FORT LEE, Va. (May 16, 2013) -- It might be an understatement to call Jessica Rose Naccarato a do-it-all.
The wife of Sgt. 1st Class Paul J. Naccarato has a long list of activities that has kept her busy past and present in support of her husband's career.
They include her work as a volunteer with the installation's Exceptional Family Member Program, in which she has logged more than 450 hours; the time she's given to becoming an Army Family Team Building instructor and Army Family Action Program delegate; her efforts as a Family Readiness Group leader; and her endeavor to teach Soldiers personal finance on weekends, just to name a few.
"She always gives of herself and never thinks of herself," said her husband of 13 years. "She's just a totally giving person."
Naccarato's toil and unselfishness were recognized Monday when she was presented the Spouse of the Year honor during the Fort Lee Heroes at Home Military Spouse Awards and Spouse Appreciation Luncheon at the Regimental Club. Maj. Gen. Larry D. Wyche, Combined Arms Support Command and Fort Lee commanding general and his wife, Denise, presented the award. Military spouse advocate Sue Hoppin was the guest speaker. They were among a number of dignitaries, local officials and sponsor representatives present for the event that drew roughly 150 people.
Naccarato, who has a son, was among five finalists who were chosen for "their strength, extraordinary personal sacrifices and their selfless commitment" to the community. She received gifts including a necklace and plaque. She reacted with some measure of surprise when her name was announced as the honoree.
"I couldn't believe I was in the same category as these amazing women," said the native of Payson, Utah, after the event "They all do so much as well, and I think it should be seen as not just the things I do. I think you should always give back to the community, and to see other women do the same thing I think is really neat."
The other honorees were Karen Grube, wife of Capt. Jim Grube; Katie Gunia, spouse of Staff Sgt. Joseph Guina; Leslie Prigge, wife of Sgt. 1st Class Michael Prigge; and Raven Whiley Green, spouse of Staff Sgt. Timothy Green. During his remarks, Wyche thanked all the spouses present for keeping the U.S. military the most potent force in the world.
"To every one of our spouses -- and I don't know how to say it any simpler -- thank you," he said in a solemn tone. "Thank you so much for what you do to ensure that we continue to have the greatest Army in the world."
The general, as he is known to do, tempered his seriousness with a bit of candor. "As I tell the team at times -- you can call me a wimp; you can call me whatever you want to, but there's no way in my humble belief that I would be standing here as a major general if it wasn't for my lovely wife of over 35 years."
Naccarato, beaming with certificates and gifts in hand after the presentation, said her work as a volunteer is predicated on her husband's career but rooted in community service.
"I think as a military spouse, we definitely should give of ourselves," she said. "Our husbands and wives have a really hard job -- defending our freedoms and putting themselves on the frontline. We've gone through three deployments, and I definitely think that giving my time and giving of myself to support other spouses who are going through the same thing is an important thing to do."
Naccarato said that as much of a challenge her volunteer work presents, it is also enriching. She said all spouses are likely to benefit from involving themselves and making their communities better.
"Start volunteering," she said. "Find something you're passionate about and put yourself out there. It can be hard being in the military, so choose to make your time in the military fun."
Heroes at Home is sponsored by the Military Newspapers of Virginia, publisher of the Fort Lee Traveller and other military publications. USA Discounters; Allen, Allen, Allen and Allen and Mercedes-Benz of Midlothian were among the sponsors.
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