Stacey Morgan

Share your military spouse story:
My husband and I met while we were both cadets at West Point. While I did not commission, my time there built and strengthened our family's dedication to a life of military service. But only a year after our marriage began, 9/11 changed everything about what that life would look like. In a blink, our friends were fighting and dying in Afghanistan. My husband volunteered for special operations units and the next ten years were a whirlwind of deployments, training, and sleepless nights. When my husband was overseas, I knew those combat months would be some of the worst, and best, of his life. For those of us left at home, it can be lonely and overwhelming. In that season, my fellow military spouses saved me. I experienced firsthand the difference it makes to live in a supportive community surrounded by trusted friends. From then on, my mission became to create the same kind of hopeful and caring community I enjoyed for as many military families as possible. In 2013, a new chapter in our military story began when my husband applied to the NASA astronaut program, culminating in an invitation to serve in a new way - as an Army astronaut family. Since then, we have been assigned to Johnson Space Center, and until recently, I served as the President of the Astronaut Spouses Group. On July 20, 2019, I watched my husband's rocket lift off into the night sky for a nine-month mission aboard the ISS. I was never prouder to be a military spouse than I was that day. This past summer, we dropped off our son at West Point to begin the same journey we started so long ago. We told him how proud we were of him and what an honor it is to serve our country. In June, we will move to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands for an Army command opportunity and our family is excited to serve in a new way yet again. Like every season, it will be an adventure and a challenge, filled with both opportunities and sacrifices. We can't wait for what comes next!

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
I found my leadership calling in MOPS, a non-profit focused on the unique needs of moms. One of my most exciting leadership seasons began at Fort Belvoir, VA, where I helped start a Military MOPS group at the base chapel. Within two years, the group grew to over 100 women and spawned several groups at other military bases across the country. Inspired, I became a volunteer leadership coach and, for over six years, encouraged and trained thousands of MOPS leaders, with a focus on military spouses. Today, I work with MOPS to create a supportive community for every military mom and develop the next generation of military spouse leaders. My goal is the establishment of a thriving MOPS group on every U.S. military installation worldwide by 2030. Through support and mentorship, the cycle of isolation and loneliness that often accompanies motherhood is replaced with a passion for serving others, a strong community, and a promise that no military mom is ever alone.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
The Army’s top priority is People First, and I believe healthy military families are the key to success. My focus is caring for military moms because they are the heartbeat of the military family. To do so, I connect with chaplains and leaders from all military branches to start community groups where all moms- women across the spectrum of age, rank, race, or religion- can find friends and build spiritual readiness. In addition, I train and resource military spouses worldwide so they can thrive wherever they are stationed. I recently spearheaded the launch of online MOPS groups for service members who are moms, a severely underserved part of our military community. They desperately need encouragement from those who understand their unique burdens, and I am thrilled to support them in any way possible. My passion is helping ALL military moms find friends, whether down the street, around the globe, or online because better military moms make a stronger and healthier military community.

Describe how you support your community:
The military community is my home, and military spouses are my people. Last year I published a memoir about my family’s experience during combat and space deployments and the lessons I learned about thriving in challenging seasons. I dedicated my book to “my fellow military and astronaut spouses - the most courageous and resilient people I know.” I consider it a privilege to be one of them, and consequently, I publicly committed to donating 100% of my book sale proceeds to charities that support military families. This past December, I was honored to sponsor the training of ten military spouses at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary- the first of what I hope will be many donations I have the opportunity to make in the future. It is a joy to support military families in this tangible way, and it works hand-in-hand with my goal of launching a MOPS group on every U.S. military installation worldwide. I am happy and proud to do my part to fulfill the Army mission of People First.

What do you advocate for? Why?
I am a passionate advocate for military moms, both spouses and service member moms, because moms are the backbone of military families and the key to resilient community and mission success. Since the pandemic, many families have struggled to reconnect with their community, worsening social isolation that can lead to harmful behaviors. The result is that families suffer, and the military loses its greatest strength and its most valuable asset - its people. In contrast, families flourish when military moms find the support, friendship, and community they need. They cannot meet these essential needs alone - moms need peer advocates to work on their behalf and military and community leaders to partner with them. I have found my advocacy work for military moms to be both personally meaningful and mission essential because better moms make more resilient military families, creating a stronger and healthier military community for all of us.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
My unique story has allowed me to advocate for military families across diverse audiences, both inside and outside of military circles. When I share my story, my goal is to widen the aperture of my personal experience and invite others into the collaborative and meaningful work of community building. I enjoy networking with other authors, creatives, and leaders to amplify my message and expose more people to what I believe is one of the most pressing concerns for military families today, lack of community and meaningful connection. I have written for online news outlets, print magazines, and influential blogs, chatted on live radio and dozens of podcasts, and currently manage several social media accounts and a website. But my favorite communication method for spreading my message is speaking to live audiences, where the listener can hear my voice, look into my eyes, and feel my authentic passion for supporting military families.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
If I receive the AFI Military Spouse of the Year title, I hope my message about the urgency of creating healthy and supportive communities for military moms and families will reach a broader and more influential audience. Too often, when it comes to military family support, most of the burden falls to the families themselves (most often the spouses) to create and foster it. While individuals play a crucial role as local leaders of community groups, there must be organizational and resource support from the military command and local community to make it sustainable. The AFI MSOY title opens doors and allows me to network with fellow advocates and decision-makers who can accelerate and expand the implementation of various practical, long-term solutions. Only when all military moms and families have the supportive community they need can we say that in the United States military, our people come first.