Spence received a commission into the Army via ROTC at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and an MA in Russian Studies from Georgetown University, Washington DC. He was a Military Intelligence officer, and served two tours in Vietnam and numerous other tours in Europe and elsewhere. He retired as a Colonel in 1992 after 24 years of service and settled in his wife‘s hometown of Hendersonville. He spent many years as a volunteer in nonprofits. He has served on the WNC MOAA board for eight years and is a chapter Past President.