Rachel Smith

Share your military spouse story:
He’s 22. I’m 19. Same exact birthday. Beshert—meant to be. I packed my life in 2 bags, shipped my car, & joined him in HI. I found my voice on stage—long before milspo life—singing fundraisers, professional sporting events, & national competitions. Selected for the Grammy Foundation National Jazz Ensemble, I learned discipline, presence, & the responsibility of representing a community. While finishing HS in 3 years, I completed the Teen Police Academy & served as a youth advisor—early leadership that shaped my path as a milspo.

Describe any leadership positions or provide an overview of your leadership contributions within the military community.
My leadership has centered on building crisis-ready, culturally competent systems that function when challenges overlap, not when life is calm. I completed the Military Spouse Leadership Development Program (MSLDP) through the Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN), including leadership training with Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Institute (NPLI) & mental-health-informed leadership certification through Psych Hub. This training strengthened my ability to lead responsibly, collaborate across organizations, & guide decision-making under pressure. I am humbled to have been commander-endorsed for superior religious leadership to the military & Jewish Peninsula community, reinforcing my ability to empower & support families effectively. Over the past year, my focus has shifted from personal navigation to systems-building—creating practical tools, strengthening referral pathways, & supporting continuity so families are not starting over with each transition.

What programs or projects are you currently involved in that support the needs of military families?
I strategically narrowed my focus to developing digital toolkits & connected resources that support military families navigating EFMP, ECHO, & medical or legal transitions. Informed by psychiatric mental health triage, caregiving, & military life experience, these resources translate complex processes into clear, actionable guidance that improves access, continuity of care & preparedness. Having benefited from meaningful leadership development opportunities, especially passionate in encouraging future generations of milspos to leverage education, leadership, & community networks so navigating military life is more accessible than it was when I first became a spouse. Those realities drive my work to build clearer pathways & usable resources so military families are supported during disruption, not left to make high-stakes decisions in isolation w/out support.

What moments best reflect your impact on building inclusive community among military spouses?
In 25, I was honored to be recognized as an AFI Military Spouse of the Year JBLE, an experience that marked a turning point in milspo story- as well as the 24 Joan Orr AF Spouse AFSC -a recognition challenged me to better understand the responsibility of a platform & to grow into leadership that is intentional, prepared, community-focused. Since then I have translated lived experience into action by leading initiatives that support military families through crisis, transition, and complexity.

Identify your main advocacy effort and describe your personal connection to the cause.
In ’23, I volunteered in Israel during wartime, contributing to agricultural work, logistics, & morale efforts while communities operated under active conflict. That experience underscored shared responsibility & trust under sustained strain. From the moment I returned, I emboldened commitment to service & participated in legislative advocacy in Richmond for 2 consecutive years—soon 3rd. This work required consistency, coalition-building, & the ability to communicate across differences. In ’25, being recognized as AFI MSOY JBLE & as the ’24 Joan Orr AF Spouse of the Year (AFSC) reflected trust earned through accountable leadership. Across these moments, my impact has come from building connection, representation, & practical support within the military spouse community.

Summarize your advocacy outreach strategies, including any events, media involvement, or other communication efforts.
My advocacy outreach is built on credibility, institutional trust, & scalable communication. I leverage earned media & command-endorsed platforms to amplify impact, including a DOD Public Affairs feature highlighting the MilSpo video & a double feature in The Jewish American Warrior Magazine, extending visibility for Jewish milspos & EFMP families. I engage in direct policy advocacy through legislative lobbying, coalition work, & public testimony, translating lived experience into measurable outcomes. I utilize published writing, targeted digital storytelling, & community education to equip families with accurate, culturally competent information. Across all outreach, my focus remains clarity, sustainability, & readiness—ensuring advocacy reaches decision-makers, strengthens families, & supports the long-term health of the military community.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
HaMerchav SheBeinehem — The Space Between. Many times, we’ve felt: Friends & family don’t get military life. The military doesn’t get our Judaism. Jewish spaces don’t get the military. So we carry it quietly—caught in the space between. I’ve poured every spare ounce of energy into MilMama Mitzvahs—not because I had time, but because I had to. The hardest parts of military life don’t happen on stage. They happen in the quiet gaps—between deployments & diagnoses, in waiting rooms, empty chairs, & late-night Google rabbit holes. Resources exist, but we’re often too buried to find. So I built the bridge—w/heart, grit, & a little chutzpah. Everything I’ve created comes from lived experience—tested, needed, & rewritten mid-crisis. “Kol ha’olam Kulo, gesher tzar me’od” — the whole world is a narrow bridge. I can’t make it wider—but I can offer tools to help get across easier.