Military spouse selected for elite leadership program

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — For military families, life is similar to every other family, except they constantly have to move. That can not only be tough for the kids but also for the spouses, who often have a harder time retaining paying jobs due to the constant movement.

“They could stand out in the yard and see daddy flying over the house,” says Andrea Singsaas. Her husband is the 43^rd commander at Davis Monthan.

Singsaas says, “their spouses are always gaining these different awards and recognitions, you’re attending ceremonies, you’re talking about them all the time but then your professional career usually just kind of lingers.”

That’s why Andrea is trying to change the narrative. She is a mother of three who also runs her own business. “I started my own business doing executive coaching and then business coaching and consulting,” says Singsaas.

She has been selected to be a participant of the Military Spouse Advocacy Network global leadership development program.

“There were 900 applications,” says Singsaas. Only 50 spouses were selected from around the world. She will proudly represent Davis Monthan and other military spouses in the community.

The 4-month long program teaches the group the skills they need to excel as leaders in their community. Since moving to Tucson in June of 2020, Singsaas has been an active member of the community.

She is the chapter leader of the Association for Military Spouse Entrepreneurs. Singsaas is also actively involved with the squadron.

She hopes that leadership programs like this one will shine a light on an issue she’s passionate about. “We need to be more mindful about military spouse employment,” says Singsaas. She says the Department of Defense can also help ease the burden of moving so frequently by having longer assignments in one location.