Profile of a Rockstar: Ricki Rhodes
Twenty years into her career as an Army spouse, Ricki Rhodes finds herself back at Fort Stewart in Georgia, leading her unit’s Soldier and Family Readiness Group (SFRG) and establishing herself as indispensable at yet another installation. Ricki has managed twelve PCS moves, lived on nine different posts, and held down the fort during five deployments and countless rotations and field trainings. From Red Cross volunteer to Medical Records volunteer to Key Caller to SFRG Public Affairs Advisor, Ricki is never idle, regardless of location or recognition. Even those of us within the Army community often overlook the incredible support provided by spouses like Ricki who volunteer their time and energy to keep their soldiers safe, their families connected, and their communities running smoothly.
Ricki’s latest project is connected to her current home base, where she’s jumped in headfirst, as she tends to do. Ricki is someone who doesn’t do anything halfway.
Through her volunteer leadership and community engagement, Ricki has met and befriended members of the Marne Rockstar Program, an official program sponsored by the Third Infantry Division. The Marne Rockstar Program honors the efforts of active duty and retired service members, military spouses, and private citizens in local communities surrounding Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield. Ricki describes the Rockstars as “volunteers who give significantly of their time and resources to bless soldiers and families, often stepping in without being asked to meet a need they have noticed or share special skills they have developed throughout the years.”
Marne Rockstars must be nominated by their director or chain of command. Volunteer hours and overall community impact play a large role in selection. This award isn’t given lightly. To become a Marne Rockstar, it takes an abiding love for the military community and a desire to see projects through.
Many Rockstars are prior service and have amazing stories, some even recalling Camp Stewart (1940-1955). Their extensive experience provides them with the unique ability to identify important gaps in the services the military currently provides. Rockstars work with community partners to improve quality of life for soldiers and families. Several Rockstars Ricki has spoken with “grew up in this area, and, while being away for service gained knowledge of how other duty stations operated and often returned to enrich this area with new and exciting ideas. While we can all apply things we have picked up from another post, few make it happen on a grand scale.”
Ricki’s current project, in collaboration with Whisper Lake Writing, is collecting these incredible stories. She’s excited about getting to know the Rockstars and compiling, with their permission, a collection of their personal and professional experiences. “One Rockstar,” Ricki says, “mentioned moving from Hinesville to live at the former U.S. Army post Presidio on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula. How cool is that experience, to live in what is now a National Park? While she loved California, her heart remained here, and when she returned with her service member, she knew continued support of this military community was their calling. Both were, and she continues to be, an amazing part of the Marne Rockstar community.”
Some Marne Rockstars are veterans who remained in the area after receiving their DD214. One very special Rockstar was drafted into Vietnam and served several years there. Afterward, he returned to finish his time in the Army, eventually retiring after several more deployments and years away from family. He now gives back by using his gift of painting, offering classes to the community.
This project is typical of Ricki’s drive to build community and honor those who came before us. Military life is often misunderstood, and individuals’ stories are often overshadowed by the broader narrative of events on a large scale. History covers the events and the outcomes while literature represents the individual experiences of the people impacting and impacted by those historical events. History means nothing without the stories of the people who lived it.
While Ricki isn’t a Marne Rockstar herself (yet!), she’s a rockstar in my book.
If you’re a Marne Rockstar and would like to share your story, please reach out to Ricki at ricki@whisperlakewriting.com.
