OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Of the more than 1.1 million military spouses, many are faced with challenges not incurred by their civilian counterparts.
It is those obstacles, and the women she encounters daily, that motivates Offutt’s 2019 Military Spouse of the Year to do more.
“The women who truly inspire me are often people whose names I don‘t know,” said Kasey Potts, wife of Capt. Timothy Potts. “The barista at Starbucks on base who is always cheerful no matter the line, or the ladies working at the commissary who maintain a sense of humor when the self-checkout acts up, or the ladies in the security forces squadron at the gate who still manage to smile no matter how harsh the weather- these are the women who brighten my day every day.”
While Potts is admiring the women around her, she is also leaving her mark on history with her award win.
As Offutt’s selectee, Potts was recognized in her package as “honoring the Air Force core value of service before self, leading by example with acts of kindness within the military community.”
“I feel incredibly honored,” Potts said. “Offutt had an amazing group of spouses represented this year, and I was thrilled to even be nominated in such good company. To be honest, I’m still in shock that I won at base level.”
Among her accolades, she is a member of the Offutt Officer’s Spouse’s Club, volunteers to bake cookies for security forces members at the gates and for dorm residents during the holiday season, supports base events for Wounded Warriors, and facilitates communications between service member spouse’s and their squadrons. She is also currently a volunteer coach for functional fitness.
The award honors the dedication and sacrifices of military spouses from all six branches of the Armed Forces who are making a difference in their communities.
“Being a military spouse means learning how to adapt to schedule changes, to living in new places, to being alone for months at a time, even adapting the dinner schedule due to your spouse’s sudden change of plans,” Potts said. “It keeps us flexible, which I believe makes us more readily able to tackle life.”
Potts has embraced the fluidity of a military lifestyle and hopes to help others do the same.
“A spouse at a previous base made the statement, ‘always keep your circle open,’ meaning we should always be ready to welcome new friends into our lives,” Potts said. “It really resonated with me, and it’s always in the back of my mind. I try to make sure if I see someone new at an OOSC event or at a fitness class that I welcome them like I would want to be welcomed. Military spouses have to be the ‘new kid’ every time we move. I know how isolating that can feel, so I do my best to help newcomers make connections.”
The competition was narrowed down by base with a combination of popular vote and judging panels. Across all branch’s installations, more than 1,200 packages were submitted and 86,000 votes registered.
Potts will represent Offutt at the Air Force level next. The branch winners will go onto to compete at the DoD level, and the final and overall winner for Military Spouse of the Year will be announced May 9.