Nebraska presents new military spouse service ribbon to five spouses

Governor Jim Pillen and First Lady Suzanne Pillen hosted a ceremony at the Governor’s Residence to present the Nebraska National Guard Military Spouse Service Ribbon to five spouses of recently retired airmen and soldiers. The decoration is part of a new official state awards program designed to recognize the “profound and meritorious service” of spouses upon the retirement of their service member. The honored group included Jeanne Varejcka and Shellie Mueller, the wife of a retired Air Force Col., as well as Curtis Koehler.

Nebraska is believed to be the first state to establish such a recognition for National Guard spouses. First Lady Suzanne Pillen expressed hope that other states would follow Nebraska’s lead in recognizing the importance of the contributions made by husbands and wives of service members.

The Spouse Service Ribbon

The ribbon was authorized by Maj. Gen. Craig Strong, Nebraska’s adjutant general, and was jointly spearheaded by Command Chief Master Sgt. Scott Tontegode (Air) and Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Krecklow (Army). Krecklow stated he was inspired to create the award after seeing spouses watch their partners receive service ribbons while they themselves received nothing despite their sacrifices on the home front. He noted that spouses often sat in the front row during ceremonies while they “sacrificed and taken care of our families on the home front.”

Nebraska honors military spouses with new service ribbon

The physical decoration is 1 3/8 inches wide and features multiple stripes of red, blue, white, and gold. It is intended to be worn on a lapel during formal events. Eligibility for the ribbon is retroactive for spouses whose service members retired after May 8, 2026.

Recognizing Home Front Sacrifices

During the event, Gov. Pillen signed a proclamation designating Oct. 27, 2026, as Military Spouse Appreciation Day. He described the proclamation as potentially the most important he has ever done, noting that the commitment of the spouse is essential to the success of the public servants in the Nebraska Army and Air National Guard. Pillen told the guests that it takes an “extraordinary family” to support a service member and stated that the success of these public servants “can’t happen without the other half being 100 percent committed.”

five women honored for service as military spouses — Photo: ketv.com

First Lady Suzanne Pillen highlighted the “tremendous responsibility” spouses carry, such as maintaining jobs, paying bills, and caring for children while their partners are deployed for months or longer.

Varejcka described the recognition as humbling and special, noting that while service members sacrifice for their country, spouses also sacrifice by being away from their partners. Varejcka, who spent more than 30 years as a military spouse, said she never expected to receive such an honor.