Angela White

Share your military spouse story:
I am a proud military spouse, grand daughter of a WW2 era navy vet, daughter in law of a Vietnam vet, and small business owner with giving back to our local homeless vets at the heart of my business. I have been a military spouse for 29 years starting with our honeymoon spent in San Antonio, while my husband was in Army medical training. He proposed before he left for basic and while gone, I planned our entire wedding while looking forward to being an Army wife. I fell in love with my Soldier’s passion to serve and deep devotion to his fellow Soldier as part of the Ceremonial Unit. I would attend funerals and other events with him when I could. Together we grew as a couple and he gained rank and more responsibility. We were apart on many occasions. Extended periods of separation and growth occurred during his primary mil ed, AT and drill weekends, his warrant officer candidate school (WOCS) and ultimately his first deployment in 2009. This was especially challenging as we had three young boys (11-9-6) and a little girl (18 months old). This stretched me as a mom, wife and mil spouse. I am still an introvert but this deployment enabled me to reach out to another military spouse to connect. This was life changing for me and helped me realize the importance of family, friends, and faith. I became more outgoing and injected myself into my husbands national WOCS training, bringing in treats for the staff, collecting mail for students and staff, and helping/organizing with the staff parties to honor all who helped. The 2nd deployment in 2018 was equally as tough on our family, but thanks to technology and experience we were able to “keep the fire burning” as a family collecting items for care packages. This didn’t stop during the deployment as Operation Allies Welcome at Camp Atterbury took all available basic Soldier items, so I created a drive and delivered key items there. I started my own business, Brayve Blanket Co, giving back a percentage to local homeless vets.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
Organizing drives, assisting with religious services and music, as well as sharing information to support my husband, his unit and staff and Soldiers from across the nation for WOCS. I am currently a choir mom at the kid’s High School (I have been for all four of my kids) and volunteer as the security team lead. I have given blankets to several homeless vets in Indianapolis and work with my husband during their civ-mil projects where our entire family helps give back to many different organizations within our state and community. We don’t live in a base in the national guard but I do stay connected with my husband’s staff and co-workers and their families. Continue to stay connected and meet often with my Army wife connection from our first deployment too. I have helped one of my close friends navigate the process of being an Army mom based on my experience as an Army wife throughout her daughter’s enlistment, deployment and service.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
I attend any event I can with my husband as he was the Protocol Officer of the Indiana National Guard Ceremonial Unit, the only recognized sister unit to the Old Guard, whether a military funeral, him singing at an event, a parade, or other ceremony. In addition, working my small business of Brayve Blanket Co. and connecting with many people in our local community and across the nation that want to support our small business and contribute to giving to local homeless veterans.

Describe how you support your community:
I am currently a show choir mom and have been over the past 10 years throughout all my kiddos school career. I volunteer as the choir security team lead too. I am a coach’s wife, and attend games within our community where he coaches and also the games the kids play in. I have volunteered over the years to assist in the kids school serving as a teachers assistant / aide.

What do you advocate for? Why?
I advocate for my family to be actively patriotic and do so by serving. None of them are currently in the military but have and still participate in helping with Brayve Blanket Co. volunteering and helping on many Civ-mil projects, and attending functions that my husband is involved with in a show of support for him. I advocate for freedom, freedom to worship, live and grow as individuals and families. I also advocate for our military and their families in general. I am always encouraging others to support the troops and their families in any way possible. Even if it’s just by small acts of thanking a soldier or veteran, or paying for a meal discreetly. I try to make sure they are seen, appreciated and not alone.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
Through social media posts and donations to local organizations. I also believe I have done a good job of socializing what we believe as a family in my circles of influence and involvement and on social media. There is no question how I (and my family) feel about veterans, homeless veterans, those serving (to include our local EMS and law enforcement agencies). I continue to support my husband in his service to community in the National Guard and as a lay Coach in our school system. I try to support him and by doing so show my support and patriotism, most of the time without words but in simple acts of standing and singing along with the Anthem, wearing my red, white and blue, and just overall conducting myself as an officers wife should whether in community or at any military function.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
I really would like to step even further out of my comfort zone and just do more for our veterans. There’s so much that can be done and I am not a person that likes to be out in the spotlight, but if being recognized as the MSOY allows me the opportunity to do more I would be honored as well as excited to fill that role. Also, my husband nominated me because he says I am always in his shadow and the world needs to know and see the hard work, sacrifice, and time I put in. This would truly be humbling and a huge honor to be selected and I am thankful for my husband nominating me for this award. I am beyond blessed to be a mama of four awesome patriotic military kiddos and an Army wife to a handsome Soldier, who could ask for anything more.