SPRING Newsletter 2011
SPRING Newsletter 2011
SPRING Newsletter 2011
FROM THE
C OMMANDING O FFICER
I want to thank each and every one of you for lending us your
Marine, Sailor or Soldier to help accomplish our mission here,
especially those who have had their loved one deploy in harm’s
way. I hope that each of them returns to you a better person for
their experiences. These Marines are the finest our nation has to
offer.
SPRING 2011 BATTALION BULLETIN 2|P A G E
S
Family Readiness Program--Tiffanie Flowers, Keri Mitzel,
Robin McMurry, Michelle Munsee, and Jennifer Sisson.
I would also like to say thank you to Sharon Ayala and
Sabrina Bianchi who have PCS’ed. These ladies have
offered their time and energy for the benefit of all of us
ERGEANT M AJOR
in the battalion. Whether it’s family events, stuffing
envelopes, holiday decorating or coming in to make Marines, Sailors, Civilian Marines and all our Families,
telephone calls to folks across our battalion—no matter,
they cheerfully come out and give of themselves. We Marines, Sailors, Civilian Marines and all our Families,
could not do it without them. April is Volunteer
Appreciation Month, and we’ll be honoring them in a My first six months as your Sergeant Major have flown
special way. by at a blink of an eye. These first few months has
allowed me to get from behind my desk and visit with
The efforts of all these remarkable people during 2010- some of you in your day to day operations. I was met
11 have been very much appreciated. The change of by professionals at every turn; all were focused on
command is at 0900 on Friday, May 6th at the Marine mission accomplishment and to support all
Logistics Group Headquarters. I hope you’ll join us to requirements in the day to day operations of this base.
see the passing of the colors and meet the new boss, As your Sergeant Major, I would like to say how proud I
and give me an opportunity to personally say thank you am of your service to this great nation and our Corps.
and goodbye. Truly each of you are great Americans and our Corps
wouldn’t be as strong or successful without each of you,
Thank you again as always for your interest and your
your dedication, selflessness and sacrifices is the
support of Headquarters and Support Battalion and
cornerstone of our future success.
Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune. I wish all of you the
best of luck in the future. This past weekend required all of us to move our clocks
forward, daylight savings by one hour. We are moving
Susan B. Seaman
into the time of year when all of us get out doors and
Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps
enjoy the fun in the sun. Some of the activities we will
Commanding Officer, Headquarters and Support
undertake can be fun however do require some
Battalion
Operational Risk Management (ORM). The summer
Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune
season allows us to hit the beach, ride jet skis and surf.
Some may turn to some much needed yard work
around the house using some high powered tools,
climbing ladders. Some will plan that family vacation.
analyze the risks surrounding the activity by using ORM The mundane domestic tasks of lawn mowing, weeding,
and minimize the risk to self or family. painting, washing, etc…would be fun to hire out. Yet,
those are the things that require our attention, and
All of you are extremely important to our mission cannot be allowed to go undone.
success – every day. I would ask each of you to
remember who you are and what you all represent. All The Bible says in Isaiah 61:11 “For as the earth bringeth
of us must continue to dedicate ourselves to taking forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that
responsibility for our actions and taking care of each are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause
other. Make that right decisions, each and every time. righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the
Know who’s to your left, right, front and rear. This nations.” The question is then, what things am I
applies to our Marines, Sailors and also our families. planting in my life? The law of sowing and reaping
often times has a negative connotation. We
As we move forward towards these summer months, I understand: 1. You get what you sow; 2. You get more
need each and every one of you to be an engaged than you sow; 3. It takes a while for the crop to come in.
leader. Whether you wear the uniform now or days So then, what type of harvest would you like to see
past, spouse, parents I ask all to take care of each other. “Spring Forth?” The law of sowing and reaping can
Be safe and always remain faithful to what you have a positive connotation. It just requires us to tend
represent. diligently to the garden of our life.
C
the “Right Crop” comes in and is not choked out by
“weeds.” SPRING FORWARD…not easy, but worth the
effort.
HAPLAIN’S CORNER Chaplain Richard Wiese
F
SPRING FORWARD…A phrase we use to indicate moving
our clocks ahead during the
“spring” season. Something we all
despise because we lose an hour
AMILY READINESS OFFICER
of sleep, but yet it allows us to
maximize our use of the daylight.
As we move into this time of the Volunteers don't get paid, not because they're
year, what projects will consume worthless, but because they're priceless. ~Sherry
your time? Will there be a long Anderson
list of “honey-do’s” you wish you had enough money to
April was Volunteer Appreciation Month. Volunteers
pay someone else to accomplish? I agree. I wish I could
are an invaluable asset to the family readiness program
relegate some of my task at home to another person.
and tremendously enhance and expand the program.
