Alexis McDonald

Share your military spouse story:
My military spouse story is no different than the many spouses who have walked this journey before me. My boyfriend (now spouse) told me one day that he was going to enlist in the NAVY, and I said okay, great! I did not think twice about it because of every family member that I knew who had served. I was immensely proud of him, and I still am. Fast forward six years, and we have experienced 1 deployment, 1 TDY (temporary duty), a global pandemic, and many more challenges. However, we have also experienced the beauty of this life-- We've built a village (navy and non navy) at our current duty station, and we welcomed a beautiful baby girl in the Summer of 2022. I have been fortunate enough to be employed at this duty station and in every position that i hve heled, I've been a voice for military families. Whether that was as a Congressional staffer, a community organizer and even now in my role as a Government Affairs Specialist for the Secure Families initiative. I share all this to say that my story is still being written. I may not be a new military spouse, but I am also not what you would consider seasoned. What I do know, is that as I continue to walk this path, 'military spouse' is a part of my identity and i will continue to advocate for my community at every oppurtunity. My story can't be told as it's still being written, just lke all of us.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
As I settled into my role as a military spouse, the world faced an unprecedented challenge – the global pandemic. While many aspects of life stood a standstill, the military community continued its operations, albeit with additional complexities. During this time, I felt the call to step up and serve in a leadership capacity. Accepting the role of Family Readiness Group president for command of over 2,000 families (reluctantly because of my fears of not being a seasoned enough spouse), I ensured our command's families remained connected, informed, and supported during these trying times.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
My involvement in the military community can be described as direct and indirect. I have served as an FRG president, but I also seek out spouses in other ways. I am heavily involved in my local church, which has many military families. My history of supporting military spouses and the military community can be traced to my early twenties when I interned for the Fleet and Family Support Center at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam. I am constantly seeking ways to serve and support, even in the non-traditional aspect.

Describe how you support your community:
I support my community in any way possible—by sharing resources and assisting fellow spouses with resume drafting and job searches. I leverage my personal and professional network to solve problems and provide solutions for fellow spouses. As spouses, we cannot focus on issues of importance, like quality of life, without first reaching out and working to build and strengthen our community.

What do you advocate for? Why?
* Enhanced Quality of life for military families because we serve and we sacrifice and deserve to be able to thrive, no matter where the military sends us *Diplomacy is the first foreign policy because sending our troops into conflict should be our last resort. * Increased visibility & access to resources because "we don't know what we don't know," and families need to know about what's available to them in order to utilize them and thrive.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
Most recently, my advocacy work has led me to speak on the detrimental impacts of a government shutdown (quality of life) on a national news outlet. Outside of that, I utilize social media and the privilege afforded to me through the positions I serve and hold in my professional life to share my message.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
I hope to bring the voices of the Junior enlisted, the immigrant military families, and military families of color and the unique challenges they face to the National Stage. I hope that in me, our community sees themself and sees that we too can have a voice at the table.