Military Fatherhood Award : 2012 Awardee : National Fatherhood Initiative

Congratulations First Lieutenant William Edwards!

National Fatherhood Initiative presented First Lieutenant William Edwards of the U.S. Army with the 2012 Military Fatherhood Award™ in Washington, D.C., on June 13, 2012.

Lt. Edwards was selected along with two other finalists, SrA Jonathan Jackson of the U.S. Air Force and Lt. Dennis Kelly of the U.S. Navy, from among over 450 nominations received by NFI this year. The American people voted for the finalists on Facebook between April 23 and May 25, selecting Lt. Edwards as this year's Awardee.

Meet the Edwards Family

After being selected as a finalist, the Edwards family made this video to tell their dad's story on our Facebook page.

Read Lt. Edwards' nomination, submitted by his wife Esther.

Read what Lt. Edwards had to say about what he's learned as a deployed military dad.

Photos and Video from the 2012 Military Fatherhood Award™ presentation

NFI presented the 2012 Military Fatherhood Award™ to Lt. Edwards at the White House's Champions of Change event after a very special lunch that Lt. Edwards attended with President Barack Obama.

President Obama invited Lt. Edwards and three other dads
to an early Father's Day lunch.

Lt. Edwards and President Obama share a laugh over a BBQ
lunch at a local D.C. restaurant.

Watch President Obama talk about the importance of dads
with Lt. Edwards and the other fathers during lunch.

NFI President Roland C. Warren (right) presented the 2012
Military Fatherhood Award™ to Lt. Edwards at the Champions
of Change event at the White House.

Lt. Edwards thanks his family for their support and talks
about his experience a a military dad while Michael Strautmanis
(Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor for Strategic
Engagement to the Senior Advisor) looks on.

The Edwards family: Russell and Kathy (Lt. Edwards' parents)
Elena (age 8), Luke (age 6), Jacob (age 11), Lt. William
Edwards, David (age 12), and Esther.

Congratulations to the Edwards family! Lt. Edwards, thank
you for serving our country and for being a great example
of an involved, responsible, and committed father!

See more pictures from the award presentation on our Facebook page!

"Lt. Edwards is a creative, dedicated, responsible, and entertaining man who uses his talents to connect with his children whether he’s here or deployed. He has created some amazing memories to not only share love his kids, but to bring delight to many other families enduring long separations. “Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad” (Author Unknown) and I consider my husband to be one of the best military dads I’ve seen. Military life challenges families with long separations as well as unexpected surprises and hardships at every turn, but I’m glad my kids have a dad to guide them, love them, and to just get silly with them." - Esther Edwards