Young Marines at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall have someone in their corner in the form of the Single Marines Program.
“It really has to do with Marine wellbeing, said Anna Leonovich, the SMP Coordinator, “so the idea of taking care of our own people.”
Taking care of a Marine means making sure they have an outlet for problems they may be facing, such as making sure gym hours are accommodating or issues with their barracks are being addressed and resolved.
“I don’t necessarily have any authority over making sure their stuff is taken care of at the barracks,” said Leonovich. “I can pass it along to the right people and add some extra momentum behind it, and make sure they know how to report things correctly and that they’re following up. I’m just an extra person in their corner really.”
Their wellbeing is also addressed through access to recreation and volunteer activities. Whether it’s a movie night or an activity that takes young Marines off base for a bit of fun, “we want to make sure all of our young Marines have something to do and that they’re not just sitting in their barracks room,” Leonovich said.
Among the volunteer opportunities for young Marines, and in keeping with their competitive spirit, SMP hosts a weeklong Days of Service event, usually in April, in which the Marines from JBM-HH compete with Marines from other bases to see which base can log the most volunteer hours.
SMP meets at 3 p.m. every other Wednesday at the Marine barracks and anyone is welcome to attend.