Silver Eagles enjoy day of fun

Photo By Cpl. Joshua Pettway | A Marine with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 raises his hand to give his daughter a high-five while she played in the bounce house during the Troop Appreciation Day held at Afterburners March 4. The event brought families together partly to give them a chance to have fun with the unit and to establish bonds with other families within the unit.  

BEAUFORT, SC, UNITED STATES

03.12.2011

Story by Lance Cpl. Joshua Pettway 

Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort

The Silver Eagles gathered together to reward their hard-working Marines with a Troop Appreciation Day held at Afterburners March 4. Volleyball, horseshoes, basketball and pool were among a few of the activities Marines and their families enjoyed.

“It’s great having the Afterburners facility to bring the families in for sports and the social climate,” said Lt. Col. Danny Johnson, commanding officer of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115. “This is a great opportunity to develop a family atmosphere and lets husbands and wives have these memories before they leave.”

This will be the last family event the Silver Eagles will have on the Air Station before Johnson relinquishes his title as commanding officer.

“I’m really proud of the unit,” Johnson said. “Everyone has been working really hard and doing a great job at making more with less.”

According to Johnson, having events for the service members is good for them because it allows the families to establish bonds with other families.

“The events and activities we do for our families are aimed to strengthen the family bond and the camaraderie within the unit,” said Jimmie Woods, the family readiness officer for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115. “I take pride in the fact that I am able to give back to our Marines and their families for the things that I received from my time in the Corps.

“The Marines deserve a day of fun to themselves because they work so hard,” Woods continued.

This event also allows the service member to strengthen camaraderie through competition. According to Johnson, the non-commissioned officers set up sports brackets so the Marines could enjoy friendly competition amongst each other.

“There was a great turnout for this event and everyone seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves,” Woods said. “The Marines have been working really hard and this is a great chance for them to relax.”

With such an important mission, service members must stay focused in order to complete it. However, while they work hard to complete the mission, the FROs, and spouses of the service members support them and ensure that they enjoy themselves as well.

“The Silver Eagle family needs to come together and help each other as we prepare to leave,” Johnson said. “The American people need us and we are going to be ready to go and accomplish our mission. Their families should be proud of what we do now and after we deploy.”

• Date Taken: 03.12.2011
• Date Posted: 03.12.2011 00:48
• Story ID: 66916
• Location: BEAUFORT, SC, US