In the same boat, on the same team

Go halfway around the world with two courageous military spouses (and colleagues at Johnson & Johnson) to get in the spirit of Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

Part one: In deep water

Dealing with the challenges of a deployment was nothing new for Alison, whose husband is a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy. But this one was different.

Near the end of her husband's six-month deployment, she learned that his ship—one of the world’s largest aircraft carriers—wasn’t about to speed him home as expected.

Instead, responding to a global crisis, it had turned back around.

Alison remembers the timeline for his return being rapidly revised in turn: “First, it was October 31, then November 31, then December 17, then some point in January…"

One such revision came when Alison was not only at work, but right in the middle of a meeting. “I received word that there was ‘no way’ my husband’s ship would be back in time for Christmas," she says.

Alison immediately messaged her manager to take over. “I knew he had my back. Support like that matters.”

To be sure, it really does. But it’s a far cry from the only reason why Alison, even as ship-bound comms shut down, says she never felt alone.

Part two: A community of support

Enter Alex, Alison’s colleague at Johnson & Johnson—a fellow military spouse and someone with whom she shares an unusual amount of common ground.

For example:

• Both joined Johnson & Johnson via leadership development programs.
• Both work 100% remotely, which can be an important flexibility option for military spouses.
• Both have husbands in the U.S. Navy, and those husbands happened to be on the very same ship. 

This last detail they stumbled upon a few months prior during a virtual meeting of the Veterans Leadership Council (VLC), our award-winning employee resource group for the military-connected community. They had casually kept in touch since then, but now they were communicating daily.

“It all fell into place at the right time,” Alex says.

Yet even with Alison’s support ("She was my rock”), Alex remembers this as “an incredibly hectic, chaotic and stressful time"—and she isn’t exaggerating.

Uncertainty about her spouse aside, Alex was also carrying out business-critical financial close processes, coordinating her family’s relocation to Florida and caring for two young children, aged two and four. All by herself. All at the same time.

A lot for anyone to handle, and the backdrop against which she and Alison began swapping notes.

“We wanted some kind of reassurance that our husbands were safe, but we really didn’t know what would happen next,” Alex says.

A possible answer came on December 22, but calling it an early Christmas present is probably a stretch.

“We learned that our husbands might be making a port call in a few days in Greece, but there weren’t any guarantees,” Alison says.

Still, the news led to a lively conversation, which culminated in the following (according to Alex): “Alison was adamant, ‘I’m going to Greece!’ And I just said, ‘Alright, if you’re going, then I’m going, too.’”

Part three: Going the extra mile

From opposite corners of the country, Alison—who lives in Washington—and Alex—based in Virginia at the time—flew separately to Greece, each braving 30-plus hours of travel to link up in Athens.

Finally, halfway around the world on the day after Christmas, two bleary-eyed colleagues from Johnson & Johnson met for the first time in person.

“It was such an exciting moment—we couldn’t believe we'd pulled it off," Alex says, laughing. "I think we literally jumped on each other!”

Many merry moments followed once their husbands were able to join them. The reunited couples dined together that evening, celebrating with toasts to Johnson & Johnson and the U.S. Navy for bringing them together.

“This is a friendship for life,” Alison says, adding, “I don’t think either of us would’ve gone to Greece without the other."

Alex agrees: “I’m so grateful to Alison, I truly don’t know what I would’ve done without her."

Part four: Reintegration in focus

Of course, this story doesn’t actually end with the joyful homecoming ceremonies for Alison's and Alex's husbands in January 2024 after eight-and-a-half months away.

“There was so much joy and happiness in Greece, but there was also sorrow, especially on the last night,” Alison points out. “Birthdays and milestones were missed, which is important to mention because that’s part of the story, too.”

She continues, “The perception is that it’s simply awesome to finally have this person back in your life—and it is awesome, don’t get me wrong. But the reality is that you have to deal with challenges. It takes patience, and you have to be willing to make adjustments.”

With that in mind, Alison and Alex were grateful for policies designed to make such transitions easier for military spouses at Johnson & Johnson, including the option to take 10 days of PTO per year for military-connected events like a spouse’s deployment.

“Getting back into a normal routine, having dad be part of everything again—all of that is a process, and yet it has to happen right alongside the hustle and bustle of everyday life,” Alex says.

As for the friendship between Alison and Alex, it's watertight as ever.

“It’s unusual to have someone who understands what you're going through and experiencing on an almost intuitive level,” Alex says. “It’s pretty amazing.”

Join forces with our military-connected community

Quite unlike ships in the night, military-connected employees at Johnson & Johnson are a tight-knit group, and we do everything we can to support them. While Alison's and Alex's recent PTO is one example of how we do it, there are many other reasons why we’re part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership, too.

Take the next steps if you're ready to join us:

• Search and apply for jobs at Johnson & Johnson.
• Discover the structured, growth-oriented career paths we've built for all members of the military-connected community.
• Enroll in our global talent community, where you can also sign up to receive updates about relevant job opportunities as they become available in the future.