Local, military leadership find common ground

Photo By Cpl. Nathan Reyes | Col. Michael Scalise speaks to members of the Military – Community Public Partnership Initiative meeting on Marine Corp Base Camp Lejeune, July 13. The MPPI is designed to assist the local command and their communities’ reduce functioning costs and build community relationships. Scalise is the commander of Marine Corps Installations East-Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune. (Photo by U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Nathan Reyes)  

NC, UNITED STATES

07.13.2017

Story by Pfc. Nathan Reyes 

Marine Corps Installations East       

Local and military leaders came together to formalize the first three Military - Community Public Partnership Initiative agreements on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, July 13.
The Memorandum of Agreement and the two Memorandums of Understanding included improvements for geographic information services, education and libraries for the community, military members and their families.
"We have gotten a lot of things done," said Mayor Sammy Phillips, mayor of Jacksonville. "We’re making life better for a lot of people aboard the installation and also the city."
The MPPI is designed to assist the local command and their communities’ reduce functioning costs and build community relationships.
"The collaboration between the base and the civilian population has done nothing but just continue to grow because of these functions," said Jack Bright, the chairman of the Onslow County Commissioners.
The benefits will extend to everyone involved in the partnership.
"We’ve reduced operating cost, diminished risk and capitalized on the strength of both the installation as well as the community," said Col. Michael Scalise, commander of Marine Corps Installations - East Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
The gathering is the fifth and final meeting of the program completing the first three proposals for the new partnership.
"We’ve got some products; we’ve got some direction and we are ready to move forward," said Scalise.
These agreements are just the first of many joint projects between Onslow County, the City of Jacksonville and the installation. There are still 25 partnerships to be signed.
"We are going to work together to make the quality of life better for our region," said Phillips.

• Date Taken: 07.13.2017
• Date Posted: 09.27.2017 15:41
• Story ID: 242011
• Location: NC, US