Military Spouse is recognized for her extensive work in community outreach focused on the wellness of soldiers and families in the Fort Riley and local community
(Fort Riley, Kansas) — Following hundreds of nominations nationwide and a national vote yielding more than 20,000 votes, Monica Bassett has been named the 2022 Armed Forces Insurance Army Spouse of the Year. Bassett is currently stationed with her husband, MAJ Gregory A Bassett, at Fort Riley.
Now in its 13th year honoring the unwavering dedication of our nation's more than 1.1 million military spouses, Armed Forces Insurance is proud to recognize and reward the sacrifice of military spouses from all six branches of the Armed Forces who are advocating for others and having a tangible, measurable effect on their communities.
Monica Bassett is a mom of two and a military spouse of eight years. Her love of volunteering and passion for bridging the gap between organizations, communities, and service members has afforded her a glimpse into diverse aspects of the military community. Monica's work to bring awareness of food insecurity within the military community and highlight organizations that assist struggling military families (e.g., Operation Santa, Victory
Wellness Dinners, Food Pantry of Geary County) reflects her heart for the community at large. She has developed an inclusive volunteer force of soldiers, military spouses, and families and built community through service itself. Monica's passion for aiding her community grows directly from her love for it, and she looks forward to building on the work she has already done to benefit the military community as a whole. "I am extremely honored to have received the prestigious title of Armed Forces Insurance Army Spouse of the Year” said Bassett. “I hope to use the resources and AFI Military Spouse community to learn from others, build on others’ successes, and capitalize on opportunities to not only share the difficulties many military families are facing, but also open up solution-finding discussions among the amazing spouse community and related networks. I will continue to use my platform to advocate and bring awareness to food insecurity within the military community and advocate for the underserved while promoting volunteerism and community-building with military families and soldiers.”
Nominations from community members nationwide were accepted from November 29, 2021, through January 21, 2022. The program is organized by base-level winners, the top 21 finalists, then branch level winners, and, finally, the overall 2022 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® (AFI MSOY) who are all selected by popular vote and judging panels. As a base and branch winner, Bassett was judged on five core criteria: overall involvement in the military community, leadership skills, community building capability, communication skills, and overall personal story. Bassett is now in consideration of being named the overall winner. After a final vote conducted on March 10-11, the overall winner will be unveiled at an awards luncheon on May 5 at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, VA, in conjunction with National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, which occurs on May 5.