KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Hard work and a desire to improve the community have won a Kirtland Air Force Base spouse special recognition for the second year in a row.
Dinah Dziolek, wife of Chaplain (Capt.) David Dziolek, won the base-level Military Spouse of the Year honor for 2017. She won the award last year as well.
In 2015, she also received the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce spouse of the year honor.
“I’m inspired by military spouses in general,” she said.
Dziolek said military spouses have to uproot their families, move around the country and excel at making the transition better for their families.
One of her biggest accomplishments has been the creation of the Spouse Resiliency program on Kirtland. Dziolek also teaches marriage resiliency with her husband during the Base Chapel’s Family Night events.
Dinah Dziolek also is a mental health counselor and part of the Kirtland Spouses’ Club. The Dzioleks have two children: son Isaiah, 4, and daughter Illiana, 3.
“It’s a great honor to be selected to represent military spouses and be their voice,” she said.
She said it is very humbling as well, because the military spouse makes everything better for everyone. Dziolek said she wants to inspire other military spouses to get involved, as they make a difference in the military and in their communities.
“What (military spouses) do is important,” she said.
With the Military Spouse of the Year program, a person can only win the honor twice. The Military Spouse magazine provides the Military Spouse of the Year program.