Allyson Sue Hash has been named the 2023 Armed Forces Insurance National Guard Spouse of the Year. Hash is currently stationed with her husband, 1st Sgt. Scott D. Hash, who serves in the Maryland Army National Guard 29th Combat Aviation Brigade at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Edgewood.
As a base winner, Hash was judged on five core criteria: overall involvement in the military community, leadership skills, community building capability, communication skills and overall personal story.
She has more than 8,000 volunteer hours and raised more than $50,000 in support of the nation’s guardsmen, according to the release. She also works as the executive assistant to the Maryland adjutant general.
“I work and volunteer my time to the Maryland National Guard 24/7,” Hash said in a statement. “I am blessed that everything in my life allows me to support all who wear or those who support our state’s guardsmen. Working hard to build trust with the guardsmen allows me to build a deeper relationship with them as a soldier and individual. This is essential and powerful. Although majority of my time is dedicated to those currently serving, it does not stop at retirement. I know the extra time I spend speaking to a retiree or their family members is a privilege. And, one I do without fail every day.”
An Illinois native, Hash received a bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising from Valparaiso University in Indiana. After college, she moved to Orange County, California in 1991, where she designed store layouts for major retailers.
Hash’s military connection began when a simple hello and a smile from her future husband, Scott, a Marine, captured her heart, according to the release. After they were married, the next chapter of his military service moved them across the country to join the Maryland Army National Guard, where she joined the Family Readiness Group as a core volunteer, the release said.
As a National Guard spouse, Hash met soldiers from 18 other states while volunteering at mobilization sites during her husband’s deployments, earning the mother of three the call-sign “Mama Hash,” the release said.
After 24 years, Hash continues to find solutions to challenges and ways to support families in the midst of military travel, drill weekends, annual training and deployments. She has served one year as a core volunteer for the 2-224th Aviation Battalion; 15 years as a lead volunteer for the 248th Aviation Support Battalion, 1st Battalion, 224th Aviation Regiment, Aviation Depot Maintenance Round-out Unit and 1100 Theater Aviation Support Maintenance Group; four years as the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade Family Readiness Support Assistant; three years as the Maryland and District of Columbia Military OneSource state consultant; and 23 years of fundraising and volunteering with the school system, Gunpowder Wounded Warrior Outreach, Operation Homefront and United Through Reading, the release said.
When not working at the armory or volunteering, she visits businesses in the community, allowing her to stay connected with the organizations, businesses and churches that assist the military, the release said.
In its 13th year honoring the dedication of more than 1.1 million military spouses, Armed Forces Insurance recognizes the sacrifice of military spouses from all six branches of the Armed Forces, who are advocating for others and having a tangible, measurable effect on their communities, according to a news release.
“Over the past decade, we have seen the program grow and amplify the voices of military spouses on a national stage,” said Lori Simmons, chief growth and marketing officer at Armed Forces Insurance, in a news release. “These spouses have pioneered initiatives, founded organizations, started businesses, and advocated for issues impacting the quality-of-life for military families in the best ways imaginable. We are thrilled to welcome the 2023 base winners to [our] family and work alongside them to make an even bigger impact.”
Hash is now in the running for the 2023 national winner. The overall winner will be unveiled at an awards luncheon on May 11 at the Hilton Arlington National Landing in Arlington, Virginia in conjunction with National Military Spouse Appreciation Day on May 12.
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