Sonie Munson
In September 2022, two women joined the Military Advisory Committee of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the first time in the Church’s history. One of those is Army Lt. Col. Sonie Munson, who is media operations chief for U.S. Northern Command.
The eleven-member Military Advisory Committee advises Church leaders on military matters. It was established by the First Presidency during World War II to help support and minister to military members, chaplains, and their families.[1]
Munson was raised in Kearney, Nebraska. She joined the Church of Jesus Christ in 1993. To pay for her education at Brigham Young University, she joined the Army Reserves. At BYU, she signed up for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
She then went into active duty and for the first part of her career she was an engineer officer and served in four combat deployments—three in Iraq and one in Kuwait. She served as a platoon leader, an executive officer, and a company commander. The second half of her career has been in public affairs.
She holds a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees.
Munson met her husband in the military and they have one son.
Being asked to serve on the committee explains her mission. “I went through a lot, but if I can help somebody else, and I can help our service members or military families or civilians have the comprehensive religious support that they they need, that is what it was for.”[2]
Todd Linton, director of the Military Relations Chaplain Services Division noted, “Sonie is active duty military, and not only is she a leader in the military, but she’s also a mother, an active servant of the Lord in the Church. Her perspective of trying to manage her family, her career and her service in the Church is something I think every woman has to deal with. She is someone that has brought tremendous energy, enthusiasm and experience.”[3]
