Pam Allen —
Coast Guard spouse
Pam Allen speaks from experience
IN CELEBRATION OF Military Spouse Appre-
when she advises students: she’s
ciation Day May 8, Military Offi cer shares some
found employment 17 times during
33 years of marriage to her husband,
inspirational stories of military spouses who have
Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the
Coast Guard. Admiral Allen is proof
put their dreams into action. By making their own servicemembers can succeed to the
opportunities and harnessing their talents with
level of fl ag or general offi cer, even
while their spouse works 40 hours a
hard work and a positive attitude, these spouses
week; Pam is assistant dean for the
have discovered their passions can coexist with
Offi ce of Academic and Career Ser-
vices in the School of Management at
a military lifestyle. Here are their stories.
George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.
“I never thought that my fulfi lling
what I want to do would affect my
husband. It didn’t,” Pam says.
Nicole Alcorn — Navy spouse As a new bride, Pam left her job as
In April 2007, Nicole Alcorn saw herself as one of many tired Navy spouses a math teacher, moved to a new duty
adjusting to her husband’s multiple combat deployments while contributing station, and soon was alone in a New
to the war effort through her own volunteer work. York City apartment with no money as
Then an idea came to her on a long drive home to Virginia Beach, Va., fol- her husband went off to sea.
lowing a memorial service for fallen servicemembers in Florida. Pam signed up for computer pro-
She looked over to her friend in the passenger seat, whose Navy husband gramming classes and took a job as a
had died in Iraq months earlier. clerk typist on base. It wasn’t an ideal
“You know, there needs to be a monument recognizing military spouses,” job, but Pam learned you can grow
Nicole said. “Absolutely,” her friend agreed. “And it needs to include widows.” wherever you’re planted.
Eventually, the idea evolved into The Military Spouse and Family Legacy “You don’t always get what you
Association, which is spearheading an effort to build a national military think you want, but sometimes it
spouse and family monument in the nation’s capital, honoring the contribu- could be the best thing to happen to
tions of generations of military spouses and families. you,” she says.
Two and a half months after that car trip, The Military Spouse Memorial In the past three decades she’s kept
Act of 2007 went before Congress with 109 cosponsors. “We were partici- a positive outlook. When the grind of
pants in writing the legislation,” says Alcorn, whose husband, Lt. Cmdr. Dan fi nding new employment as a teacher
Alcorn, is an explosive ordnance disposal offi cer at Naval Amphibious Base, turned arduous, Pam pursued a mas-
Little Creek, Va. “It was extraordinary and humbling being part of that.” ter’s degree and transitioned to a ca-
Nicole, who is cofounder of the association, is a visionary who had the guts reer in higher education in 1988. Since
to dream big — not for herself but for military families. Nicole and her band then, she’s worked at six colleges. She
of volunteers have much work ahead of them: a vote before Congress, fi nding hasn’t lived anywhere long enough
a suitable location and design, and raising millions through fundraising. The to fi nish a doctorate or be tenured,
process could take as many as 10 years. but that’s OK with Pam. “I’m a better
Nicole currently is developing a legacy project in which volunteers collect administrator and higher educator be-
and archive the experiences and stories of military families. She hopes the cause I’ve moved,” she says.
project — which will allow everyone to be an active participant in the monu-
ment — will educate, inspire, and mentor. She calls the project “the enduring
spirit of the military family.”
Although Nicole often refers to herself as “just a housewife,” she’s found
herself in some interesting places, including the White House, on the set of the
TV show “Army Wives,” and getting lost in the halls of Congress. If she’s not at a
conference table, she’s at her kitchen table. “I’ve held business conference calls
while my daughter was in the midst of potty training,” Nicole says.
M AY 2 0 0 9 M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R 5 5
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