Marines host beach bash to promote unit cohesion

Photo By Cpl. Matt Myers | Petty Officer 3rd Class Keo S. Pineda, left, a Baldwin Park, California, native, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Kirtney S. Lim, a Cape Coral, Florida, native, carve pork Aug. 8 during a beach bash at the United States Army Garrison Torii Station beach. The festivity allowed the service members and their families a final opportunity to relax before an upcoming deployment. During the feast, chicken, beef, chips, and other foods were served. Pineda and Kirtney are hospital corpsman with Combat Logistics Battalion 31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, III Marine Expeditionary Force. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Matt Myers/Released)  

UNITED STATES ARMY GARRISON TORII STATION, OKINAWA, JAPAN

08.08.2014

Story by Lance Cpl. Matt Myers 

III Marine Expeditionary Force   

UNITED STATES ARMY GARRISON TORII STATION, OKINAWA, Japan – Marines, sailors and their family members hosted a beach bash party Aug. 9 at United States Army Garrison Torii Station beach, Okinawa, Japan, as a way to bring family members and service members together.

The event was a pre-deployment festivity in a relaxing and fun environment for service members assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 31.

“The Marines and sailors at CLB-31 have been working extremely hard, working crazy hours, and performing brilliantly,” said Sgt. Maj. Max A. Garcia, a Morningside, Maryland, native and sergeant major for CLB-31, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, III Marine Expeditionary Force. “We wanted to reward them. This also gives the spouses and family members an opportunity to talk and create a support group so everyone is on the same page as far as what’s going on with their Marine or sailor while they are gone.”

CLB-31 provides ground combat service support to the 31st MEU during special operations and additional support operations, which is no easy task, according to Cpl. Douglas W. Farrell, a landing support specialist with CLB-31.

“We’re a pretty high speed battalion, and there’s not a lot of downtime,” said Farrell, a Tewksbury, New Jersey, native. “Being able to come out here and just see everyone is a good thing. Having unit cohesion as Marines and really just as friends is important to our job because it ensures that we operate as a fluid unit and work easier alongside our brothers and sisters in arms.”

Throughout the bash, the weather would quickly change from sunny to torrential downpour, but the service members continued to grill, eat and have fun in the rain.

“Even though the rain is coming down pretty hard we’re still out here laughing and having a good time,” said Lance Cpl. Jeffrey M. Dobson, a Leesburg, Florida, native and a landing support specialist with CLB-31. “We won’t let rain ruin our bash or our spirit.”

• Date Taken: 08.08.2014
• Date Posted: 08.20.2014 01:20
• Story ID: 139876
• Location: UNITED STATES ARMY GARRISON TORII STATION, OKINAWA, JP
• Hometown: LEESBURG, FL, US
• Hometown: MORNINGSIDE, MD, US
• Hometown: TEWKSBURY, MA, US