Photo By Pvt. Spencer Hardwick | Sgt. Jeremy G. Vest, former powerline division non-commissioned officer in charge,...... read more read more
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Silver Eagles and their families ventured to Shady Point park for a day away from the flightline under a warm, Carolina sun last Friday.
Marines from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 gathered for a family day on April 17. The event was held to strengthen unit cohesion and camaraderie, and to offer a period of relaxation for them and their loved ones.
"I really enjoy it when we have events like this," said Cpl. Matt Lareau, a VMFA-115 plane captain. "It helps bring everyone together, especially those with families. It's nice to get away from the flightline every once in a while, just relax and have a good time. We work long hours, so it's really a good change of pace."
Those with families were encouraged to bring them into the work place, offering them an inside look as to what their loved one does throughout the day. After the visit, everyone ventured down to Shady Point park for a cook-out and sports games, including an enlisted vs. officers softball game, which the officers won.
"These types of things are really good for the Marines," said Lt. Col. Glenn Klassa, the commanding officer of VMFA-115. "It gives the kids the chance to see what mommy and daddy do everyday. Shady Point park is a great place to do these types of things and we're fortunate to have it at our disposal. People can sit, relax and talk and not have to worry about work."
"They really tried to make this enjoyable and it worked," said Andrea L. Hopper, wife of a Silver Eagle. "All the kids seemed to love it and everyone had a good time. The food was great and it was fun watching them play on the athletic field. I hope they do stuff like this more often."
The event also served as a makeshift farewell for Sgt. Jeremy Vest, the former powerline non-commissioned officer in charge.
"It was really great that it worked out like this," explained Vest. "We were able to get the day and night crews in the same place at the same time, something that's very hard to do normally. It was also nice because this is a much more relaxed setting, as opposed to doing it at work when everyone is coming and going. I'm really happy this came about the way it did."
Family days also help families cope during deployment. It gives spouses the chance to network with other spouses, thereby giving them yet another support group to help deal with the stress that comes along with frequent deployments.
The squadron typically holds these types of events semi-annually and plans to hold another one before an upcoming trip to El Centro, Calif., for pre-deployment training according to Klassa.
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2009 11:04 |
| Story ID: | 32820 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 247 |
| Downloads: | 222 |
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