Colleen La Plante

Share your military spouse story:
My military spouse story begins in 2015 with, as is fitting, a cross-country move. My husband and I are both from the mountains of Idaho and initially found ourselves starting married life in Georgia. Over the last ten years, the military has taken us across the U.S. and eventually brought us to beautiful Bavaria, Germany, which ironically feels a whole lot like “home” in Northern Idaho. There have been numerous deployments, two incredible Space-A adventures, the addition of our two wonderful children, and multiple reinventions of myself as I reconciled the military lifestyle with my career, family life, and the version of who I want to become. The lessons learned have been countless, but they pale in comparison to the connections made. Whether it’s attempting to understand the EFMP process, rewriting my resume, preparing for a move, or even learning to order from the butcher counter in a foreign country, there is always someone there to help from the incredible spouse community.

Describe any leadership positions or provide an overview of your leadership contributions within the military community.
My first leadership role in the military community was as an FRG leader, followed by time as a Battalion Funds Custodian. What initially started as a way to stay busy during deployment opened my eyes to the need for connection, mentorship, and purpose within our community. I then volunteered with the Historical and Archeological Society of Fort Riley, later serving as Vice President. Regularly serving military families within the church and elementary school communities has become important as well. Currently, I sit on the board of InDependent, a nonprofit dedicated to making wellness accessible for all military and veteran spouses. I serve as the Funding and Outreach Chair, a role that allows unique visibility into the needs of military spouses while also providing resources and research to meet those needs.

What programs or projects are you currently involved in that support the needs of military families?
While at InDependent, I have been fortunate to work directly with researchers at the University of Texas – Austin to conduct the first Military and Veteran Spouse Wellness Survey. This is an area with very little research but huge potential to move the needle for the military community. Our team is looking at ways to create tangible change through courses, wellness resources, and opportunities for connection. I am watching it unfold in real time and feel confident in the programs that are being created as a result to combat the identified areas of risk. I am also meeting with partners and creating communication strategies to ensure InDependent can receive the funding required for vital programs. Some of the programs we support include the InDependent Wellness Summit, a yearly virtual wellness retreat featuring interviews with experts, and Fuel the Homefront, a free course to combat food insecurity within the military community.

What moments best reflect your impact on building inclusive community among military spouses?
While I love gathering data and listening to expert interviews, I’ve found my most impactful moments among military spouses are felt in the simple, everyday interactions with neighbors and friends. These are what can make or break a military spouse's experience and what matters at the end of the day. At our current duty station, this looks like having a backyard fire while all the serving spouses are in the field, driving a neighbor to get their car repaired, or taking mental health walks when you can see someone is struggling. I love that I can take military spouse wellness survey results and apply them in such applicable ways. Creating connections is one of the best things we can do for all forms of wellness. A spouse community that looks after its wellness, whether physical, mental, environmental, or social, is building a stronger military community.

Identify your main advocacy effort and describe your personal connection to the cause.
To me, everything comes back to fostering military spouse wellness. There are a lot of factors that contribute to wellness. Mental health, your ability to find meaningful work, creating connections, and physical fitness are just a few of the impact areas for military spouses. I have personally encountered struggles with all of these at one point or another during my time as a military spouse. Knowing that we can create meaningful change by meeting spouses where they are motivates me everyday.

Summarize your advocacy outreach strategies, including any events, media involvement, or other communication efforts.
My professional background is in marketing and communication. I love a good strategy and especially enjoy checking tasks off a to do list. I also have a love for writing and use that to create connections across divides.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
I hope to encourage other spouses to focus on their wellness and create meaningful connections within their communities.