationed yet, the local school the military children attended, had no acknowledgement of them. A year went on this way, it made me sad. I joined the PTA & created a Veterans Day program, A Week of Military Child Appreciation & the 1st ever all military Girl Scout Troop in Orange County California. I’ve been an advocate for diversity & inclusion ever since! So proud to say these programs I created are still active! So glad to see the community needed a way to show their support, so thankful I could be that bridge. I’m a Transitional Kindergarten teacher and I love it! I have several military children & families in my class. I feature these amazing families in the article I write titled, “Military Mom,” that is featured in our local community magazine Monterey Bay Parent.

Identify your main advocacy effort and describe your personal connection to the cause.
If I were accepted as Military Spouse of the Year, I would use my platform to advocate for military children & families through diversity & inclusion programs. I would use the model of the successful programs I’ve created in the past to showcase our lifestyle to all communities. I would advocate the inclusion of military children and families to be implemented in schools across the nation. I believe in my heart the more our military children & families are included in their local communities, the more successful the experience would be for them at school. I would continue to be that bridge in advocating for military families to be included & understood in their local communities at all stages of military life.

Summarize your advocacy outreach strategies, including any events, media involvement, or other communication efforts.
In The Monterey Bay Parent Magazine I write a monthly articled titled “Military Mom,” in which I showcase military families, & share their stories with the local community.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
If I’m selected AFI Military Spouse of the Year I hope to be an advocate for the inclusion or military children and families in their community across the nation. I will use my experience and programs I created to serve as tools in accomplishing a diverse and inclusive environment for our children and families everywhere military service members are stationed.