Jerad Knight

Share your military spouse story:
Never one to be content with the Stereotype of the Military Spouse, I have always put my full energy into embracing the life we live. I am a former service member, turned Military Spouse, turned advocate for our community. I met my husband many years ago in Washington D.C., I was nearing the end of my service and he was still fresh in his career. We used to joke that he would convert me to milspouse and then one day I proposed to him on New years eve in crowded a Bonefish Grill. I learned just how different it is to go from Service member to spouse of the service member. I learned to roll with the "Dependa" jokes and how to thrive not just survive in this new role of PCS, separations, deployment phases, and the Navy way of sea shore rotation. We have traveled the world and really made a great life. I have had the pleasure of meeting so many other spouses and really making strong bonds within our diverse and amazing community. Last year I was honored to become the 2023 Buckley Space Force Base Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year! And the amazing opportunities that came with that helped me grow not just as an advocate but as a person.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
Because I am so grateful to be part of a community of MilSpouses who do so much, and add so much value to our community, I use my time and attention to promote the needs facing our families. From housing, food insecurity, mental health, deployments, PCS resources and more. I started my journey in advocacy with the FRG, that led to becoming the FRG Leader, then to FRG President. This pushed me into making my employer more military friendly and helping them become a top military spouse employer at all locations. I then moved into the role of Command Ombudsman for the next 2 commands we had the honor of being with. This is how I found PCSGrades addressing housing needs and short falls. That led to Ohana Homefront Foundation and the opportunity to be the Active Advocacy Director, that led to working on the board. So many new opportunities have really thrilled me. This past year as a member of the MSOY community has helped me open more doors and spread the love we all have have.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
The goal of my platform and energy is to boost the morale of both service members and their spouses/families. Being active in our command and base Facebook group making posts about mental health and community events posts, joining the spouse's clubs and being active with them as well. Working with local and base offices and companies on providing resources to our service members and their families in all commands on Buckley not just the Navy to help maintain connections. One of my favorite things I am involved with is helping with our bases First Friday events to build bonds and connections across all commands on the base. I am privileged in the fact that my work and my personal goals make balance for doing what I love professionally and for the community at large. This last year I also became a Military Life Advisor for my apartment community. Being a military spouse and my passion truly touches all aspects of my life and I LOVE IT! I treat each day as a new chance to work for it!

Describe how you support your community:
In my community I organize and chair my employer's yearly support of the Toys for Tots campaigns, and develop new ways they can reach out to the military community nationwide, I have also gotten my employer to also become active in hosting events and drives for our local military community and becoming more seen in our military family community. I support community organizations that help our LGBTQ+ youth, service members and spouses. I belong to online social groups dedicated to that community . I also do the same with groups for Male spouses. I have had the pleasure of serving as a command Ombudsman and active member of a few Family Readiness Groups (FRGs). Going from servicemember to spouse has given me a depth of understanding and has equipped me with a vast toolbox of skills that has formed not just my personal but, also my professional abilities. Learning to adapt to a new role and a role that is always fluid is becoming the best opportunity I have been fortunate to undertake.

What do you advocate for? Why?
Mental health and emotional care. The service and support you give to yourself is just as important as the care and service you give others. Often as a Military Spouse we run on empty cups of coffee and energy drinks. We also often have to watch the home front, raise kids, care for pets, run households while our service members are deployed away from home. In the hustle of all the benefits the military provides it also gives us challenges to our mental health. Its not just one fix all solution. There's ample areas that make up the building blocks of our mental emotional spectrum. I advocate for the whole person concept of support and care. You can't pour from empty cups and we have to fill those cups by addressing each block of the person and our challenges. Housing, financial, food shortages, deployments, family changes, all of it. It's ok to not be ok but, after you allow yourself to make that decision to ask for help you gotta have the resources available.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
I am active in multiple spouse groups and social clubs. I start open conversations about how to advance the representation and equality of presence of the groups to which I belong. I also look for opportunities such as OHF, PCS GRADES, Manpendant and more. These amazing groups are made by, and made for the military spouse and military family community. I also look for opportunity in organizations like Ohana Homefront Foundation where I can build relationships and use my skills and experience to make a true impact. It has been a great bonding and networking opportunity as a new and interactive way to help our communities around the world to be active within and provide visibility for all. I enjoy the opportunity to speak openly and honestly about our communities and the challenges faced by the individual facets of the community at large. I volunteer at spouse events on and off base as a way to bring needed attention to our unique way of life and the many different paths it can open.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
I really hope to build strong bonds and a platform of equality and strong leadership. I hope to accomplish making the AFI MILITARY SPOUSE OF THE YEAR title one that shows its advocacy and dedication to all spouses and demographics. I would use my year as the AFI Spouse of the year to further promote just how far the military and our spouse community has come with accepting everyone that makes up the patchwork quilt of our spousal community! I want to be a Military Spouse of the Year to be able to uplift other spouses both in my same demographics as well as spouses in general. I want to be a part of the vast and prestigious line of those who came before me and those who will come after. I am honored, humbled and above all else blessed to have this opportunity to serve in a new and exciting adventure and truly look forward to what it brings. As an alumni of the program I know first hand the amazing opportunities and bonds it can build. It is truly a gift to our community and honor.