Madison Turcu

Share your military spouse story:
I didn’t enter military life with a roadmap or expectations. It arrived quickly and reshaped everything. I met my husband and married him without hesitation, stepping into a world defined by service, sacrifice, and a commitment I didn’t yet understand. With no family history of military service, the early years were a crash course in adaptation. Two months after our first child was born, my husband deployed for a year. For the first time, I felt the isolation many military spouses quietly carry. I hadn’t yet learned the importance of seeking connection or leaning into community. That year taught me how essential connection truly is—not as a convenience, but as a lifeline. Community was no longer optional; it was necessary. Our first PCS to Travis Air Force Base marked a turning point. As I began to understand the “why” behind this lifestyle, my purpose became clear. I wanted to support military members and families navigating challenges I was experiencing myself. That realization led me into working at the Airman and Family Readiness Center, where military spouse advocacy became deeply personal. That understanding deepened after our move to Holloman Air Force Base, when our family faced an unexpected humanitarian relocation due to serious medical needs of our unborn daughter. Navigating instability, complex systems, and prolonged uncertainty at a brand new installation reinforced what I already knew—no family should face this life alone. Those experiences shaped who I am today. I serve military members and families because I once needed that support myself. I serve with empathy and intention, committed to strengthening the community that ultimately carried my family forward. This life asks a great deal, but it also offers the opportunity to serve something far greater than yourself.

Describe any leadership positions or provide an overview of your leadership contributions within the military community.
I currently serve as the Installation KSL for SBD 2, supporting the Installation Commander and mentoring KSLs across 10 units. In this role, I support more than 2,000 military families by helping units build programs and address family readiness challenges unique to Space Force operations, including deployment missions. This work contributed to my selection as Spouse Volunteer of the Year. I am a founding board member and current Board Advisor of the Buckley Spouses Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving military families installation-wide. This organization has become a trusted community resource installation-wide and a recognized best practice for sister Space Force installations. Additionally, I was competitively selected as the 25–26 military spouse representative for Leadership Aurora, serving as the sole liaison between the installation and a 400k person city. In this role, I strengthened civilian-military partnerships and expanded community support for Buckley families.

What programs or projects are you currently involved in that support the needs of military families?
I participated in a Family Care Continuous Process Improvement effort, contributing lived experience to help streamline support for more than 4,000 spouses and dependents at Buckley SFB. This led to standardized onboarding processes, ensuring families receive critical information and support prior to arrival. Through the BSA, I support programs that meet immediate and long-term family needs, including welcome bags for new service members living in the dorms, operating "The Center" as our primary food distribution resource disseminating 18k pounds in food, and working with the M&FRC to establish a satellite food pantry for families seeking emergency assistance. I delivered over 900 toys partnering with Toys for Tots to over 300 installation families for the holidays. I was selected to organize an engagement event connecting the spouses of the CSO and CMSSF with spouses across 25 units, elevating quality-of-life concerns and strengthening advocacy between families and senior leadership

What moments best reflect your impact on building inclusive community among military spouses?
One of the moments that best reflects the impact on building an inclusive spouse community was transforming the Buckley Spouses Alliance into a trusted resource for families. When our board came together, the food pantry already existed, but spouses were hesitant to use it. I helped shift our culture so families felt safe asking for help, regardless of rank or circumstance. That trust mattered most during the furlough, when many spouses who had never needed support suddenly did. Hours were expanded, families were met with dignity, and the pantry usage increased by 85%. Families left knowing they weren’t alone. This approach didn’t stop at Buckley. Our model has been shared with five other installations seeking to better support spouse communities. One installation has already stood up its own food pantry this year using our same blueprint. Seeing this work replicated beyond the installation reinforced that when spouses lead with compassion, the impact reaches far beyond one base.

Identify your main advocacy effort and describe your personal connection to the cause.
My advocacy efforts focus on supporting families navigating complex circumstances, a commitment deeply rooted in my own experiences. After 6 years of infertility, my husband and I turned to IVF, resulting in a high-risk pregnancy complicated by a rare condition. While stationed at Holloman AFB, we learned there wasn't medical care equipped to support our unborn daughter. With no notice, our family relocated to Buckley SFB so I could receive care at Children’s Hospital. I left my career behind, we lived in TLF with our son, and brought our newborn home to a hotel room. This year, I advocated for families facing similar circumstances, including a single mother with a hospitalized newborn, helping secure housing, transportation, legal support, ADA accommodations, and community connection. I mobilized spouses, sourced baby supplies, and ensured she was never navigating the system alone. My hope is that families facing these circumstances feel empowered because someone walked alongside them

Summarize your advocacy outreach strategies, including any events, media involvement, or other communication efforts.
This year I had the opportunity to appear on Denver Channel 9 News to share how this year's furlough impacted military families and spouses, including those working for the DOD. Through this interview, I helped bring visibility to the real challenges families were facing and highlighted the role of the BSA and The Center in providing critical, judgment-free support during times of uncertainty. Beyond media engagement, I supported outreach through multiple- community and morale-focused events. One particularly meaningful one was hosting an evening honoring Mrs. Saltzman, alongside her spouse, CSO, to recognize her advocacy and contributions to our spouse community. During this event, we also recognized and supported a sister spouse organization, presenting them with funding for their holiday programming- modeled after ours. Whether through media, events, or everyday conversations, my outreach strategy centers on visibility, authenticity, and ensuring military families’ voices are heard.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
If selected as the AFI Military Spouse of the Year, I would use the platform to amplify voices that often feel overlooked and help ensure military spouses feel seen, valued, and empowered to ask for help. Too many of us struggle quietly, unsure where we fit or whether our challenges are valid. By sharing my lived experiences—both the difficult and the hopeful—I hope to offer a relatable roadmap for spouses navigating transition or uncertainty. Military life is complex and can feel isolating, especially during times of change. At the same time, it is built on shared resilience and understanding. My goal is to help normalize honest conversations about military life so our community can move beyond simply surviving it. If this title allows me to reach spouses who feel invisible, bridge the gap between those who have walked this path and those just beginning, and remind families that they are not alone, then I will have used this opportunity with purpose and impact.