Why We Serve: Maj. Melissa Spencer

By Amy M. Lovgren
133rd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

At the beginning of their military careers, U.S. Air Force Maj. Melissa Spencer and Maj. Stephanie Servi had their own reasons for joining. Spencer enlisted with the Alaska National Guard as a personnel specialist, while Servi went the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps route, joining as a cadet at the University of Minnesota’s ROTC Detachment 415. However, after meeting and eventually getting married, their reasons for joining evolved into their reasons for staying. Despite the challenges of being service members and a dual-military family, their purpose for serving is what bonds them together.

“I remember sitting on the stairs with my dad and talking about my reasons for wanting to serve my senior year of high school,” said Spencer. “He told me it was a very serious decision and I needed to think about it. I was looking for some direction, and honestly, the college funding was part of it. The other part was that I always wanted to do a job with purpose versus focusing on compensation. I wanted to serve to protect people and contribute to my community.”

“When I attended my first week with ROTC at the University of Minnesota, I realized giving back was part of my purpose,” said Servi. “Much like Melissa, I wanted to protect people. I also believe in being a contributing member of society. It just felt right when I became part of Detachment 415. I was drawn to the structure and the purpose of the military.”

Spencer and Servi met at Keesler Air Force Base. They felt an instant connection during their basic personnel officer school, and their bond grew stronger. After graduation, Servi had a four-year commitment to serve on active duty while Spencer was going to go back to her National Guard unit. In 2017, they got married and have been able to travel the world thanks to their service. Their success, both in the military and as a couple, comes from a shared understanding of their responsibility to protect their communities.

“Part of the reason that we are successful in the military, and as a couple, is because of our desire to protect our communities and contribute in a positive way to humanity,” said Servi.

“We share that purpose, and we share that value,” added Spencer. “I think that’s why we can tolerate separation and potential deployments. We know we can’t walk away because it’s our responsibility, and we’re capable.”

Both Spencer and Servi now call Minnesota home. Spencer is an equal opportunity director with the Minnesota National Guard’s Saint Paul-based 133rd Airlift Wing, and Servi has been instructing at the University of Minnesota ROTC unit, where she was a cadet herself. Both women have goals for their family and ongoing military careers.

“The military brought us together and has kept us together,” said Spencer. “Who you love and where you come from doesn’t matter. We wouldn’t be who we are or where we are in our lives without the opportunity to serve a greater purpose.”