Chelsey Thomas

Share your military spouse story:
I will always remember dropping my husband off for his second deployment. We had a new baby, we just finished PCSing and we were deep into the 2020 shutdowns. Being a first time mom, alone in a new area with little support available, I felt unnoticed and stuck for the next 10 years of my husband's contract with little hope for change. This was not how I wanted our life to feel. We wanted to thrive in our relationships, with our financial goals and in both of our careers. Like many lonely spouses I spent a lot of time scrolling on social media. One day I learned that Thrive Market gives free memberships to military families. I tried it and loved it. I decided from there that anytime I hear of a resources for military families, I was going to try it and share it with at least one friend. This was a turning point for us. We learned about the magic of rewards travel and the many military travel benefits and got to go visit my husband in Germany during his deployment. We've now enjoyed over $50,000 in free travel and benefits and visited 8 countries as a family. This has made the largest impact on our family being able to spend quality time together during reintegration and visit family without compromising out financial goals. Now I share those benefits and discounts so every Military family can enjoy their travel benefits.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
In our squadrons I've often used my experience as an event planner to help fundraise and create memorable unit activities that unite and support members and their families.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
I am most directly involved in volunteering within our unit to provide activities and meals to those in need. This year I've also started volunteering with several military organizations like united thru reading and veteran pen pal project.

Describe how you support your community:
Most of my work is performed virtually and in a one on one setting. I've helped plan trips to visit deployed spouses, take a vacation pre training and travel for family events. I work with military families to connect them to resources that align with their financial preferences and goals.

What do you advocate for? Why?
I advocate fiercely that there are resources out there for your goals. The tricky part is finding the resources. So I share a wide range of resources to help others feel supported and encouraged.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
My message is spread mostly thru social media and my website. I have done several in person events and often work with military families one on one to help them with their personal travel goals.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
My goal is to share hope within the military community that you can live the lifestyle you want while in the military. You don't have to wait to accomplish your goals. There are resources and community support that will help you bridge the gap between what you want and where you currently are in life.