DEDEDO, GUAM – On May 29, 2026, Marines assigned to Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz (MCBCB) participated in an official community relations (COMREL) event with Finegayan Elementary School, continuing the installation’s commitment in supporting the school’s students, faculty, and campus improvement efforts.
Throughout the spring 2026 semester, Marines and civilian staff worked alongside Finegayan Elementary faculty through supply drives, grounds beautification projects, and student activities. In recent weeks, Camp Blaz personnel have been assisting the school with a large-scale classroom clearing effort aimed at relocating bulk office and school supplies from two large, centralized classrooms.
“A few months ago, we received a bulk school supply order from the Guam Department of Education that resulted in two of our largest classrooms becoming a storage space for copy paper, office equipment, and other supplies,” said Mr. Melvin M. Finona, Finegayan Elementary School Principal. “For the next school year, we’re trying to convert the impromptu storage classrooms into the new CHamoru language classroom to accommodate our students.”
To bring the task to a close, MCBCB staff organized this month’s COMREL efforts to clear, and prepare the classroom space for the upcoming summer renovations. Over 17,000 pounds of supplies were moved to a permanent storage location, effectively preparing the space for updates and renovations ahead of the fall semester.
“Projects like this are rewarding because we get to see a direct impact from the work we’re doing”, said LCpl Dondre Tate, admin clerk, Headquarters Company, Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. “When we come back for the next school year, we’ll be able to see the finished classrooms and know we helped make that possible for the kids”.
The event reflected the continued partnership between Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz and Finegayan Elementary School, reinforcing the installation’s commitment to community engagement and supporting educational opportunities for local students. Through sustained volunteer efforts and collaboration with faculty and staff, Marines and civilian personnel continue building strong relationships with the surrounding community while contributing to projects that positively impact Guam’s future generations.
As the Marine Corps Service Component for Joint Region Marianas, MCBCB provides power projection capabilities that enable operational forces to train, deploy, redeploy, and reconstitute. MCBCB also supports tenant organizations, military personnel, and their families, operating a training base that promotes the combat readiness of the Fleet Marine Force and the missions of other tenant commands. The base provides essential training venues, facilities, services, and support to meet the Marine Corps’ future combat requirements and remain responsive to the needs of Marines, Sailors, and their families.