Hailey Smart

Share your military spouse story:
My story truly begins during my first year as a Military Spouse. It started with the world shutting down and us not being able to see our families, friends, or even just leaving the house at times. There was a lot of uncertainty, but my husband still had to report every day and being locked in the house by myself was very isolating. It was during these times we needed some extra support and communication and it felt like there was none of that. I had some friends who I would call to check in on and we made comments on how it would be nice to have someone linking us up or even just someone to talk to about resources as we were both new, military spouses who had no idea what a MFRC was or how to navigate Tricare. The next blow that came was when my husband got an assignment to Osan Korea and I was unable to go with him. It was a new type of isolation. I had nobody who understood what I was going through in my life, and I had no idea who to talk to when I had a medical issue. I started to try to find things on my own and gathered intel so that anyone else who ever posted about having a similar issues I could try to reach out and help them. The final and hardest type of isolation came when we moved to Ramstein, Germany. Not only were we in a new country, but we did not know anyone. There was little information shared to me about certain things, and although our squadron was informing my spouse through multiple platforms about things going on I still felt alone. I did not have anyone to go and see when my husband was at work, I had nothing to do. Then the topic of Key Spouse (KSL) came up. After doing a lot of research and soul searching, I realized I finally had a way to help those spouses that may be going through similar issues I faced. Not only that but families, single airmen; I found a way to positively impact the lives of others around me and help the next family not feel so alone on their military journey during any phase of life they were going through.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
After a very successful 2023 year volunteering and being awarded the Presidential Volunteer Service Award: Bronze level, I decided I wanted to find new ways to continue to support and volunteer our military communities. For the 2024 year I almost tripled the amount of time I volunteered with the Ramstein Enlisted Spouses' Association alone. Becoming aquatinted with a new military community has its difficulties and I love being someone people look to to help navigate airmen and their families through. I have been the Key Support Liaison for my husband's squadron for two years now and won Key Spouse (KSL) of the year at the 688 CW for 2023. As I look to the next year I am pushing myself to become a mentor to new KSLs in the squadron and beyond. Constantly learning to pushing myself to be informed on everything I am able to helps to make myself a well rounded leader within the KMC Military Community!

Describe your involvement in the military community:
I dedicate my time to being a Key Support Liaison for the 691st Cyberspace Operation Squadron, as well as the Secretary for the Ramstein Enlisted Spouses' Association, I also volunteer with the MFRC to help support their Heartlink Program, KSL Program, and am a part of their Fireside Chat committee. (The Fireside chat is a program that helps bring spouses in the community together to learn about different resources and topics throughout our KMC Community.) I helped lead the 2024 KSL Symposium at Ramstein Airbase, and also lead the 688th CyberSpace Wings Virtual KSL Symposium. In 2023 I was the VEA for the family category at Ramstein as well through he work I had done in 2023.

Describe how you support your community:
I have dedicated a lot of my time through volunteering overseas and it is my favorite thing. I am on multiple planning committees through the MFRC. I also am the Secretary for the 2025 Ramstein Enlisted Spouses' Associations Secretary. I have been creating new spaces for the active duty, spouses, and their families in my squadron, group, and wing to get to know each other better. (Events include Spouse 101s, Coffee connections Book Club, etc.) I helped strengthen the 688th Cyberspace wings KSL program but introducing a Virtual KSL Symposium that now has lead to monthly KSL meetups and the addition of multiple KSLs throughout the 688 wing's squadron. With the Ramstein Enlisted Spouses' Association I help tho USO, Fisher House, Deployment Buddies, and multiple other organizations help to give support to the military community.

What do you advocate for? Why?
In the culture we live in a lot of times Spouses feel they are not truly listened to. People just ask how you are doing not because they are actual curious but because that is what our culture has taught us to do. So I advocate for those spouses who aren't fully heard, those who feel they don't have a voice, and those we may have been wronged by something in the system and didn't know they had a voice they could use. I advocate for the spouse that has felt lost or isolated because of being ill informed of what is available to them. I advocate because I truly care.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
I have used the KSL program, Commanders Calls, Leadership conferences, Wing contacts, and my KMC Community. The best way to spread the message and continue to empower military spouses is by meeting them in the community and truly listening to what they feel and what there concerns are. The message I have has been heard from my squadron to the 86 Wing in Ramstein to the 688 Wing in San Antonio. Wherever and whenever I know I have active listeners or have been approached with an opportunity to continue to speak I take every measurement I can to make sure the message comes across in a matter that not just the active duty can understand but also the 5 hour married spouse.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
I hope to continue to be an advocate for those spouses who feel they can not speak for themselves as well as continue to empower them to speak up. I hope to continue to see the positive changes that I know are still very possible to achieve and continue to grow to help the next generation of military families. I want to keep fostering safe spaces for those who feel lost to come to, and also hope to continue to inform also military families of their resources they have at any base they are anywhere in the world. I want to keep making a positive difference and create lasting impressions on each and every individual I am able to help.