GRAFENWOEHR, Germany--In honor of Military Family Appreciation Month, Army Community Service sponsored an essay contest asking members of USAG Grafenwoehr to nominate, in 500 words or less, a local family for recognition. Essays highlighted families' volunteer work, outreach and philanthropy within the community. ACS chose one family to be recognized publicly each week in November. At the end of the month, one of the four families will be named Military Family of the Year.

The essay below nominated the Smith family. Aisheh Quiroz wrote the essay to nominate Sgt. 1st Class Lucas Smith, 574th Quarter Master Supply Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Maja Smith and their son, Ethan. Speaking for the 574th QSMC, Quiroz wished to honor the Smith's generosity in Grafenwoehr.

Military Family Appreciation Month Essay -- The Smith Family

On behalf of the entire 574th Quarter Master Supply Company family, I would like to nominate the Smith family for the Army Community Service Military Family of the Year. Maja, Lucas and Ethan Smith embody every aspect of what it means to be a strong and resilient military family. Their innumerable contributions to the unit and the greater Army community make them incontrovertible candidates for this award.

Living abroad gives Soldiers and their families countless opportunities to experience what the world has to offer, but with this privilege comes numerous challenges. As an employee of ACS, Maja routinely assists Soldier and families in managing, mitigating and overcoming these challenges.

She is widely regarded as the go-to person for everything from volunteer opportunities to classes and training courses and she always knows what's going on in the garrison. She encourages Soldiers and family members to get involved in any way they can. Her excitement is contagious and she emboldens and inspires everyone she meets to make the most out of their time here in Europe.

The Smith family is the heart of the 574th QSMC FRG. Maja volunteers upwards of 30 hours per week as FRG leader and Sgt. 1st Class Smith and Ethan also play integral roles in the community. Our FRG would not be the same without them. Sgt. 1st Class Smith is at every meeting, supporting Soldiers and spouses, as well as his wife, in all endeavors.

Even Ethan gets involved -- his parents have instilled the importance of volunteerism in him already. The family is there for all the events, usually the first to arrive and the last to leave. They volunteer countless hours, sacrificing time that could easily be spent on other things for the sake of bettering the FRG and the community. This kind of altruism is not often found, but it is something that is desperately needed Armywide.

Being a new Soldier or family in Germany can be intimidating and confusing. The Smith family goes out of their way to make sure that new Soldiers and their families feel welcome from the moment they arrive.

Maja makes sure incoming Soldiers receive all the pertinent information about the FRG and the unit, making herself available as a resource to ease the transition into their new duty station. Sgt. 1st Class Smith, though his job and volunteer hours already consume most of his time, still finds time to help Soldiers with car repairs -- a valuable asset in Germany. The Smith family's dedication to their fellow community members shows how deeply they care about the people in this unit and this garrison.

Five hundred words are nowhere near enough to explain the gratitude we all feel for the Smith family. Where my words fail, this nomination and the spirit in which it is being given, will, in some small way, attempt to show our deep appreciation and love for this exemplary military family.