USS San Diego (LPD 22) celebrates Halloween with Trac-or-Treat

Photo By Lance Cpl. Jeremy Laboy | MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Oct. 31, 2017) – Marines of Amphibious Assault Vehicle platoon with Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit celebrate Halloween aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22), Oct. 31,2017. The Marines decorated the well deck and held a Trac-or-Treat event for Marines and Sailors. USS San Diego is deployed with the America ARG and 15th MEU to support maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

10.31.2017

Story by 1st Lt. Maria Arnone 

15th Marine Expeditionary Unit

Plastic spiders staged throughout the cobwebs stretched over each AAV hung low enough to graze the necks of any passersby. Fog crept out from under the vehicles, and a maniacal laughter was heard from one of the trackers finishing up last-minute touches to his trac.

When the clock struck 7 p.m., an announcement summoned all personnel aboard ship to muster in the well deck: it was time for Trac-or-Treat.

“Halloween is by far the best holiday to celebrate, and my Marines and I were lamenting how we would miss out spending it with our friends and families this year,” said 1st Lt. Mark Dougherty, AAV Platoon Commander. “We came up with a plan to decorate the well deck and bring Halloween to the ship.”

However, Halloween decorations were not on the deployment packing list, so the Marines had to recruit assistance.

“We thought about this idea a while back, so we asked our friends and families back home to send us decorations and candy,” said Cpl. Martin Torres, AAV crewman and lead decorator for Trac-or-Treat. “We divided up what we got and decorated the tracs. We couldn’t have done it without so much support from everyone back home.”

The Marines received more than 50 boxes of decorations, costumes and candy. Using these items, they divided into groups to each decorate an AAV and area of the well deck. Trying to maximize the fright factor, the Marines not only decorated the outside of their tracs, but decked out the inside as well.
“We appointed Cpl. Torres as the lead decorator, because we had confidence in his taste and ability to scare people,” explained Cpl. Jacob Kohrmann, an AAV crew chief. “We wanted the tracs to really scare everyone, but we also wanted to make sure they got some candy and had a good time.”

As Marines and Sailors were scared through the mechanical maze, they received candy, screams and sodas from their travels. As they reached the end of the maze, the next phase of the Halloween celebration aboard ship was a costume contest hosted by the Morale, Welfare and Recreation committee aboard ship.

“We hope everyone had as much fun attending the event as we did hosting it. Trac-or-Treat was a fantastic getaway from the day-to-day routine, and a fun way to blow off some steam with our fellow shipmates. Working with MWR and having the whole ship celebrate made for a memorable night,” said Dougherty.

With one holiday down, the Marines and Sailors continue on with their deployment as the Nation’s crisis response and contingency force.

• Date Taken: 10.31.2017
• Date Posted: 11.02.2017 03:34
• Story ID: 253808
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)