Linsey Rogers

Share your military spouse story:
I am the wife of a United States Marine of 8 years, and mother to 3 wonderful children and 1 on the way. Our story began prior to the military, as we were married with a daughter. The first 9 months of my husband’s career were a whirlwind as I raised our daughter, while he completed all the necessary training. At our 1st duty station I quickly realized how isolating this life can be. I then vowed that I would always do my part and become as involved as possible in the community. Through the trails of the past eight years, I have come to realize just how incredible each person is. We relocated to Hawaii, our second duty station with our son and daughter in late 2018. I began volunteering with the spouse group and quickly created an incredible network of unique people. In December 2019, I sadly learned just how important it is to have a strong foundation within the military community. Our reality quickly turned to a nightmare as we lost our two year old son in a tragic accident. The number of people who came to our aid was truly humbling. It is not something that I would ever want any other parent to endure. Each and every person impacted us more than they could possibly understand. I became a shell of the person I once was, but with the help we received, our family began healing. In 2020 we were given the opportunity to PCS to Missouri. It was a true blessing to be able to grieve close to family. Apon arrival it became very clear that there were many missing resources for the Marine Corps spouses. After getting settled in I sought out a position within the local spouse group and within three months I was voted President, with this new title came additional responsibility. Resources for mental health, food scarcity, EFMP, and overall low morale within the unit were in desperate need of attention. This was my opportunity to use what I had learned in our time of need and give back to the community. After everything I want other spouse to feel the same love and support.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
As President, I lead a board of 5 members and other volunteers. I hold monthly meetings to discuss events, agendas, and funding. I also serve as the Family Readness Command Team Advisor. I attend command briefings, work directly with the URC, and convey the needs of spouses. One of the events I coordinated was the command holiday party in 2022. I, along with the help of volunteers, held the party for over 500 people. We fundraised money for 25 raffle prizes and a door prize for every child. We organized a list and shopped on behalf of the command. I contacted vendors to obtain the best deals, found a volunteer spouse to take family photos with Santa, and decorated the space. I was able to recruit volunteers to help with shopping, cooking, organizing raffles, making personal ornaments, and helping with set up and tear down. We had 43 local businesses provide donations. It was amazing to see how those businesses supported us. We received many compliments and requests for future events.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
While apart of Hawaii's spouse group, I took part in baking cakes for family events, conducted tours of MCBH for inbound spouses, helped aid in the halfway deployment party, grocery runs for new families, weekly coffee dates, and meal trains. At the halfway deployment party, I received a Certificate of Appreciation. Aside from being part of the spouse group, I became a member of the LINKS volunteer team. Becoming more involved in our community became my new passion and truly saved me after losing my son. Once President for the volunteer spouse group in Missouri, I was able to help it grow. Here we have planned and hosted many family events, spouse’s night out, holiday parties, weekly coffee, and park playdates. One of the most special things that we have been able to do is support the students. Around the holidays, we cook and host dinner for any student remaining behind. I am a strong believer that it is not only important to volunteer among the spouses, but also to support everyone.

Describe how you support your community:
We have had multiple families go through life changing events: cancer diagnoses, house fires, the loss of family members, and the birth of children. I have coordinated gift baskets, clothing donations, and childcare. Mental health being the root of many issues, I continue to destroy the stigma around these topics. I have personally promoted mental health resources and been an advocate for therapy. I have planned morale boosting events like trunk or treat, month of the military child events, easter egg hunts, volunteer appreciation events, spouses night out, family fun days, pool parties, holiday parties and more. My goal is for everyone to have the ability to connect. I think it is important to make students and single Marines feel supported as well. I have found that the best way to support people is to be present. Creating welcoming spaces where people can come and chat, teaching others about the resources available in the area, and even giving base tours has helped spouses here.

What do you advocate for? Why?
I advocate for support and connection within the military community. After losing my son I was overwhelmed with the amount of community I felt and the community that was built in the face of a tragedy. My hope moving forward is to instill that same sense of support and belonging everywhere I go. I think it is important to break barriers and dismantle the stereotypes that spouses face throughout their time around the military. This combined with my passion to help others seek support for mental health seem to go hand in hand. Each and every person deserves to feel like they are important in this world.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
I have spread the importance of mental health and isolation to my fellow spouses by providing resources in the area. As we are located in rural Missouri, there are limited resources for spouses and servicemembers alike. I have created a resources page and have worked with the chain of command concerning these issuses. I communicate at meetings with both spouses and command members, at town hall events, and on our private Facebook page where members are encouraged to seek help and obtain answers. I am also keen on providing support to all spouses as they become a part of our community. I make sure to connect with each incoming spouse via social media and offer support in many ways such as unpacking boxes or even providing a welcome basket. I emphasize mental health and self care by offering things like babysitting services free of charge, organizing a monthly spouses night out, along with weekly coffee meet ups. Which allows spouses to get necessary social time with one another.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
I hope to continue spreading my message of connection and support within the military lifestyle. I know firsthand how difficult it is to have times of crisis and trials and tribulations while being thousands of miles away from home. I hope to continue advocating for others so that we can become more than simply that: a military spouse. Each and every one of us is a unique individual that deserves to live our lives fulfilling our biggest dreams. I want to be a resource for those who feel lost in the military world and ensure that no one person is left behind.