Sarah Davis

Share your military spouse story:
My husband has been in the Navy since he was eighteen. His inspiration for joining the military was his grandfather who was a sergeant in the Army, and who is Vietnam war veteran. My husband enlisted his senior year in high school, and after graduating went straight into boot camp. He originally wanted to be a Navy Seal but didn’t make the cut. So one of the recruiters shed light on him becoming a master at arms. The recruiter said this fits you most and with the recruiters encouragement he was fastened in tight on becoming an MA. After graduating boot camp he went straight away to Bahrain this was his first PCS. He spent two years in the Middle East. He learned to do his job better and better each day. He also learned the language and was able to communicate with the locals. He made friends with the guys in his squad and in his barracks. He and his friends would go out on the weekends trying new foods and karaoking together. In the year of 2020 my husband was sent to aid in the evacuation of Afghanistan. He lost many friends, and seen many people lose their life on that terrible day. When he tells the story of what he seen and went through It’s almost like being transported to that day with him. His two years have come to an end in Bahrain, and he was stationed in St. Mary’s at the Kings Bay Naval Base. That’s where he met me and we began dating in 2022 and were married in 2023. We found out that we were pregnant while still in KingsBay, Then we received orders to be stationed at NAS Fallon October of 2023. We will be welcoming a baby girl in April of 2024. My husband always says he’s been blessed in all the right areas of his life. Though he has lost many friends through the year, God has given him the most precious gift. That’s the gift of life, and the gift of fatherhood.

Share an example of your leadership experience within the military community:
I work with Veterans Pen Pal Project we match pen pals up with veterans, spouses, and veterans. I am their lead ambassador, I support the fundraisers that we hold in order to keep the project going. We lay wreaths at the national cemetery for veterans in North Carolina, and also sale merchandise to raise money. I am also apart of it’s a military life that encourages and helps fellow military spouses start small businesses. We also aid in mental health. I am an active part with the ladies on base housing at NAS Fallon. We help each other out whether that’s giving stuff away that our kids have grown out of, or borrowing a cup of sugar, you know that someone is always there.

Describe your involvement in the military community:
I stay in touch within the community through FB on a group called NAS Fallon Wives. We update one another of gate closures to needing someone to watch the house while on vacation. My husband is an MA2 so they do look up to me and reach out to me if there are concerns regarding safety. When on base I show support to the other service members whether that’s a smile or simply saying thank you for what you do. Fallon is very small, and is a tight nit community. I also send goodies to the base on special holidays such as New Years and Christmas.

Describe how you support your community:
I support my community by showing commitment, involvement, and leadership. I believe that actions speak louder than words. From putting a grocery cart back into the commissary to picking up a piece of trash out of the parking lot on the way to the car. That’s showing not only respect but support too.

What do you advocate for? Why?
I advocate for equal opportunity all around, every person should have an opportunity to shine bright. Because we all bring some genuine and unique to the table. What I’m bringing is support, love, encouragement, and helpfulness. I advocate for mental health it’s not just the service members we need to focus on, we should focus on the spouses and their children. They go through trials also and that needs to be voiced and recognized.

How have you spread the message of your platform/advocacy?
I reach out to my friends who are military spouses to ask how they’re doing and to let them know they’re loved and thought of. One friend is in Guam with her husband and children. The other friend is in South Carolina with her husband and children. I give opportunities for fellow spouses to open up and talk about how they’re really feeling. Rather than holding in they can release so it want affect their marriages. It’s helpful not only to them but the entire family unit. I’m also on 12+ million which is a network of spouses looking for work, building connections, small businesses, and encouragement.

What do you hope to accomplish with the AFI Military Spouse of the Year^® title?
I hope to accomplish motivating spouses to speak up more and voice concerns. I want to meet the needs of the community, and putting resources out that can be used. Such as phone calls, messaging, emails. A way to connect and keep an open communication.