Amanda Afoa

Share your military spouse story:
I am Mandi Afoa, and I am originally from Wisconsin. Our current location is Fort Johnson, Louisiana. My husband and I met in college and have been married for almost ten years. We’ve experienced three deployments, many schools, successes, failures, ups, and downs. We have four entertaining children, ranging from eight to newborn. I will graduate with my Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy in May 2024. I hope that post-graduation, I can continue to weave my personal and military spouse experience with my academic knowledge to continue to serve each community we are a part of. I hope to continue to support other military spouses through the struggles they might face by utilizing friendship, laughter, hope, and motivation. I hope that through everything I do as a military spouse, mother, friend, and professional, I can authentically share my journey so that others do not feel alone and can find just as creative ways to survive their current chapter of life and thrive in it!

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
While my husband served in the Ranger Battalion as a medical officer, I dedicated my time volunteering as an FRG leader. This allowed me to engage within the community and help foster friendships and support systems. When we moved to San Antonio, TX, and my husband took command of the training troop, I continued serving as an FRG leader. Although the training unit was a little different than an operational unit based on the families’ needs, we still found importance in community building and fostering support systems through troop events. Also, during our time in San Antonio, I opened and managed a Stroller Strong Moms fitness group to help military spouses and various members throughout the community come together to continue supporting each other in different stages of life.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
I have found myself in a leadership position at each duty station. I was an FRG treasurer at our first duty station in North Carolina. I was an FRG leader during our two years stationed in Georgia, serving alongside different commanders. While stationed at Fort Sam Houston, I was an FRG leader and owner/operator of a military spouse mom workout group (Stroller Strong Moms – San Antonio.) When we moved to Fort Johnson, my husband, cousin, and I renovated a trailer into a coffee shop for the base (Koffee Kat.) My goal was to provide a non-toxic work environment for military spouses to spend time and bring home a paycheck. All along, I continued to work toward completing my master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy; I took an internship opportunity on the behavioral health floor on base (BJACH.) When I am not at the coffee shop or the hospital, you can find me at the kindergarten school on base as their positive behavioral intervention support coordinator.

Describe how you support your community:
No matter the location we are sent to, I will continue to show up for our community, whether attending a workout, a Bible study, or sitting with a stranger at the hospital. I wanted to add value to our location when we arrived at Fort Johnson. I did not know what that meant at first, but I kept encountering young spouses who were lonely and looking for jobs, and I realized there was an opportunity for me to create a place where these spouses could show up and build community. So, with the support of my husband, I decided to start a business, and we pivoted our RV remodel project from camper to coffee truck. Now, Koffee Kat has two locations on Fort Johnson, one mobile and one inside the headquarters building, and over the last two years, we have employed a total of 15 military spouses.

What do you advocate for? Why?
I advocate for mental health within the military community and support without stigma. As a young military spouse, I often prioritized trying to fit in over being my authentic self, which was detrimental to my mental health and my family. I created Koffee Kat, in part, intending to offer a space on Fort Johnson where spouses could unite to support each other and work through mental health struggles together. I want to continue to create an environment where being yourself is encouraged and well-received. I want to be the change that mental health is not scary; it is part of life. In addition, I want to be a safe place for someone to ask for resources and/or help.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
There has been immense healing by opening up about mental health and not judging one another for hardships. This was our baseline purpose for Koffee Kat; it built the strength for other employees to seek help when needed. Within the first year, we supported two staff members seeking mental health during crisis, which resulted in them being admitted to the hospital. The support the staff brought to each other during these times was incredible to witness. I will continue striving to be a safe place for military community members to come to when they need direction or help.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
If I win the AFI Military Spouse of the Year title, I would like to begin normalizing open conversations about mental health within the military spouse community. I want to set an example that no one is exempt from pain and create an environment where we stand beside each other as we walk through trials, not in front or behind.