Military Spouses to Be Honored on OPRAH'S FAVORITE THINGS 2012 on OWN

The Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® award was founded by Military Spouse magazine in 2008. The award honors military spouses from all branches of service and all ranks. The merit-based award recognizes the contributions, sacrifices and unwavering commitment of the 1.1 million military spouses. The Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® nominees are chosen based on their contributions to community change, volunteer efforts, personal sacrifice, professional pursuits and specific efforts to support the military community.

“The Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year Award® program is delighted to be chosen to help identify 30 extraordinary military spouses to be honored on ‘Oprah’s Favorite Things 2012.’ We cannot imagine a more deserving group of military spouses than the ones who are representing their branches and changing the entire community each and every day for the better,” said Babette Maxwell, Executive Editor for Military Spouse magazine.

Nominations for the 2013 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year® will open early this year on Sunday, November 18th in conjunction with the on-air special to celebrate Oprah’s recognition of this community and the Military Spouse of the Year® award program. All Americans are invited to honor a deserving military spouse they know. Nominations can be submitted at http://msoy.militaryspouse.com. 

MSOY Nominees featured in “Oprah’s Favorite Things: 2012”: 
Air Force: 

?    Jeremy Hilton (2012 Military and Air Force Spouse of the Year), Megan Glynn (2011 Air Force Spouse of the Year), Nicole Krebs (2011 Top Five Nominee), Lori Bell (2010 Military and Air Force Spouse of the Year) and Veronica Bass (2010 Top Five Nominee ) 
Army: 
?    El Brown (2012 Army Spouse of the Year), Catherine Woyee-Jones (2012 Top Five Nominee), Janet Sanchez (2012 Top Five Nominee), Haley Utlaut (2012 Top Five Nominee), Rebekah Sanderline (2012 Top Five Nominee), Kristy Spurgeon (2011 Top Five Nominee) and Nicki Bunting (2010 Army Spouse of the Year) 
Coast Guard: 
?    Printace Clark (2012 Top Five Nominee), Brooke Gonzales (2012 Top Five Nominee) and Laura Vanderwerf (2011 Coast Guard Spouse of the Year) 
Marine Corps: 
?    Stephanie Geraghty (2012 Marine Corp Spouse of the Year), Kerry Ann Ellington (2012 Top Five Nominee), Bianca Strzalkowski (2011 Military and Marine Corp Spouse of the Year), Karen Guenther (2011 Top Five Nominee), Deanna Storer (2012 Top Five Nominee) and Erin Whitehead (Marine Corps Spouse of the Year 2010) 
National Guard: 
?    Christine Gilbreath (2012 National Guard Spouse of the Year), Mary Reding (2012 Top Five Nominee) and Ingrid Herrera-Yee (2012 Top Five Nominee) 
Navy: 
?    Tricia Ross (2012 Navy Spouse of the Year), Sarah Ann Clark (2012 Top Five Nominee), Brenda Crawley (2012 Top Five Nominee), Deborah Sims (2011 Top Five Nominee), Loree Summers Tillman (2010 Navy Spouse of the Year) and Eli Arroyo-Allen (2010 Top Five Nominee)

About Military Spouse 
Military Spouse magazine and http://www.baseguide.com are the leading national magazine and online destination for the nation's 1.1 million current and 20 million former military spouses. Follow us on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/militaryspousemagazine and on twitter@milspousemag.

About Military Spouse of the Year® 
The Military Spouse of the Year® (MSOY) is the only national merit-based award that recognizes the nation’s current military spouses. In its sixth year, the award has garnered national media attention for the winners, including appearances on NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, Fox and Friends, CNN, Time Magazine, Newsweek/The Daily Beast, The Washington Post and scores of other national, regional and local media outlets.

About Armed Forces Insurance 
AFI was founded in 1887 by military leaders with a single mission: to protect the property of those who protect our nation. The company provides premium quality, competitively priced property and casualty insurance to military professionals throughout the United States and overseas. AFI understands that its members have unique circumstances and insurance needs, enabling the company to offer a level of personalized service that's unequaled in the industry. For more information, visit the website at http://www.afi.org or call 1-800-495-8234.

About “Oprah’s Favorite Things: 2012” 
For the first time since 2010, “Oprah’s Favorite Things” returns to television in a two-hour special event. Oprah Winfrey reveals her must-haves for this holiday season and pulls off a top-secret giveaway for an unsuspecting group of deserving Military Spouse of the Year® nominees. Oprah, her staff and her team of experts take viewers behind the scenes to show how it all comes together. “Oprah’s Favorite Things: 2012” airs Sunday, November 18 from 8-10 p.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The premiere of the anticipated docu-series “Married to the Army: Alaska” will immediately follow from 10-11 p.m. ET/PT.