Shelby Myers

Share your military spouse story:
I met my husband in the fall of 2016. He always wanted to join the military but was afraid that talking about it when we were dating would “scare me off”. Within a year, I was preparing for a wedding, finishing college, and starting my first job. Then life threw me a curveball - I had a health scare. I had to undergo surgery to remove my thyroid. A few days later, my doctors told me that I had thyroid cancer. We were dealing with doctors and “what if’s” at a time when we should have been excited and overjoyed with our future. After a Thanksgiving filled with radiation and related restrictions, we began our life plan. I saw how unhappy my husband was in school; he finally shared his dream of joining the Air Force. We had been so busy with my health that it took a little bit of time to see what our path was really supposed to be. One day while out to lunch, I drove him to our local recruiter and told him I would support his dream 100%. Before we knew it, he was off to BMT and, in a blink of an eye, our family was driving 735 miles from Georgia to Delaware to settle in at our first duty station. Though I had always thought of myself as an extrovert, I found that being in a new place and not knowing anyone turned me into an introvert. I was trying to navigate a new place, a new home, and a new life style all at once. I knew I had to change my way of living before I was no longer happy. Determined to change, I set about starting a new adventure as a family in a new state, and I quickly started immersing myself in Dover to get involved and meet people. I wanted to build a foundation of friends that would turn into an extended family for our family. I joined the Key Spouse Program right as our squadron leadership was restarting the program after years of COVID shutdown and have enjoyed helping it grow to something that is far beyond what we expected when we started. We have spent only two years in this military life, but it has been the best experience.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
For the past year and a half, I have served as a Key Spouse for our squadron (the 436th OSS), which consists of over 230 Active Duty and civilian members and their families. Along with my fellow Key Spouses, I have helped with planning and executing multiple events for our squadron as well as for the 436th Operations Group of which our squadron is a part (along with two other squadrons). I have written and published our squadron newsletters, created flyers for events and information, and have been an advocate for our community by always lending a helping hand or a listening ear when needed.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
Since 2004, I have been involved with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. My contributions started from lemonade stands raising $100 to $200 to helping host golf tournaments, raising between $70,000 and $100,000. Since moving to Dover AFB, I have volunteered as a Key Spouse. I have helped arrange spouses’ coffee every Friday as well as Foodie Fridays each month. I put together a candle-making event with a local company. I also put together a fundraiser for our Key Spouse program at a local paint shop, our most profitable fundraiser to date. I attended multiple base-related events ranging from those held by our USO, to multiple events on base. I was coined by Col Husemann, the 436th Wing Commander, at a Heart Link event in June of 2022. I have served as an advocate for our housing community, by serving on an advice board for the Wing and Hunt Housing Community. I also write our squadron newsletter. This past year I was able to produce and distribute over thirty newsletters to our squadron.

Describe how you support your community:
I supported multiple families within our squadron, and outside of our squadron, by cooking meals for those who have had surgeries or babies this past year. I have collected moving supplies to help multiple families move into their new homes. Moreover, I have housesat for a family who had to leave with an emergency, provided fellow spouses with childcare while their spouses were deployed, and am always available for those who have questions or need advice. Finally, when I can’t answer a question myself, I enjoy reaching out to leadership or other resources until I find the right answer for the family or individual in need.

What do you advocate for? Why?
I advocate for those who support our military. I support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, who have raised over $500 million to support our nation’s greatest heroes. With that money, Tunnel to Towers has paid off over 600 mortgages; and they have built smart homes for veterans and first responders needing specialized homes to enable independent living. I have partnered with the following companies to promote their work in support of military families: Operation in Touch, Blue Star Families, Crew Dogs, Milspouse Matters, Bravo Sierra, and Milsobox. I have partnered with three military authors to promote their books that help military spouses and children navigate through military life: Jen McDonald (You are not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse Devotional); Ryan & Kim Pease (It’s Time to Say Goodbye); and Becca Johnsey (When We Are Apart). I also work as a Millie Scout, a group which aims to help military families with any needs from moving, PCSing, and more.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
I use the power of social media to reach people. I constantly share posts and stories on Instagram. These posts range from sharing what companies are promoting to, how a company or product can benefit your life and support the military community. I also share our own military life and how we overcome obstacles that the military life throws at us. I encourage other military spouses by commenting on their posts with encouraging words and sometimes funny stories. I enjoy showcasing small businesses, as I prefer to shop small. I am an advocate for Spouse-ly, a platform where military families can sell the items, they create for others to have in their homes and use or gift to others. I use my posts and stories to spread information regarding our military families with rises in BAH, Tricare information, more local Dover AFB related information, and outsourcing other programs that can benefit any need that may arise.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
The community that I can now call family has been there for me in more ways than I can count. I seek to love the people who once reached a hand out when I have needed support; with childcare, food, or even just a day out. Saying thank you is not enough; I want to do all I can to give back to the community who built me up. When I first arrived, I never would have imagined the impact I would have made on my community, the relationships I would create, and it was all because of my military family. This family is not just local, thanks to my platform I have created relationships with those all over the globe. This is what I want to give back to others - a friendship that no matter where you are stationed, you have someone as your advocate, mentor, and so much more. This is what I hope to accomplish.