Lolly Cowell Anderson

Share your military spouse story:
I grew up in an Air Force–connected family, so service and adaptability shaped my worldview early. When I became an Air Force spouse, I understood the culture, but not yet the cost of living it. Over 10+ years, I have experienced 6 PCSs, OCONUS living, deployments, and frequent TDYs. I am a nurse by training, but my career has followed a nonlinear path shaped by relocations, licensing barriers, hiring freezes, and short-notice assignments that required reinvention. Raising children through transitions, rebuilding community with each move, and navigating long periods without nearby family support reshaped how I understood resilience. Military life taught me how to adapt quickly, lead without certainty, and create stability when systems and circumstances were unpredictable. My military spouse story is one of persistence, growth, and learning how to build purpose, connection, and belonging in a life defined by change—shaping my commitment to serve & support others through the uncertainty.

Describe any leadership positions or provide an overview of your leadership contributions within the military community.
My leadership within the military spouse community spans unit, Center (Wing-scale), and installations. I currently serve as a Key Support Mentor (KSM) for AFTAC, while also supporting the 709th Support Squadron, mentoring and advising Key Support Liaisons across multiple squadrons. I have previously served as a Key Spouse and in Spouse Club leadership roles, but my leadership often emerges where gaps exist. I am regularly asked to provide continuity when no KSL is assigned, advise commanders and senior enlisted during complex family situations, and help stabilize spouse networks during transitions. My work includes coordinating appropriate support during periods of loss, acute stress, housing instability, and elevated safety concerns; mentoring KSLs through unfamiliar scenarios; and creating sustainable structures so support does not depend on a single individual. My leadership style centers on clarity, discretion, follow-through, & building systems that endure beyond an assignment.

What programs or projects are you currently involved in that support the needs of military families?
I am actively involved in building, revitalizing, and sustaining the Commander’s Key Support Program at both the squadron & Center level. This includes mentoring KSLs, providing continuity support when positions are vacant, and ensuring families are connected to appropriate leadership and base helping agencies. I develop and maintain a centralized suite of tools used across installations including scenario-based family support guides, a “Who to Call” decision guide for moments of crisis, consolidated resources for single-parent Airmen, DoD civilians, and emergency preparedness materials. I author a monthly newsletter organized around rotating resource themes and maintain updated KSL references. I also host recurring spouse connection spaces, including monthly game nights and family-friendly meetups that build trust. Additionally, I authored a policy-focused white paper analyzing CKSP gaps and proposing scalable solutions to improve clarity, continuity, and access across the Air Force.

What moments best reflect your impact on building inclusive community among military spouses?
The moments that best reflect my impact are often informal and unplanned. They include being the person a spouse reaches out to because they don’t know who else to call, checking in on families who have gone quiet during stressful periods, and making sure no one is overlooked simply because they are new, unconnected, or unsure where they fit. I have helped spouses navigate difficult seasons by listening, helping them think through options, linking them to appropriate leadership or base helping agencies when needed, and staying engaged beyond the initial conversation so support does not stop when things become complicated. I intentionally build community spaces that welcome single parents, dual-career spouses, Guard and Reserve-connected families, DoD civilians, and those who do not see themselves reflected in traditional spouse programming. My impact is reflected in trust built over time and in spouses feeling more confident, informed, and less alone as they navigate military life.

Identify your main advocacy effort and describe your personal connection to the cause.
My primary advocacy focus is improving clarity and access to military family support pathways. Early in my time as a military spouse, my husband departed on an unexpected TDY while I was 32 weeks pregnant. When I began having contractions, I realized how unprepared I was to navigate uncertainty alone. Although we had been at the base for nearly a year, we were new to the unit, and I did not know who to contact or which helping agencies were available. I called my father in tears, and he used his own Air Force connections to make an initial contact for me—a support many spouses do not have. That experience stayed with me. It clarified how easily families can fall through gaps because they do not know where to start. Since then, I have seen the same confusion repeated in spouses during medical crises, TDYs, PCS moves, deployments, and emergencies. My advocacy centers on making support systems clear and accessible before families reach a breaking point—preserving dignity and agency.

Summarize your advocacy outreach strategies, including any events, media involvement, or other communication efforts.
My advocacy outreach emphasizes clear communication through trusted military spouse and family-support channels, including briefings and facilitated discussions. I develop written guides, reference tools, and newsletters that translate complex systems into usable information for families and Key Support Liaisons. My work includes the “Feeling Overwhelmed? Here’s Who to Call” guide shared through Five & Thrive’s Spouse Spotlight and SITREP, as well as additional AF-wide tools. I share these resources through KSL and KSM networks and local networks to reduce duplication and improve alignment; one resource has been shared with AFPC for broader awareness. I completed the Military Spouse Leadership Development Program, integrating Harvard NPLI crisis-leadership concepts and connecting me with a cross-branch cohort of spouses engaged in leadership and an alumni community for sharing ideas, adapting effective practices, and strengthening support without reinventing solutions in isolation.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
If selected, I would use the AFI Military Spouse of the Year® title to help amplify clarity-driven, practical support for military families without changing how I serve. I see the title as a means that lends visibility and credibility to work already focused on helping families understand where to turn and how to access support. I would use the opportunity to share effective tools, elevate best practices, and encourage collaboration across units and services rather than reinvention. Most importantly, I would represent military spouses whose contributions are steady, behind the scenes, and rooted in service rather than recognition. My goal would be to normalize asking for help, strengthen trust in support systems, and ensure families feel informed, connected, and less alone as they navigate military life. I would also use the platform to elevate the often-unseen labor of spouse leaders and volunteers whose steady work sustains readiness, connection, and care across the force.