Armed Forces Insurance names Mandi Henderson GAFB Spouse of the Year

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Erica Rodriguez
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Mandi Henderson, Goodfellow Combined Spouses' Club vice-president, represents Goodfellow as the Armed Forces Insurance 2014 Base Level Spouse of the Year.

Henderson's heavy involvement and volunteering through several base organizations gained her the title of spouse of the year. She held a key position in the opening of the Soldiers Airmen Marines Sailors Thrift Store, where proceeds earned go toward funding scholarships for Team Goodfellow members.

"When I found out Mandi won the Spouse of the Year award for Goodfellow, I was not the least surprised," said Kim Schmidt, 17th Training Wing key spouse. "Mandi was the single most person responsible for getting the SAMS Thrift Store up and running. She spent hundreds of hours getting it where it is today; this is in addition to being the 312th Key Spouse, Vice-President of the GCSC, active in Protestant Women of the Chapel, running her own cake business and let's not forget she is a busy mother of two. It is truly nice to see the award go to such a deserving person."

Candi Olivares, Combined Spouses' Club member, nominated Henderson for spouse of the year. Spouses nominated typically display characteristics such as active community and base involvement and eagerness to help those around them.

"She's always been a real go getter," said Olivares. "Whenever somebody needs something, she always steps up. I was able to get to know her a lot through the Combined Spouses' Club. She did a lot of work getting the thrift store open, and I thought this would be a really good opportunity to recognize her."

Henderson, a former active duty Air Force and Army National Guard member, is married to a 312th Training Squadron instructor and has been a military spouse for 12 years.

She and her family arrived at Goodfellow less than a year ago and she quickly became a productive member of Team Goodfellow and the surrounding community.

"I never do any of this for the recognition," said Henderson. "I do it because so many years I was in the military and never had the time to do it. Now that I'm a military spouse, especially since my children are in school, I have time to do stuff, and I always want to give back, and now I have the time."