nadia miskowiec

Share your military spouse story:
My military spouse story officially begins on October 18th, 2022, marking a pivotal moment in our lives. Before embracing this path of service, my husband and I, both holders of doctorates, had thrown ourselves into our teaching careers and the joy of raising our four beautiful children. Yet my husband felt drawn toward military service, a calling he had felt throughout his life. Finally, circumstances allowed us to turn this aspiration into reality. As we dropped him off for enlistment and parted ways for what would turn out to be the better part of a year- an unprecedented duration for us-we embarked on a new chapter characterized by uncertainty. Would training change him? What job would he be assigned? Where would we be sent to? Would I be able to raise our four children alone, with no community to rely on? Day by day, we navigated through the uncertainties, keeping our spirits high, hanging on to the 3-minute-long phone calls and Sandboxx letters. Soon we were reunited and our stationing led us to Florida, where we gradually settled into this new life. Initially lost in this world I rapidly discovered avenues for involvement. In no time, I transitioned from being a newcomer to extending a helping hand to others, reciprocating the kindness we had received. Reflecting on our military journey, the experience has been nothing short of amazing. However, a shared sentiment lingers—the wish that we had embarked on this journey earlier. Despite this, our collective narrative underscores the resilience, adaptability, and sense of community that define the military spouse experience, revealing a remarkable journey of growth and mutual support.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
Although I am a new military spouse, I have stepped into the role of key spouse for my husband's squadron two months after arriving at our first duty station. The position had been vacant for a while so I have had to work fairly hard to build visibility and connections with the spouses in my husband's squadron. This has included organizing playgroups, spouse coffee dates, co-organizing a chess club at the base library with my husband as well as networking with other key and mentor spouses around base. I have had the immense honor of being nominated by my husband's command for a key spouse of the year award.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
Through the key spouse program, I have volunteered my time to support single airmen and their mental health as well as supporting the families in my husband's squadron. I go out of my way to welcome new spouses I meet and make sure they are not isolated. We have all been the new kid and we have all experienced the difference a smile and an invitation at the table can make. I believe in kindness, solidarity and leaving a positive mark on anything I am fortunate to get involved in. I bring this spirit to my community. I am also a homeschooling mom of four and I have stepped into the role of leading our base group. Through this group I have worked with many entities on base whose role it is to support military families. This has led to more social and educational opportunities for children on base. I am passionate about connecting people with others who will help them succeed in their endeavors. When we work for one another, we build a resilient community that inspires and cannot fail.

Describe how you support your community:
When I first arrived at my installation, I felt isolated. This was a shock to me as I had heard about the "family spirit" I would find in becoming a military spouse. I kept hearing the same concerns from fellow spouses I would meet in passing. We all felt isolated. That is why I decided to step into both the key spouse role and the homeschool group organizer role: to work on fostering the community we were all longing for. I certainly have not solved this issue. But I can proudly say that at least for some, I helped create a welcoming environment, forgiving, patient, and empowering that connects spouses across branches, ranks of our military members, and active status.

What do you advocate for? Why?
Although I have only been a military spouse for a very short time, I have quickly realized that while we are called "dependents", the term could not be further from reality. As military spouses, we play a crucial role in the lives of our military members. We are often the reason why they joined, why they stay in service, and why they leave. Therefore, it is essential to empower military spouses to thrive. I am passionate about creating a strong network of military spouses who will support and uplift one another, help each other thrive and succeed by sharing opportunities, supporting each other's small businesses, educational goals, etc... I believe that we can do better to support and recognize spouses, dependents, and parents of military members. We must systematically equip them with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive and eventually better support our military members.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
I maintain a presence on social media for my homeschooling and key spouse groups. I advocate for more opportunities to become available to families whenever possible. I also make sure that people know about opportunities available to them, be it through the military or in the local community. In the future, I plan to continue my efforts to help build and participate in a vibrant community. I will seek out more opportunities to cast light on issues that affect the families of military members.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
If I were to receive this great honor, I would take every opportunity to learn from and connect with other spouses to learn from their stories. I would empower the spouses I meet to achieve their dreams and goals and support them in any way I could.