Photo By Lance Cpl. Glen Santy | Shawn McGregor, 2-year-old son of Meghan and Sgt. Nicholas McGregor, an ordnance...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - In the life of a Marine, where deployments are often and can last anywhere from a few weeks to a year, sometimes all that is necessary is to have a friend to help get through the best and worst times.
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 14 started its first quarterly luncheon at Millers Landing July 27, which gave a chance for Marines, sailors and their spouses to come together and socialize.
The MALS-14, family readiness officer, Debra Sparkman, a military spouse herself, organized the luncheon based on her experience with the common trials of the military lifestyle.
“We wanted to use this as an opportunity to get our hands on every person and say, ‘Hey, we know you’re here. Welcome! Here are some of the things we have going on and is there anything we can do to assist you,’” said Sparkman.
The luncheon began with a meet and greet for the spouses and service members, so they could intermingle with each other and meet the FRO.
“I think that having these gatherings give us one-on-one time with the families,” said Sparkman. “So not only do they know who to call, but it also puts a face to the name. It makes it a little less daunting than pulling a name off a website or phone book. We’re just trying to take that extra step to do what we can to help out.”
The luncheon also gave spouses the opportunity to meet with the command and the Marines and sailors that their husbands or wives work with on a daily basis.
“My view is that every unit in the Marine Corps is like a big family,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Goulette, the commanding officer of MALS-14. “When you have a new member of the family, you want to welcome them into the family. The Marines are doing their Marine thing, but the wives and children are keeping the homes together. They are just as important to the whole unit, and that’s why this is so important.”
The luncheon only lasted a couple of hours. The child-friendly environment made it easier for entire families to attend without the added stress of finding a babysitter.
“I’ve been out and about, trying to meet new people since I got here,” said Meghan McGregor, wife of Sgt. Nicholas McGregor. “This has been nice; my husband is currently in Yuma, Ariz. It makes it easier to have something like this where the kids are welcome, and I don’t have to find daycare.”
“Even though this is our first luncheon, so far it’s been great,” said Goulette. “With more than a thousand Marines, it’s hard, even for me, to meet with everybody. This is another opportunity to meet with the spouses of MALS-14.”
| Date Taken: | 07.27.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.05.2011 14:03 |
| Story ID: | 74901 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 77 |
| Downloads: | 4 |
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