Tara Brandt

Share your military spouse story:
I am the spouse of a 27-year Air National Guard Officer. Our career began in Fargo, ND with the 119th Wing, ND Air National Guard. When we married in 2006, I vowed to prioritize my husband's military career. In June 2007, the unit became the second Guard unit flying MQ-1 Predator missions. There was no road map for families, and support for Airmen and families was limited. Families struggled to understand what was happening with their military member. Among other things, our Airmen worked round-the-clock shift work. Our family was pretty typical in the sense that we were under incredible stress going through this. Every other year, I hosted Thanksgiving dinners on base to support service members and their families.   As time went on, we began to see some unexpected mental health symptoms. The Regular Air Force has a PCS cycle, and Airmen rotate through assignments, but Guard Airmen can perform the same mission serving in an activated status for years longer than their Active Duty counterparts. The Predator mission’s stress was cumulative and compounded by the rapid switch from warrior to family man.   By his fifth year, my husband was struggling with PTSD, though I didn’t know it then. The constant mission impacted our marriage, and I felt incredibly lonely. After five years, the military started recognizing some of the stresses of the job my husband was doing but was still not talking to the spouses or providing any family support, which increased our difficulties.   In his eighth year in this mission, we had the tough conversation. My husband needed to decide: his career or our family. He chose both and found a staff job at Langley AFB. This moved us to a Reg AF base, which opened my eyes to the support available to our military families. My passion has been to support all families with a focus on our Guard families that are not collocated at RegAF bases.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
I am serving as the Key Support Liaison to the Air Combat Command Directorate of Intelligence at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA. I have been privileged to serve in this capacity since 2018 under four different directors. The position supports approximately 300 active duty and government civilian members of the directorate through multiple family programs and events. One of my more practical duties is regularly assisting the families of PCSing and deploying Airmen with daunting issues by providing personal assistance, local knowledge and introductions to base services, benefits, and associations. Being able to provide some measure of comfort to disaster victims and families with newborns or medical hardships is one of the most rewarding parts of my duties. I also serve as an Ambassador, since the inception, to the Air & Space Force Association Forces & Families (F2) Task Force, and work with the team to bring the QoL issues to Congressional attention to bring about policy change.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
I am a founding member of the military spouse app Twelve Million Plus (12M+). This is an app that was developed by military spouses for military spouses to get access to information at their fingertips, including receiving certifications through a Google cohort. 12M+ is a free app for our spouses to connect and get informed. Currently, I am the assistant manager at the base golf course and have expanded the use of this premier facility for family events and official ceremonies and gatherings. For about 18-months, I’ve been a partner in a food truck, with which we provide free mini donuts at base events. Previously, I owned a local bookstore that I leveraged in pursuit of one of my personal passion-projects: to encourage reading at all ages – especially children – through summer reading programs, classroom book donations and providing military, teacher and first responder discounts.

Describe how you support your community:
My passion is helping our military families get access to information that will help support their families and advocate for their own well-being and support of military families. The unique challenges faced by these families, such as frequent relocations, deployments, and the emotional toll of military life, often require additional resources and support systems.

What do you advocate for? Why?
Mental Health Support: Military families often face stress and anxiety due to the unpredictable nature of military life. Access to mental health services, counseling, and support groups are essential. Education and Employment: Spouses and children of military personnel often have to change schools and jobs frequently. Advocacy for flexible educational programs, employment opportunities, and career support tailored to the needs of military families is crucial. Healthcare Access: Ensuring that military families have access to quality healthcare, including specialized care for any conditions resulting from military service, is vital. Community Building: Creating and sustaining strong communities where military families can connect, share experiences, and support each other would greatly enhance their QoL. Legal and Financial Advocacy: Providing resources for legal and financial tools can help military families navigate complex

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
Travel (often at my own expense) to Guard bases to educate the senior leadership on childcare assistance, programs that are available to Guardsmen, education on the 12 M+ app and the grants available through AFA to support our families. When Guard leaders travel to Air Combat Command (ACC), I get on their schedule to provide a PowerPoint and educate that unit’s leadership.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
I would like to utilize this platform to advocate for better QoL and support for our military members and their families across the Total Force – Guard, Reserve and Regular Air Force – with a personal focus on bringing greater attention to our Air National Guardsmen and their families. Some of whom serve in an Active Duty status, which gives them access to many of the programs available to their Regular Air Force counterparts. I would also bring increased awareness to our traditional Guardsmen and their families regarding support available to them even when they’re not mobilized.