Since Military Spouse magazine first started honoring the families of servicemembers with the Military Spouse of the Year award in 2008, every winner has been a woman – until now. Jeremy Hilton captured the 2012 title, becoming the first man to earn the distinction, American Forces Press Service reports.
Hilton, whose wife is in the Air Force, was recently honored during a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. Although Hilton earned praise for being a stay-at-home dad for his two children while his wife is serving the country, he has done much more than that.
In addition to his duties around the house, Hilton has become a fierce advocate for military family members with disabilities and other special needs. In fact, he has traveled to Washington on numerous occasions to speak to lawmakers about the importance of his cause.
"We're a federal institution," he told the news source. "The only way we’re going to get these issues solved is to go up to the Hill and get laws passed."
The cause is especially close to Hilton's heart – his daughter Katie, 9, was born with hydrocephalus, which causes fluid buildup in the brain. While his fight is for military families, he says that it will help the civilian population as well, with one in six people in the U.S. affected by disability.