Madison Chapman

Share your military spouse story:
I am the spouse of a Marine and love the opportunity to see new places in the world. We have the rare chance to show our children the history and beauty of places we never thought we would live in. We have met and befriended so many people from all over the world who, like us, are in the military community. We have been inspired by the cultural differences and love learning about the individualities of the world. From language, holiday traditions, food, and every type of celebration, we love learning of the cultures unknown to us. Another passion I have is for fair military spouse employment. Leaving home and moving to a brand new place as a military spouse is no easy task. I have met hundreds of military spouses and helped them with career progression whether it be from hiring, career suggestion, resume review, tax review, interview prep, HR matters, LWOP, maternity leave paperwork, salary negotiations, and resignations.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
I aspire to be a positive leader in my community by leading by example. I have always been an advocate for participating in base programs, being employed by the government, and being involved with the military families in our unit and community. As a leader, I am always the first to offer to host holiday events and encourage community events. I have been a supporting member of the military spouse community by offering a shoulder during other’s deployments, hosting baby showers for new families that arrive, and creating meal trains for the growing families.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
Since 2018 I have volunteered and worked with the Marine Corps and Navy at various events. I have worked at Thanksgiving dinners, toy drives, MOPS guest speaker, trunk or treat Halloween events, welcome home celebrations, and helped distribute living essentials to Marines and Sailors during Covid.

Describe how you support your community:
While working for the government as a recruiter I have made great strides in hiring and retaining military spouses. I have taught classes on the special hiring authorities for military spouses and the special tax exemptions. I have reviewed and revised resumes for military spouses to help them as they transition to new careers at future duty stations. I have helped military spouses with LWOP, setting up childcare and applying for financial assistance, and setting up appointments with JAG for necessary paperwork when moving.

What do you advocate for? Why?
I advocate for an inclusive military spouse community. Everyone is away from their home and extended families. I hope for a community that celebrates differences and invites diversity to our growing community. With all our differences, I encourage the opportunity to learn new cultures and embrace others.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
I have spearheaded hiring events and social media campaigns specifically for military spouses and family members of service members through Facebook and LinkedIn.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
I hope to continue to be a positive leader in my community and show military spouses that there are so many opportunities in the new places we live. To show that even though you are missing home, it is the perfect place to bring your cultures and traditions because other families may also be interested in what you have to offer. I also hope to continue to show military spouses that are positive avenues for career progression, that just because you leave somewhere familiar and have to start over you do not have to leave your career behind or start at the very bottom of the career ladder.