Christy Williams

Share your military spouse story:
As a small-town girl from a river town in Indiana, I never dreamed of traveling the world and marrying a soldier. In fact, growing up we called our small-town Farmers Fair “The World's Fair” because everyone we knew went to it. When I met my husband, he was already in the military going through ROTC at a local college, and when we married three years later and moved to our first duty station, I had no idea how my life would change. During our first duty station 9-11 happened and I was pregnant. It turned my world upside down and this small-town girl had to figure out how to adult on my own while pregnant and my husband on his first deployment during a war. Getting involved with my community, forming bonds with other spouses in the same situation and finding my village got me through that deployment, the next five deployments, eight PCS moves and a year apart for a Geo bachelor assignment. The army life became my story I never would have written but the best surprise I never knew I would love so much.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
I started taking on leadership roles 23 years ago within my husband's unit Soldier and Family Readiness Groups. Initially being in a leadership position was outside of my comfort zone; however, the importance of serving soldiers and families outweighed the vulnerability I had to overcome to lead. My leadership style was simple, be myself, down to earth, genuine and always be welcoming. I also enjoy getting involved with non-profits and Spouses’ clubs through which I have had success finding like-minded friends who thrive on giving back to the community. Through Fort Wood Community Spouses’ Club, I chaired our annual craft fair for two years raising money to give back to our community in scholarships and grants. In addition, I was asked to bring Operation Deploy Your Dress to Fort Leonard Wood. After 3 years, a lot of patience, and a redirection of bringing it on under our ASYMCA it became a reality in August of 2023. Since then, we have opened our doors with 1000 dresses.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
Community is important and finding your village at each duty station is necessary for survival in this military life. Being involved, making friends and feeling like you are a part of your community helps to make each transition easier. I have led Soldier and Family Readiness Groups, been on a Care Team for emergency response assistance, volunteered at the USO, Operation Homefront, Toys for Tots, American Red Cross, Blue Star Families and Giving Tuesday Military. My time at FLW started off a little different as COVID put a damper on our ability to be social and do some of the normal things. This made it difficult for spouses to get out and find their village so when restrictions let up I saw an opportunity to help bring back one of our social groups called Keepers of the Castle which is a social group for Engineer spouses. I took on the Presidency and grew our member group quickly through offering a variety of social opportunities.

Describe how you support your community:
It’s amazing how people and organizations overlap while working together on projects and events. It’s about raising your hand and helping one another. I’ve volunteered with Blue Star Families of Missouri, directed by my friend Tai, on community events involving passing out food, holiday parties, and welcoming events. Through another longtime friend, Brittany, I’ve become an ambassador for Giving Tuesday Military for the last few years working on ways we can impact our area with kindness acts and even attending an Inspire Up Foundation event to learn how to bridge the gap between our military and civilian communities. During my involvement with my community, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting several of our community leaders. Networking is the key to building a strong community inside and outside our gates. Without these relationships and collaborations, I would not have been able to bring Operation Deploy Your Dress Shop to our area.

What do you advocate for? Why?
I advocate for Volunteerism, Community Involvement and Inclusion. Getting involved and finding your village is the most important step to success at every move. This may look different at every installation and for every person. Your village can be found at work, the gym, church, sport or volunteering. It is the foundation that will ground you where you are and provide a support system. As I have found you never know when that one amazing friend you make will come around again at another location. It is also about inclusion and that responsibility falls on both the newcomer and those already established in the community. Your village should be expandable as well. We tend to get in our comfort zone with our village once we find it, but it's important to remember to extend that same invitation to a new friend. Be that connection between friends whether its introducing someone new to your friend group or connecting someone moving with a friend already stationed there.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
I believe in leading by example and making the best out of every duty station. The first step is to lead. By taking leadership positions where I can make a difference by providing opportunities for others, I can also seek out individuals who may need the opportunity for community involvement. I also like to seek out the newcomers in situations and introduce myself. Being involved and a good resource I am able to provide newcomers with various community opportunities. Making the best out of every duty station means giving each place a chance and learning from those who are there and have made it a positive experience.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
If I were selected as AFI Military Spouse of the Year I would like to propose and create community welcoming groups for spouses coming to new installations and for their dependent children starting a new school. The purpose would be welcoming and helping each individual find their place, their passion, and their village. Social anxiety is a real issue that is not addressed enough within communities. Our military kids moving from school to school have to face the social anxiety issues of being the new kid. I would like to help this issue by promoting welcoming clubs at schools during lunchtime where kids can get together in smaller groups and work on projects together. The biggest stressor for a new kid or someone with social anxiety is walking into a crowded lunchroom and trying to figure out where they will sit. I think it's important to find ways to make high school a positive experience for our youth as this is one of the most formative times contributing to who they will become.