For decades, Americans Working Around the Globe (AWAG) has been a quiet powerhouse for military-connected leadership and community development. What started in the wake of World War II has grown into a global nonprofit for U.S. service members, military spouses, civilians in the military community, retirees and contractors around the world.
AWAG’s mission is simple: to train, strengthen and connect military communities worldwide. According to AWAG Chairperson Meg Mitchener, that connection is often what participants carry with them long after the seminar ends.
This year, AWAG marks a milestone: its 70th annual seminar in Garmisch, Germany. The four-day event in April will draw more than 200 military-affiliated leaders from over a dozen countries for workshops, keynotes and community-building opportunities.
“The magic of AWAG is that the training and really the connection … truly is like that sort of water that just runs underneath everything we do,” she said. “People leave and not only have tools, but they have relationships that travel with them to new duty stations.”
Mitchener recounts one attendee who met a fellow participant at a previous seminar and — years later — found her at a new base, connection in hand and community already formed.
“It’s really magical,” she said.
Community impact
While AWAG was originally founded by military spouses, today the community also includes service members and civilian employees stationed overseas. For many uniformed participants, professional development opportunities like AWAG can be difficult to navigate within the structure of military training requirements.
Mitchener said the organization helps bridge that gap by providing TDY support documents, including official invitation letters and seminar overviews that allow participants to request professional development approval from their commands.
One of the hallmarks of AWAG seminars is the blend of professional development and networking. Sessions range from growth mindset and leadership workshops to practical resume and job-skills development. This variety-pack supports both seasoned community leaders and those just beginning their leadership journey.
One seminar participant took the skills she gained and built an online community to support retiring spouses overseas.
“She saw a problem and she made a solution with this confidence,” Mitchener said, illustrating how AWAG training often translates directly into tangible, community impact.
While stationed in Belgium, Portia Miller Knazovich first attended as a scholarship recipient. She then became a community volunteer and local co-facilitator before joining as AWAG’s program director when stationed in Germany. This year, she is returning as a speaker.
“I didn’t just participate in AWAG, I grew through it, one role at a time,” she told Military Families Magazine.
“Each position asked me to bring something different, and AWAG always created the space to do exactly that,” Knazovich, now a veteran spouse, said. “It creates opportunities and possibilities, and inspires you to step into them with confidence.
Equipping attendees with clarity and confidence
One of the featured voices at AWAG’s upcoming seminar is Roseanne Callens, who brings decades of professional and military-community experience to her work supporting military families. Her path into career advocacy began overseas, where she quickly realized how little she understood about the structure, language and opportunities within the military community.
“I started interviewing everyone… and learning all the different career fields,” Callens said.
That curiosity evolved into a knack for helping others translate their experience into meaningful work. She began facilitating workshops and supporting military spouses with resume building and career transitions, expertise she now brings to AWAG audiences.
“I walked out of Roseanne [Callens’] class with some concrete stuff and just … a mission and a determination to find a way to keep AWAG in my life moving forward,” Mitchener said as she reflected about her early AWAG experience with a resume-focused session. “And here we are now … AWAG is in my life.”
At this year’s seminar, Callens’ session will focus on turning military-connected experience into marketable professional skills, equipping attendees with both the clarity and confidence to navigate career changes.
Celebrating 70 years
Originally formed in 1946 to support post-war welfare efforts, AWAG has adapted through decades of geopolitical shifts while maintaining its core focus on service and connection.
“I’m just really excited to be part of that legacy and to focus on celebrating 70 years of training and strengthening and connecting with the military community in Europe and across the globe,” Mitchener said, reflecting on the milestone.
The seminar underscores not just how far AWAG has come but how its relevance remains in today’s rapidly changing world of military service and community leadership. From heartfelt connections formed over keynote talks to strategic skills participants carry home, AWAG continues to build leaders who make a difference — wherever they are stationed.
Visit https://www.awagleadership.org/annual-seminar-info to learn more about this year’s annual seminar.
