Amanda Machesky

Share your military spouse story:
My military spouse story does not start off in a usual way. I did not marry a Marine; I married a man who worked Offshore in the Oilfield. After a few years of a 28 days offshore, 14 days home schedule, my husband took the plunge to go back to school fulltime and prior to graduation, made the decision to pursue a career in the Marine Corps. A week before Officer Candidates School graduation, my four-year-old, my mom, and my mother-in-law, loaded our vehicle and followed my grandparents hauling a trailer of our household goods from the Florida Panhandle to Virginia: my military spouse story starts here. From fellow spouses that I met while my husband was going through The Basic School (TBS) who were going through the same transition, to spouses of leadership offering advice and guidance- it was impressed upon me what a gift this community is. The friendship and support I found during those six months laid the foundation for which drives me to volunteer and give back to this amazing community. After TBS, our family PCS’d to Camp Kinser in Okinawa, Japan where I found a new form of community: a community that became family away from family during the birth of our second child and through the pandemic. Okinawa opened doors and provided the opportunity to volunteer within my spouse’s battalion, our local spouses’ club, and something for me: kickball! From there we’ve made it to our current chapter: a Drill Field family aboard MCRD Parris Island. In true military life fashion, we welcomed our youngest child two weeks into my husband’s first cycle and our Non-Temporary Storage was delivered while we were at the hospital. Semper Gumby, y’all!

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
At MCRD Parris Island, I have had the opportunity to help build the Family Readiness Program within 4th RTBn, 2nd RTBn, and currently at Support Battalion as Command Team Advisor. During my husband’s time at 4th RTBn our family witnessed the integration of male and female recruits at the company level; along with integration came male personnel and more families. At the company level, I have organized support events for both the Drill Instructors throughout the training cycles and their spouses to increase communication and community amongst families. As CTA, I assist in planning and hosting events throughout the year for our Marines and their families. I am also the current President of the Parris Island Spouses’ Club and facilitate the planning and execution of social and philanthropic events throughout my tenure. We are an all hands club whose main focus is building friendships and raising money for the direct support of local community and military dependent scholarships.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
I am very involved in our military community. Early on as a military spouse, it was impressed upon me how important these connections are and something that I truly value. I volunteer steadily with company and battalion level leadership to plan functions to enrich the quality of life in our military community, I bake for and volunteer with the Private Peppers program supporting graduating Marines without family present on Family Day, and I am President of the local spouses' club. Over the last year, I have been able to sit on a scholarship committee benefitting military dependents, participated in our unit's kickball team, and I have planned and volunteered for several fundraisers that benefit units across the depot. This last summer I was given the privilege of being a guest speaker at the 4th RTBn's Legacy Event representing the families during the Battalion Deactivation. Through my involvement we have grown our friendships and extended family in a way that I truly value.

Describe how you support your community:
I support my military community by being present. I am always willing to help a fellow spouse or be a listening ear, I organize morale building events for our families to stay connected, and I actively participate in the planning process for fundraising and unit events. It is very important to me to ensure the spouses and families have access to the resources they need to help them thrive in this fast pace and often difficult environment. This assignment is one that families can feel lost and isolated, so I am passionate about promoting inclusiveness and a facilitating a solid support network for spouses and families.

What do you advocate for? Why?
I advocate for spouses and families to feel seen and valued. I advocate for resources and programs to be shared with families and to have access to spouses within the unit able to help find these resources when in need. Overseas there is so much emphasis on community events and building connections due to being so far from ‘home’, but I do not believe stateside bases should be any different. It’s easy for spouses and families to feel overlooked and unseen, a supportive community can set the tone for a family for the whole tour. Our military members are given extraordinary tasks, and while their focus is the mission, they should feel confident that their families are well taken care of.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
I have spread my message of promoting community and connecting spouses through my volunteer work within the Parris Island Spouses' Club and the events we've organized and hosted for our membership throughout the TriCommand area. I have founded social media groups to create a platform of shared local opportunities and to streamline communication between personnel and spouses within the battalion. I have also taken the opportunity to speak in front of audiences ranging from the Installation Family Readiness Council to the 4th RTBn Legacy Event to share my passion for building a foundation for families to thrive and promoting ways to connect with others and get involved.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
As AFI Military Spouse of the Year, I hope to inspire others to plug into their local communities. To invest in the relationships afforded by this life, to lean into the wealth of advice from those who have been there, and to walk confidently in there’s a listening ear during the tough times and a village to cheer you on through the celebrations. I want to encourage everyone to get involved in their local community, there’s something for everyone and friendships you don’t even know that are waiting!