Military spouse finds need, shows up

Melanie Patrick is a woman on a mission. Actually, make that several missions. And she’s working hard to encourage more of us to get involved.

Patrick moved to eastern New Mexico a year ago from San Antonio, Texas, with her husband, Col. Chris Patrick, commander of the 27th Special Operations Medical Group at Cannon Air Force Base.

“I’m a military spouse and boy mom,” Patrick said. “I don’t really care for the traditional unspoken rules for military spouses. I honor my husband’s job, but I can be my own person with my own opinions and ideas.”

In a recent appearance as a speaker for the United Way’s Women’s Initiative Network, Patrick shared three rules she tries to live by: “Find the need. Show up — just showing up is a huge deal. Have compassion.”

She entered the local limelight a couple of months ago by organizing a March for Our Lives event in Clovis.

Why’d she do it?

“Because I’m tired of seeing the ‘latest’ school shooting headline and doing nothing about it,” Patrick said. “My children were involved in an active-shooter situation in another state and I never want to say I didn’t do anything to help bring about change in regards to gun reform. I’m a Second Amendment supporter and a sportsman, but I’ll gladly give a little if it will save people’s lives. Evidence is showing we need change.”

With seven moves in the last 14 years — and thanks to her husband’s position, another one coming in about a year — she knows the importance of diving into a new community as quickly as possible.

In those multiple moves and through wide-ranging causes, Patrick said, “I’ve found my voice and my voice is needed.”

After a year at Cannon, “my heart is for the young airmen,” she said, “but also for those single moms and low-income families struggling in our communities.”

She is one of the driving forces behind the Airman’s Attic, a volunteer-run organization on base “where airmen of all ranks can turn in or pick up military uniform items, and airmen E-4 (senior airmen) and below can score anything from a book to a television, all for free,” she said.

“Most of our airmen come out of the dorms with nothing to their names but a vehicle and a television,” Patrick said. “We supply them with basic household items. Kitchen essentials and bedding and beds are huge needs.”

If you’d like to support this effort, find Cannon AFB Airman’s Attic on Facebook, or contact Patrick directly at:

[email protected]

Patrick said Portales and Clovis “do a wonderful job of giving of themselves to CAFB,” but she hopes even more of us will extend a hand.

“Don’t be afraid to reach out to a new military family,” she said. “Invite us over for a cookout. Give us the secrets of getting hard-water marks off our cars. Tell us about the places you like to go for adventure in the High Plains. I know it’s painful to make new friends again after that last family left, but you have a lot to offer folks like us.”

Betty Williamson thinks Melanie Patrick rocks. Reach her at: [email protected]