Right out of high school, Barbara Knapp boarded a bus to Washington, D.C., moved into an all-girls residence, and reported for her first job at the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover. She wasn’t a special agent. She was the backbone—the clerical force that kept federal law enforcement running at full speed during some of the most turbulent years in American history. Civil rights protests, anti-war demonstrations, and national upheaval ran through Washington, and she showed up every day to do the work that kept the Bureau functioning.
After her years at the FBI, she transferred to the Department of Defense and built a 20-plus-year career at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Edgewood, Maryland. There, she supported the U.S. Army’s mission as a dedicated civil servant—steady, reliable, and fully committed to the institution she served.
Her service didn’t stop at the office. Barbara became a tireless volunteer on base and in the surrounding community, supporting troops, families, and local programs. She has never stepped away from that role. Decades after that first bus ride to Washington, she is still serving her country in the ways she knows best: by showing up, giving her time, and strengthening the communities tied to America’s defense.
Bob Knapp was drafted into the U.S. Army during Vietnam—a moment that changed the course of his life in an instant. Like many men of his generation, he didn’t seek the fight, but when the nation called, he answered without hesitation. There’s a rare kind of strength in doing your duty when you didn’t choose the road. Bob bore that burden with integrity. He stood up, put on the uniform, and fulfilled his obligation with the steady resolve that defines true character. He did the job not for recognition, but because it was what was right.
When he returned home, he didn’t walk away from service. He continued serving his nation in the Department of Defense at Aberdeen Proving Ground, building a career in the chemical detection labs. His work supported the development of systems and devices designed to identify and defend against chemical weapons—technology that protects American troops and strengthens national security.
It was on post at Aberdeen that he met Barbara. Together, they have spent more than fifty years serving their country and their community, each in their own way, and often side by side.