NAS Whidbey spouse in running for national honor

Published 1:30 am Friday, April 24, 2026

A military spouse living on Whidbey may receive national recognition for her advocacy work.

Meg Graves, whose husband is a yeoman in the Navy and stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey, is a finalist for Military Spouse of the Year. After dealing with challenges of her own, Graves is determined to empower other military spouses to fight for the resources they need.

Nonprofit the National Military Community Foundation hosts the Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year program, which is in its 18th iteration this year. All seven finalists — one for each branch of the military, as well as the National Guard — were selected for their leadership and community-building skills, among other traits, and their personal story.

Graves’ story begins in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where she is from, but includes chapters written all over the country since her husband’s enlistment in 2010. The Graves arrived on Whidbey in 2024.

Meg Graves and her husband, Dan, met in high school and reconnected in 2007, about a decade after graduating.

Cognizant that enlisting would spur change in both their lives, the Graves contemplated the decision before Dan joined the Navy. Meg Graves characterized it as a “big shift” affecting their jobs in particular: Dan worked as an auto mechanic, Meg as a teacher with experience working in special education.

As she underwent two years of cancer treatment, Meg Graves struggled to maintain access to medical care and support while raising two boys with autism and ADHD through frequent moves.

“We’re always having to reestablish care and finding our new baseline,” she explained.

Committed in her belief that needing extra support should not “hinder” families from military service, she explained, Meg Graves decided to take action. Currently, she works with the Military Family Advisory Network and Partners in Promise, two nonprofits meant to assist military families.

One of her proudest achievements includes taking her efforts to Congress, where she spoke on behalf of military families.

“We can all complain and have problems, but if we don’t get the ideas or the problems in front of the right people, it’s just kind of like screaming into the void,” Meg Graves explained. “I feel it’s better if you listen and engage and take them to the people who can make change happen.”

Military spouses are “unsung heroes,” Dan Graves said, adding he is very proud of his wife’s hard work and determination.

“It’s been really amazing to watch her continue to do all that stuff, even though she has her own struggles right now,” he said. “It makes me try to be a better person, because I would give up so much more easily.”

Graves said she is honored and humbled to have been nominated for Military Spouse of the Year, and feels it is important to recognize the work of military spouses.

“We do so much more than holding the fort down,” Meg Graves said.

The winning spouse will be announced May 7, according to the program’s website.