Headquarters and Support Battalion hosts Family Day

Photo By Cpl. Alex Fairchild | Families of service members learn martial arts techniques during the Headquarters and Support Battalion Family Day event on Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan, on April 22, 2022. Family Day allowed service members to engage in activities with their children, allowing them to view military vehicles, participate in a mock combat fitness test, and learn professional training from the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program and the Marksmanship Training Unit. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Alex Fairchild)  

CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JAPAN

04.22.2022

Story by Cpl. Alex Fairchild 

Marine Corps Installations Pacific

CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan – Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Installations Pacific, hosted an annual Family Day event to celebrate Month of the Military Child at Camp Foster on April 22.

The Family Day allowed service members to engage in activities with their children, allowing them to view military vehicles, participate in a mock combat fitness test, and learn professional training from the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program and the Marksmanship Training Unit.

“We want to show service members’ children just a glimpse of what their parents do on a day-to-day basis,” said Staff Sgt. Brett Ringgold, the unit readiness coordinator of H&S Battalion, MCIPAC. “The children of our service members are a part of our team too. With an event like this, they get to physically experience a lot of what their parents do every day.”

The families were welcomed in the morning with a speech from Ringgold, and were rotated through a variety of stations that offered different hands-on experiences for the children to participate in.

Ringgold explained that the children were able to safely touch equipment, drive explosive ordnance disposal robotics, and practice marksmanship in the indoor simulated marksmanship trainer. He said that he hopes this event left a positive impact on the children and gave them a look into the daily life of their parents.

“We started with pistol training the ISMT first and worked our way around to all the events,” said Gunnery Sgt. Krissia Avelares, a procurement chief with H&S Battalion, MCIPAC. “My son was looking forward to this day for a long time, and this was the first time he was able to do something like this.”

Avelares explained that her son’s favorite activity was the mock combat fitness test because he was able to get a good workout and experience what the weight of the ammunition cans felt like, which made him feel like a Marine.

As the day came to a close, the families were gathered again for a farewell from Ringgold. Each child left with a unique experience and a better understanding of how the Marine Corps operates.

“Today was a big success, and I hope the children and their families remember this day in the future,” said Ringgold. “Being stationed on Okinawa, every Marine gives their 110 percent every day. Their families and children do too, and this day was a success in giving a little bit back to them.”

• Date Taken: 04.22.2022
• Date Posted: 04.26.2022 19:54
• Story ID: 419175
• Location: CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, JP