SPRING 2011 BATTALION BULLETIN 4|P A G E
Thank you to our volunteers: Tiffanie Flowers, Keri free loan, which is normally repaid by allotment. If
Mitzel, Robin McMurry, Michelle Munsee and Jennifer repayment would cause a hardship, assistance may be
Sisson for their support of the Headquarters and provided as a grant or a combination of grant and
Support Battalion family readiness program! interest-free loan. NMCRS does not, however, assist
with the purchase of non-essentials, nor does it
There are a number of other organizations, in addition supplement the income of persons who live beyond
to family readiness, who provide support for military their means.
personnel and their families around the world. Below
are just a few that are available in the Camp Lejeune USO*:
area. These resources are being highlighted both to
thank those who volunteer serving military families, and VOLUNTEERS: There are countless ways volunteers
to mention just some of the services they provide. support the USO, but they all share an abiding
dedication to troops and their families. Whether it’s
helping out at a special event, cheering troops at
homecoming, manning a front desk or providing a
NAVY MARINE CORPS RELIEF listening ear, volunteers are the reason troops know
SOCIETY (NMCRS)*: they can count on the USO.
Education loans and grants; Smiles Over Miles -- Family members left
behind can make videos at our centers to send
Lifetime benefits information assistance; to deployed loved ones overseas. The newest
Money management and budgeting; feature of our Smiles Over Miles program
allows service members and their family
Budget for Baby Workshops; and
members to create accounts online to send
Visiting Nurse Services secure videos during deployments.
The Society focuses on financial education and
United Through Reading allows service
responsibility. When the servicemember can afford to members to read a story on video before they
repay, financial assistance is provided as an interest-
SPRING 2011 BATTALION BULLETIN 5|P A G E
are deployed and then have it delivered to their L.I.N.K.S. for Teens
children while they are away. This makes it
L.I.N.K.S. for Tweens & Kids
possible for service members to stay connected
from afar and eases the pain of separation for L.I.N.K.S. for the Active Duty Marines
their children.
The list could go on for pages and pages of those
Food Pantry – Non-perishables are available to
organizations who provide support and volunteer
assist young service members and their families
opportunities for military personnel and their families.
during times of need.
If you have any questions, would like information on
And more…. additional resources, would like to volunteer for the
family readiness program, or would like to receive e-
mails on specific topics, please e-mail
L.I.N.K.S. – LIFESTYLE, INSIGHTS, NETWORKING,
(rhonda.tomlinson@ usmc.mil) or
KNOLWEDGE & SKILLS* call (910) 451-8578.
L.I.N.K.S. is a volunteer mentoring program that was Semper Gumby,
designed by spouses for spouses in 1997 at Quantico, Rhonda Tomlinson, Family
Virginia. In order to better serve the needs of Marines Readiness Officer
and their families L.I.N.K.S. is expanding to include other
family members and significant others. Some of the http://www.mccslejeune.com/fro/hqsptbn.html
topics discussed during the workshops are:
*DISCLAIMER: Information is distributed in this newsletter
Communication Skills; USMC Structure; History and regarding these programs as information of common interest for
Traditions; Benefits and Privileges; Resources available military members and their families/contacts. Use of this
information does not advertise nor imply endorsement of any
for Marines and their families at Camp Lejeune and commercial activity or product by the Department of Defense, U.S.
New River; Leave and Earnings Statement; Surviving the Marine Corps or this command.
Deployment and Moving Processes. At L.I.N.K.S.
*USO and NMCRS are registered logos.
mentor spouses share
their own experiences
and tips so that you are Family Readiness
better prepared for your
is for Everybody!
life as the family member
of a Marine.
L.I.N.K.S. WORKSHOPS:
A
contacts via Marine Online (MOL) in the family
readiness module. Please encourage your Marine
to add you to his or her contacts so that you may
B
Pet food and cat litter for pets
Bleach for cleaning and for purifying water
C
Important documents and banking
information
First Aid Kit RAVO OMPANY
Non perishable food items
I want to congratulate the following Marines Dear Family and Friends of Bravo Company,
who were promoted to their current rank:
Since the last newsletter, we have a new Company
February GySgt, GySgt Winston. She recently joined us after
GySgt Harrison Cpl Kunish working at Battalion S3 and has been a great addition to
Sgt Wilson Cpl Wright the company office.
