Celebrating Our Military Spouses: Featuring AFI’s Military Spouse of the Year Navy Branch Winners Angela Litteral and Jennifer Barnhill

Armed Forces Insurance recognizes the work of military spouses from all service branches, with nominations held in December each year. From January through March, these amazing men and women are recognized for their dedication to helping military families thrive. In this episode, we talk with Navy branch winners Angela Litteral (2024) and Jennifer Barnhill (2025) to discuss the program and their platforms, as well the importance of military spouses everywhere creating change in their communities.

Show Links:

• Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year®

• Unsung Heroes: The League of Wives and the Power of the Military Spouse Changemakers

• Navy Marine Corps Relief Society

• My Navy Family

• We Serve Too

• Strength in Service

• Mission: Milspouse

Show Takeaways:

• Military Spouses deserve to be recognized for their strength, selflessness, and sacrifice.

• The Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year Program honors military spouses from all service branches. Angela Litteral was the 2024 Navy Branch Winner, and Jennifer Barnhill is the 2025 Navy Branch Winner.

• Military spouses are a diverse, talented group who use their wide range of talents to support and strengthen their various military communities: From volunteering with NMCRS to elevating spouse stories, or mentoring entrepreneurs to providing mental health services, Angela and Jennifer highlight multiple changemaking spouses and the phenomenal work they’re doing.

Let’s Connect:

• NSFL Website

• NSFL Facebook

• NSFL Instagram

Strengthening Connections: How United Through Reading Helps Military Families Thrive

United Through Reading (UTR) is a national nonprofit dedicated to strengthening military families’ emotional bonds, literacy, and general well-being through the power of reading. Penney Letrud-Samons, United Through Reading’s Director of Special Programs, discusses how the organization’s free storytime video recordings help deployed servicemembers stay connected to the military children in their lives. But the program isn’t only for deployments - UTR helps encourage reading anytime, anywhere. Penney tells us all about the many literary resources that UTR offers and all the incredible developmental benefits reading offers to our military kids. Penney also announces the 2025 Book for the Military Child!

Show Links:

• United Through Reading

• United Through Reading App

• United Through Reading Resources

• United Through Reading Upcoming Events

Show Takeaways:

• Every year more than 100,000 military parents deploy leaving nearly 250,000 military children at home. UTR gives military families a way to connect despite the distance they may face through deployment.

• UTR also benefits servicemembers by allowing them to maintain close emotional bonds with their families at home.

• UTR’s storytime recordings videos can be viewed on-demand and have many developmental benefits for the military child. For every storytime recording a servicemember makes, they receive a free copy of that book. Servicemembers can make unlimited recordings that are reliable, repeatable, and accessible anytime for the military children in their lives.

• UTR’s other resources include reading trackers, literacy guides for all ages, read aloud tips, and a podcast.

Let’s Connect:

• NSFL Website

• NSFL Facebook

• NSFL Instagram

Your Health, Your Benefits: Exploring the New HCFSA Initiative

Show Notes:

Show Notes: Ron Garner, Assistant Director of Military Compensation Policy, explains the DOD’s new Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCSFA) initiative. March 3rd - 31st is the first opportunity for eligible members of the uniformed services to enroll in an HCFSA during this special enrollment period.

Show Links:

• Office of Financial Readiness - Understanding the HCFSA

• Knowing your Benefits

• Healthcare FSA

• Applying for FSA

• Eligible Expense Guide

Show Takeaways:

• The new FSA initiative is a way to save untaxed income for eligible medical, dental, and vision care costs..

• • Eligible expenses include OTC medicine, acupuncture, braces, contact lenses and so much more!

• A special enrollment begins March 2nd and ends March 31st.

• Members of the uniformed services in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and U.S. Public Health Service are eligible to sign up for an HCFSA during the Special Enrollment Period.

• • Members of the regular (active) component.

  • Members of the reserve components of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force performing Active Guard Reserve (AGR) duty.

  • Members of the National Guard performing Active Guard Reserve (AGR) duty.

  • Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, including Reserve Component Managers, performing active duty for more than 180 days.

• Contributions come straight from the service member’s paycheck and can be $100-$3,300 per year.

• If you choose to re-enroll during Federal Benefits Open Season, (typically mid-November through mid-December), you may carry over up to $660 in unused HCFSA funds to the next plan year.

Let’s Connect:

• NSFL Website

• NSFL Facebook

• NSFL Instagram