NHS grad is military spouse of the year

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Courtney Dixon (Mathews), a 2010 graduate of Newcastle High School, was recently named the 2020 Armed Forces Insurance Fort Leonard Wood Spouse of the Year. Dixon is stationed with her husband of eight years, Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Dixon, at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. 
Although she did not move on to the next phase of the competition, the young military spouse has used this opportunity to raise awareness for her Green to Grain directory. Green to Grain is an online directory created by Dixon that will connect veterans to resources for careers in agriculture, homeless veteran aid and community inclusion. 
Dixon said that she never imagined she would be a military wife but that she always knew she would end up in the agriculture field in one way or another. Now she gets to combine both her passion for agriculture and her desire to aid the veteran community, she said.
“My passion has always been agriculture. As a military spouse, I see some of the issues our veterans who are nearing military separation or retirement are facing when it comes to finding fulfilling, meaningful employment,” Dixon said. “For those interested in careers in agriculture, there are many resources and funds available to help  – but not without strenuous searching.” 
Recognizing these issues, and knowing that her husband’s post-military plan is a career in agriculture, Dixon decided to use her knowledge and skills to create the Green to Grain directory. 
“There was no ‘one stop show’ to find a directory to learn about transitioning into agriculture-related careers. I have developed Green to Grain online directory as a means to connect veterans to the resources, educational opportunities and available funding and grant options to help them pursue their dreams,” Dixon said. 
Creating the directory is not the only area where Dixon has used her can-do Wyoming attitude. She has also donated items to homeless veterans’ shelters, teaches local coupon and savings classes to military spouses, is the communications director for Military Spouse Advocacy Network and has served on the Fort Leonard Wood horse stables committee. 
“As a homegrown ranch girl from Wyoming, Courtney is no stranger to the concept of a hard day’s work and giving for others,” said Lakesha Cole. media contact for Milspo Media.
Dixon has taken the recognition as military spouse of the year as an opportunity to promote her hard work and use her voice to help veterans across the country. 
“I have always believed that if we are given a voice, we better use it. I plan to use mine to “ag-vocate” for our community,” Dixon said. “Promoting careers in agriculture could have a real, positive impact, by providing meaningful careers to veterans through agriculture. We could help with the homeless epidemic in our veteran community. It is imperative that we step in and give a hand to those who were willing to give all for us. If my directory can help even one veteran in danger of homelessness find resources and benefits available for vets interested in ag, then I have done something important in this life.” 
This award has helped military spouses grow and amplify their voice, much like Dixon, according to a press release from 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 way imaginable. We are thrilled to welcome the 2020 base winners to the AFI MSOY family and work alongside them to make an even bigger impact,” said Lori Simmons, chief marketing officer at Armed Forces Insurance, in a press release. 
Chris Hale, CEO of veteran-owned Neptune Holdings, founded the Military Spouse of the Year Award in 2008. After nine years as a title sponsor, Armed Forces Insurance assumed ownership in 2018.  
“The award is presented at a base, brand and overall level each year to military spouses who are making a difference in their communities and providing a collective voice for spouses around the world,” the press release says. “Through a national nomination and voting process, these nominees are judged on five core criteria: overall involvement in the military community, exhibition of leadership skills, community building capability, communication skills and overall personal story. With more than one million military spouses worldwide, this award program aims to shine a spotlight on the force behind our armed forces. For more information, please visit www.msoy.afi.org.”