CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. – Military families often face different challenges than their civilian counter parts, especially when it comes to parenting. Long deployments, work-ups, field exercises, overnight duties and irregular work hours can take a toll on raising children. Combat Logistics Regiment 1 decided to do something about it and help their families succeed.
In 2011, the Family Readiness Officers formed Operation Parenthood, an annual event designed to help promote the health, wellbeing and safety of military families who are expecting a baby or have young children.
This year, service members from CLR-1 invited other 1st Marine Logistics Group families to participate in the event which focused on educating parents on topics like parental guidance, mood and anxiety disorders, available summer camps, daycares, life guard training, single-father resources, health care, schooling and family counseling.
Numerous organizations set up informational booths at the event including New Parent Support, First 5 San Diego, Young Marines, Seeds Parenting Group, Military and Family Life Counseling, Prevention & Education, Daddy Corps. The organization SitterCity traveled from Chicago for the event.
“This particular event was about connecting our service members and their families with the resources that they need,” said Lynda Schubert, CLR-1 Family Readiness Officer of Carlsbad, Calif. “As a Family Readiness Officer my job is to empower Marines and their families and to help them succeed in this unique life style.” As summer approaches, families are seeking recreational summer events, camps, summer schools and daycares for their children. The event provided families with these necessary resources.
Upon visiting each informational booth, the more than 200 service members were entered into a raffle, awarding them the opportunity to win prizes such as car seats, gift baskets, a stroller and commissary gift cards.
“It was a great event,” said Jamil Dudley, a Nuclear, Biological, Chemical warfare specialist with CLR-1, 1st MLG, and a native of Patterson, N.J. “It’s good to see that [these organizations] are supporting us and that we can support them. I think this will help Marines with families and those without because whatever they learn here they can take this to their unit and help their fellow Marines. I really appreciated them coming out here.”