2018 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® Awarded

Washington, DC (May 10, 2018)— Army spouse Krista Anderson has been named 2018 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® presented by Military Spouse magazine. She earned this honor in recognition of her outstanding commitment to the military community and work on behalf of Gold Star families. Anderson learned she was the winner at the May 10 USO of Metropolitan Washington-Baltimore Annual Awards Gala, while standing on stage alongside other finalists and seeing the reveal of the next cover of Military Spouse magazine.

Like all military spouses, Anderson, who has been a military spouse for 10 years, has her own unique story; hers bringing hope from tragedy. She began her military life marrying Special Forces Green Beret SSG Michael Simpson, but like too many other brave soldiers, he was killed in action in Afghanistan in May 2013. Her faith, strength, and resilience, and the kindness of other military spouses were key in helping her through.

Anderson’s experiences inspired her to co-found The Unquiet Professional (TUP) in 2013 with the mission to serve veterans and Gold Star families. She currently operates this organization out of Olympia, WA; Manassas, VA; and Wakefield, RI., implementing programs that strengthen the lives of military families through mentorship, volunteering and advocacy. In addition to her work with TUP, Anderson, who is currently stationed alongside her husband Gus at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, WA, travels across the country to share her family’s story as a speaker to raise money for Folds of Honor, a nonprofit that provides educa­tional scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members. She also serves as the Gold Star Liaison for the Green Beret Foundation for Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

As the 2018 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year®, Anderson will continue her work with TUP in support of gold star families. In her words, she wants “to continue to help the community that stood up and supported our family in our darkest hour.”

“This is a huge honor to receive this recognition, but one of the greatest honors is becoming someone other families feel they can confide in and trust with their pain during tough times,” says Anderson.

"Every year Armed Forces Insurance has the privilege of sponsoring the Military Spouse of the Year selectee and Krista Anderson is a fitting ambassador of this title. This is the most exciting event that we participate in and we really look forward to it. Not only do we celebrate Krista for her accomplishments, but we also get to honor all of our military spouses and thank them for their service.” says Armed Forces Insurance Chairman, Lt. Gen. Sid Clarke, USAF, Retired.

More than 800 nominations were received and a record 79,760 votes were recorded. Along with Armed Forces Insurance, the 2018 Military Spouse of the Year® was generously supported by Verizon; Caliber Home Loans; First Command; G6 Hospitality; Deloitte; Booz, Allen, Hamilton; AAFMAA Life Insurance; and Prudential.

"Military Spouses endure so much, but in Krista’s case, she endured the ultimate tragedy of losing her spouse and turned that into a positive for others in her situation,” said Suzie Schwartz, President of Military Spouse Programs. “Resiliency is a word we use frequently in the military spouse community and this year’s branch winners each embody what it means to be resilient and support our military, their families and fellow spouses.”

The Military Spouse of the Year® program represents millions of past and present military spouses who dedicate their lives and families to the service of a grateful nation and give back to their communities.

About Military Spouse:

Military Spouse is the leading destination and brand for the nation's 1.1 million military spouses, who contribute to their communities, the military and each other every day. Military Spouse provides online and print resources for military families on PCS, careers, education opportunities and family life. Follow us at militaryspouse.com, or on Facebook and Twitter.

About Armed Forces Insurance:

Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) is the insurance company of choice for current and retired members of the uniformed services, their children, and Department of Defense civilians. Founded in 1887 by military leaders with a single mission: to protect the property of those who protect our nation, providing premium quality, competitively priced property and casualty insurance to military professionals throughout the Armed Forces. We know our members have unique circumstances and insurance needs, and we offer a level of personalized service that is unequaled in the industry-because Our Mission is YOU - and your peace of mind. The company also furthers our strong commitment to give back to military and local communities through important programs and sponsorships including the Great American Patriot Award at the Armed Forces Bowl, the Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® Award, the Vetrepreneur of the Year Award, and the Military Warriors Support Foundation. In early 2015, AFI established the Armed Forces Insurance Foundation to assist in educating the military community on a wide array of key personal financial topics to help them succeed. For more information, visit the website at www.afi.org or call 800-495-8234, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.‎