MOODY AIR FORCE — Following hundreds of nominations nationwide and a national vote yielding more than 30,000 votes, April Bitler has been named the 2023 Armed Forces Insurance Moody Spouse of the Year.

Bitler is currently stationed with her husband, Senior Master Sergeant Brandon Bitler, at Moody AFB.

SMSgt. Bitler is a loadmaster on C-130s with the 71st RQS, insurance representatives said in a statement.

Now in its 13th year honoring the unwavering dedication of our nation’s more than 1.1 million military spouses, Armed Forces Insurance recognizes and rewards 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.

Bitler not only won the AFI Moody Spouse of the Year but she won the 2022 Key Spouse of the Year for the 23rd Wing (Moody AFB). Her package has been distributed to 15th Air Force for further judging, representatives said.

She’s been an advocate for military families and military spouses having adequate financial literacy since she started working with Kirtland Credit Union in Albuquerque, N.M. in 2019. Since her arrival at Moody AFB, Bitler has been partnering with her local installations Military and Family Readiness and Wing leadership to discuss solutions for the trifecta of issues that ultimately affect the mental health of the population (financial literacy, spouse employment and food/housing insecurities).

She is the co-lead for the Moody Hiring our Heroes through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, she is an active Key Spouse for the 71st RQS and actively volunteers in the Valdosta community.

“It is a great honor to be a military spouse and to stand proudly next to my husband as he serves our great nation in the United States Air Force,” Bitler said. “As a Key Spouse, the work we do to lift up, support and improve the lives of our military community is an essential part of my life. The important thing to remember is that even though military members and families are provided resources in today’s economies it simply isn’t enough. To be able to tackle the trifecta of financial education, spouse employment struggles and food/housing insecurities, we can ultimately support the mental health of our military, so they are prepared to answer the call of whatever needs our country asks of them. They simply cannot be prepared if they are worried about things at home.”

Nominations from community members nationwide were accepted from Dec. 5, 2022, through Jan. 27. The program is organized by base-level winners, then branch-level winners, and, finally, the overall 2023 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year who are all selected by popular vote and judging panels.

As a base winner, Bitler was judged on five core criteria: overall involvement in the military community, leadership skills, community building capability, communication skills and overall personal story.

Bitler is in consideration of being named the overall winner. After a final vote conducted on March 9-10, the overall winner will be unveiled at an awards luncheon May 11 at the Hilton Arlington National Landing in Arlington, Va., in conjunction with National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, which occurs May 12.

“Over the past decade, we have seen the program grow and amplify the voices of military spouses on a national stage,” said Lori Simmons, chief growth & marketing officer at Armed Forces Insurance. “These spouses have pioneered initiatives, founded organizations, started businesses and advocated for issues impacting the quality-of-life for military families in the best ways imaginable. We are thrilled to welcome the 2023 base winners to the AFI MSOY family and work alongside them to make an even bigger impact.”

To learn more about April Bitler and the other base winners, visit www.msoy.afi.org.