Cpl Brown LCpl McKinney
Cpl Huntington We have spent the last few months working on a
number of training and readiness issues: training AT/FP
personnel, increasing medical readiness, continuing our
March
physical training plan with the MCB CO, and updating
1stLt Anthenor LCpl Pillows the family readiness contact information in MOL. We
Sgt Rojas LCpl Rodriguez also had a successful evolution at the Table 3 range in
Sgt Ryan Cpl Scott (Meritorious)
Cpl Kwak which 27 Marines qualified, and we currently have 2
Marines in the Corporals’ Course.
I would like to thank all the families for their
continued support and sacrifice. Again I want to We are coming up on the time of year when the
extend my sincere appreciation for all of you and I weather is getting nicer and warmer. Hopefully
look forward to continued service with you. Finally, everyone will be able to enjoy the relatively mild
we would like to bid fair winds and following seas to temperatures before it gets excessively hot and humid.
those Marines and Sailors who are moving on Please keep the weather in mind while you are planning
through EAS or PCS. outdoor activities this spring and into the summer
Semper Fidelis, months.
Sgt Williams who had a As we transition from the winter months and into the
baby boy, Lowell Brandon spring and summer, I would like for everyone to think
Williams Jr., on 14 February about the associated risks related to the increased
2011. temperatures with regard to outdoor activities such as
physical training, boating, camping and motorcycle use.
Sgt Anhalt who had a baby Always be mindful of your surroundings and take
boy, Jackson David Anhalt, precautions to ensure your safety and those around
on 8 March 2011. you. Practice ORM and take care of each other.
I thank you for your continued support. Congratulations to the following Marines who have
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free been promoted during the recent months:
to contact the company office at 451-2969.
January February March
Respectfully, CWO3
CWO3 Moss Sgt Nicks
Morrison
J. R. Sisson Sgt Hendrix GySgt Bowden Cpl Castleberry
Captain, U.S. Marine Corps Sgt Nicks, Jr SSgt Saldana Cpl Chan
Commanding Officer, Company B Cpl Decker SSgt Garay Cpl Clark
Cpl Gonzalez Sgt Martin Cpl Deleon
I
Cpl Gopee Cpl Rodriguez Cpl Lopez
Cpl Plaza Cpl Pedrosa Cpl Luu
COMPANY
Cpl Shand Cpl Murphy Cpl Perkins
Cpl Telfort Cpl Maressolis Cpl Ra
NDIA LCpl Alcantara Cpl Johnson Cpl Yglesias
LCpl Escamilla Cpl Gant LCpl Bajada
LCpl Hatcher Cpl Cherry LCpl Blue
Family and Friends of Marines and Sailors
LCpl Joseph Cpl Anderson LCpl Burtica
of Company I,
LCpl Kasper LCpl Sanger LCpl Hamm
India Company has continued to excel in providing LCpl Maricle LCpl Orr LCpl Jackson
outstanding support to more than 40,000 Marines, LCpl Rivera LCpl Marchman LCpl Lehman
Sailors and their families during the past few months. I LCpl Robinson LCpl Leal PFC Brito
would like our Marines to know that your hard work LCpl Vasquez Jr LCpl Garza
LCpl
and daily achievements do not go unnoticed. However, LCpl Birnel
Washington
as you are all aware, our mission never ends. Notably,
PFC Haynes LCpl Belashov
the Postal Section recently supported the base LCpl Augustin
throughout the grueling holiday period, but with II MEF
deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism,
their hard efforts will continue in order to provide Each and every one of you, your spouses, and family
outstanding service for the forward deployed Marines, members are an integral and important part of us
Sailors and their families. accomplishing our assigned mission. I thank you all for
your continued support and want you to remind you
that thousands of Marines and their families rely on
SPRING 2011 BATTALION BULLETIN 9|P A G E
your professionalism. You are important! I wish all of Sgt Christopher A. Rhodes Cpl Juan E. Valdez
you have a happy, safe spring and summer. Take every Sgt Joshua E. Tiller LCpl Jonathan E. Brown
opportunity to enjoy some time with your families LCpl Quintin J. Warren
during the school break. As always, I am extremely
Congratulations to the following Marines who had
proud to be serving with you.
additions to their family recently:
Semper Fidelis,
SSgt Patton who had a baby boy,
Todd A. Croft Ryan Lee Patton on 03 March
Chief Warrant Officer 4, U.S. Marine Corps, 2011
Commanding Officer, Company I
PFC Ricci who had a baby boy,
Giovanni Luciano Ricci on 11
February 2011
S
Cpl Maldonado’s had a baby boy, Trenton Blake
Maldonado on 01 March 11