Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

(e.g. yourname@email.com)

Forgot Password?

    Defense Visual Information Distribution Service Logo

    3rd AABn. families come together for children’s book exchange

    3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion families come together for children’s book exchange

    Photo By Cpl. Tyler Reiriz | Marines and their families decorate canvas book bags during a 3rd Assault Amphibian...... read more read more

    MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, CA, UNITED STATES

    10.15.2011

    Story by Lance Cpl. Tyler Reiriz 

    1st Marine Division

    MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – For many children of Marines, books can provide a fun distraction from the stresses that come with having a parent in the military.

    The 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion Spouse Club provided the sons and daughters of the battalion with a wide variety of reading material to do just that when they hosted their first children’s book exchange at Del Mar, Oct. 15.

    Spouse Club volunteers handed out canvas book bags to the kids as they checked in. Parents helped decorate the book bags with colorful designs and drawings. Each child was allowed to select up to four books to load into their bags and take home.

    The Spouse Club collected hundreds of books in the weeks leading up to the first book exchange, giving the children a wide variety of books to choose from for each age group.

    Mary Jean Hall, president of the Spouse Club, said the club has grown from six volunteers in June to 60 volunteers. She said that because of the growth, there are a lot of ways the club can help the battalion.

    The Spouse Club plans to continue the book exchange program, allowing the families to return their books at later events in exchange for new ones.

    Lt. Col. Howard Hall, commanding officer of the battalion, said the exchange was about more than just giving the kids new reading material.

    “The children haven’t developed a lot of the coping skills that would help them deal with their dad being on a deployment or in a dangerous place,” said Hall, a native of Schuylkill Haven, Penn. “When they’re here, they’ll come to realize the battalion isn’t a scary place. They can have fun here.”

    The families shared ice cream while parents read the books with their sons and daughters. At the end of the day, they took home their books with the promise that they would bring them back at the next book exchange, scheduled for Dec. 3.

    “Today’s event was about bringing the families together to get to know each other,” Hall said. “It lets them build a network. In the end, this battalion is stronger for it.”

    LEAVE A COMMENT

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 10.15.2011
    Date Posted: 10.25.2011 16:45
    Story ID: 79002
    Location: MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US

    Web Views: 84
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN