July 2011 Newsletter
July 2011 Newsletter
July 2011 Newsletter
FROM THE CO
Dear Marines, Sailors, and Families: WOW! We completed the third month of our sixth month combat deployment, and Marines and Sailors remain motivated and extremely productive. Everyone appreciates the considerate emails, text messages, SKYPE, pictures, FACEBOOK exchanges, care packages, and genuine concern you are providing -- Please continue. Our successes in Afghanistan are noticeable and will cement and ensuring presence. You should be proud of the selfless contributions your Marines and Sailors are making - I am. I know you are aware of President Obama's recent announcement regarding the military presence in Afghanistan, and I want to ensure you that your Marines and Sailors will perform with unmatched dignity, honor, and pride while deployed; and will return under a banner of victory when our senior military leaders designate the time for us to return. We have special and fun events planned for the Fourth of July so deployed personnel enjoy this historic day and want you to celebrate your Holiday in the United States. A number of our Marines and Sailors will be promoted on 1 July, and I expect the promotions and personal recognitions to continue during our deployment. We are fortunate to have extraordinary Marines and Sailors serving in 2d Maintenance Battalion, and your family support is absolutely critical and greatly appreciated. All of us enjoyed seeing the 'Jane Wayne Day' photos, and are excited families had a great time participating in events related to our normal duties and responsibilities. We must have another Jane Wayne Day!! A large number of our Marines will deploy to Afghanistan with 2d Supply Battalion to replace us, and as we await the arrival of our fellow Marines, I assure you we will make sure our sisters and brothers in arms receive a thorough turnover of process and procedures to prepare them for a successful deployment. As always, I offer special thanks for your unfailing support during our absence, and we enthusiastically looks forward to returning to North Carolina later this year. Semper Fidelis, Kevin R. Scott Lieutenant Colonel Commanding Officer United States Marine Corps
In This Issue:
From the FRO GS Motor T CO Surgical CO H&S CO Chaplains Corner 2 2 2 3 3
Maintenance CO & 1stSgt 4 Supply CO & 1stSgt Information & Education Calendar of Events for July Information & Education Birthdays
For reservations for the classes call CREDO (910) 450-1668 LINKS(910) 451-1299 Life skills (910) 451-0176 Deployment Support 451-0176
5 6 7 8
9th LINKS Kids (6-8) & Tweens (9-12) wksp 12th & 14th LINKS Mentor Training
14th-15th Before I Do Workshop 23rd LINKS Spouses Workshop 15th Kids in the Midst Workshop 18th-19th Cooperative Parenting & Divorce 19th-20th LINKS Spouses Workshop 21st Kids-N-Deployment Workshop
25th 7 Habits for Military Families 18th of July Jump-in-Jax Family 26th LINKS Passport Workshop Pizza Night. 26th-27th Family Readiness Volun- August dates to be announced teer Training via face book and Google Calendar. 27th Four Lenses Coloring Your - FGE Jungle Rapid Day Teen -Deployed families Jungle Rap28th-29th Marriage Enrichment ids Day (PREP) Wksp
GS Motor T CO
Friends and Family of General Support Motor Transport Company (Fwd), As we approach our midway point through the deployment all the Marines and Sailors have been doing a great job within GSMT. Our focus is to keep moving forward improving on our jobs and the mission. The days are long but moving fast toward the end of this deployment. Our operational tempo is very high in supporting Marines and Sailors throughout Helmond Province. We have just completed a seven day mission escorting Local National fuel trucks throughout our area of operation. This was our biggest convoy to date; over 100 vehicles were used in this mission. This mission is very complex and requires support from all the platoons within the company. All the Marines and Sailors are doing great, sprits and moral are high despite the 115 degree heat that we feel every day. We also have one new father in the company. As Fourth of July nears we are all reflecting on our many freedoms that we have as Americans and hope that one day our work here will have made a difference in the lives of the Afghanistan men and women and children that we come in contact with on a daily basis while out on the road. Please check out our Battalions Facebook page for pictures and updates. Semper Fidelis, Capt Minella M.C.
Surgical Company Co Greetings families, friends and loved ones. With the hot weather firmly upon us, the Warriors of Alpha Surgical continue their trusted duty of caring for Coalition Forces and all those in need. This month we had the chance to celebrate and send warm wishes to all Moms both here at home. In addition Happy 103rd Birthday Navy Nurse Corps a continued proud tradition of service and sacrifice. The time seems to be just flying by as only a short while ago we departed Camp Lejeune and soon enough returning back. Please continue to send packages and words of encouragement to your Sailor or Marine and keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
H&S CO Friends and Family, Congratulations to Cpl LeonMalave, Cpl Nguyen, and Cpl Sanchez who were promoted to present rank this month! Then end of June marks the halfway point for our company and we are excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel rapidly approaching. Thank you for your continued support and prayers! Moto mail and care packages continue to be popular ways to keep morale high! As we are getting closer to our date of return, please make sure that our Battalion Family Readiness Officer has your contact information on file. This information will be especially helpful when Gary Scalzo starts sending out dates and times for our return. Again, we are grateful for your support! Semper Fidelis 1stSgt Rachel L. Eltz H&S Company Family and friends of H&S Company, The time is drawing near! We are about to hit our halfway mark here at Camp Leatherneck and things are moving at the speed of light. Your loved ones have been doing AMAZING things out here in support of all of our operations. We will continue to pursue excellence as we close out our final few months here and return to you under a banner of victory. Please continue to do all those things you do to keep your loved ones morale high. As 1stSgt Eltz advises, please ensure Mr. Scalzo has your contact info so you get the most up to date information about our return home. Semper Fidelis Capt Kieran J. Kobell
Chaplains Corner
Greetings Family and Friends, RP3 Antonucci and I just came back from visiting several of the FOBs (Forward Operating Bases). As I traveled and talked with the Marines, I was impressed with how smoothly operations were conducted. The Marines I traveled with knew just what to do and when to do it. The convoy trip was seamless and a testament to how efficient our Marines have become at their perspective jobs. It made me extremely proud to be their chaplain! In this environment, there isnt time for a lot of foolishness. Folks need to be spot on in the delivery of services in a potentially dangerous environment. I want to share a little story I heard from a chaplain friend. He began his story by stating that there were these two constructions workers, Lester and Rodney. They were on their lunch break and when Lester opened up his lunch pail he said bologna sandwiches again. I hate bologna sandwiches. His friend Rodney asked why dont you just have your wife make you something different? Lester replied, I am not married. I made these sandwiches myself. I thought this illustration was funny and I giggled to myself which I sometimes do.self-contained entertainment.. but, it made me wonder if we ever contribute to the some of the trouble we experience in our lives. Knowing that none of us is perfect, why not consult our Creator who is able to direct us in the ways that we should go. Very often instead of looking to God for direction, we take matters into our own hands and end up with those same you know . bologna sandwiches. Now that since we have reached the longest distance of the deployment and the turn -around point is in sight, it is important that we maintain our spiritual health as well as mental and physical. Take the time to focus on God by putting Him first, seeking His guidance in how to better prioritize our lives and allowing God to provide the much needed peace and refuge in our lives. Often because of the stressors we face, we instinctually use our go to methods to cope when those mechanisms may only provide a temporary fix, unable to fill the God shaped void that is in our hearts. St. Augustine said, speaking to God in prayer, You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until we find you! As we think about all the things that we pile on our plate take time to spend with God to enlighten our minds and avoid the unnecessary issues that we sometimes create for ourselves. In the Lords Service, Chaplain Green
MAINTENANCE COMPANY CO
Hello family and friends. I must say time seems to be going by pretty quick as we are hitting our third month. I hope the time is going by just as fast for you. Although with separations, I do realize time can never go by quick enough as we miss our loved ones and friends. I know I praise your Marines every month because of what they have done to support the Area Of Operation (AO) Regional Command (South West) (RC(SW)). Your Marines have made a great impact here in Afghanistan. The 1 st Sgt and I are very fortunate to travel to visit with your Marines. It doesnt matter if we go to Edinburg, Nolay, Dwyer or any other Forward Operation Bases (FOBs) they are praised by all those who have come in contact with your Marine. This is what happens when you have Marines that go out of their way for one another whether it is operating heavy equipment, fixing generators, putting trucks together, ensuring we have line of communication, taking care of weapons, rebuilding engines or simply receiving parts. There is no better feeling to hear how other Marines are grateful to have your Marines out there supporting them. Like I said before, Im very proud to be there Company Commander as you should be proud of your Marine. It has been a busy month in the world of maintenance. It seems that we have received more gear to be repaired in the past month. But as usual the company stepped up and still knocking it out of the ball park as the Commanding General of the MLG would put it. We thought it was hot last month okay it has gotten even hotter plus the wind has picked up tremendously. So as we walk around it feels like youre waking into a hair dryernot a good feeling. We still watch the Marines closely to ensure they maintain a healthy diet with plenty of fluids. Thank you for the continual support to our Marines and Maintenance Company during this deployment. You could not imagine how much it impacts the morale of our Marines. Please keep it up and as always look forward to seeing you all upon our return. Semper Fidelis Captain Michael Gasperini Commanding Officer, Maintenance Company
Supply Company
From the Company Commander and Company 1stSgt Greetings family and friends of Supply Company (Forward)! The Marines and Sailors here at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan want you all to be safe this summer. It is already the middle of June and the half way mark of the deployment is within sight. Our operational tempo is still high and work load has picked up tremendously. Your Marines and Sailors are all ready for the challenge and are finding ways to improve our processes and our workspaces to better support the units in our Area of Operation (AO). We will be hitting the 90 day mark soon and the Marines and Sailors of Supply Company continue to make positive contributions to all of our fellow war fighters among the units here. We are extremely proud of each of your Marines and Sailors and they would like you all to know that you are missed very much. We recognize that the halfway point can be a difficult time of the deployment for both you at home and your Marines and Sailors here. A letter or small care package from home goes a long way to boost morale during this time. Thank you for your continued support. Morale remains high and the Marines and Sailors know that we still have the second half of our deployment ahead of us. We are going to finish strong together. We have set and are working towards new goals both as a company and personally. We are finding time to exercise in the form of running, working out in our new gym that we recently upgraded, and/or taking part in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). Overall we are doing what we can to come home better people, better Marines and Sailors than when we left. We continue to be impressed with the hard work put forth by the Marines and Sailors. We see this on a daily basis and you all can be proud of your loved ones. We would also like to take the time to recognize you all for the support you are providing to us here in Afghanistan. Your support helps makes our job that much easier. Significant Events for the month of June NCOs Graduated the MLGs Corporals Course: (Future leaders of tomorrow), Cpl Rodriguez, Alexsandra; Cpl Troyo, Carlos; Cpl Schindlbeck, Patrick; Cpl Russell, Arthur; Cpl Baldeon, Pamela Birthdays: We had 17 Marines and Sailors that celebrated June birthdays: 1 JUNE 8 JUNE CPL CABRERA, ERIC CPL CALEROPEREZ, HARVY LCPL DEVORE, NICHOLAS R. 9 JUNE 3 JUNE CPL OSTBERG, DANIEL P. LCPL CULBERSON, MICHELLE R. 10 JUNE 5 JUNE SGT GREENWOOD, DARRYL A. CPL CARAVELLO, PETER T. 14 JUNE 6 JUNE LCPL JONES, LATIFAH F. LCPL SCATES, CAMERON L. 17 JUNE 7 JUNE LCPL ALVAREZ, TIA A. SGT OBRIEN, SEAN P. LCPL SPIRES, KYMBERLY J. Promotions: The following two Marines were promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal: LCpl Day, R. M. and LCpl Marsical, A. M. The following five Marines were promoted to the rank of Corporal: Cpl Deberry, R., Cpl Velazquezrodriguez, S. C., Cpl Donovan, J. J., Cpl Lopez, E. K. Awards: The following eleven Marines were awarded Good Conduct Medals: Sgt Key, K.; Cpl Ashe, A.; Cpl Spriggs, S.; LCpl Hays, C.A Cpl Castillo, M.; LCpl Cooman, S.M.; Cpl Vela S.A.; Cpl Angeles, G.A.; LCpl Galeanalvardo, I. D.; LCpl Bailey, C.L. Semper Fidelis Maj Sean Murray Commanding Officer 1stSgt Michael Jones Company 1stSgt
21 JUNE LCPL BRADLEY, DEANDRE T. 24 JUNE LCPL MEDINA, JUAN P. 26 JUNE CPL STEPHENS, EDWARD L. CPL TEPAN, PAUL F. 27 JUNE LCPL EDWARDS, KENNEDY J.
2d Maintenance Happenings
Challenging Children Evening Workshop Series ******************************************** Tuesdays 1830-2000 Russell Marine & Family Services Center Bldg 40 Rm 139 This free monthly workshop held on the 4th Tuesday of every month, is open to all ID cardholders. Free childcare information will be shared upon advance registration, please call 451-4103. Upcoming Topics: 26 Jul - Easy to Use Methods of Tracking Behavior FREE FOREIGN LANGUAGE LESSONS! Spice up your childs summer 23 Aug - Use of Functional Communication Techniques to Decrease Problem and learn a new language! Contact the base library to get user information Behaviors for MangoLanguage.com This FREE resource gives you and your children 27 Sep - Token Systems access to a high quality, fun way to learn any of more than 100 languages on 25 Oct Tantrums line in the comfort of your own home. 22 Nov - Time Out Challenging Children Daytime Workshop Series ******************************************** Wednesdays 1100-1300 Russell Marine & Family Services Center Bldg 40 Rm 139 Free childcare is provided with advance registration. For more information, please call 910451-4103. Upcoming Topics: 24 Aug - Choosing Your Battles 26 Oct - Practical Applications for Everyday Behaviors 14 Dec - Helping Children Identify and Cope with their Behaviors
Mark your calendar for these events: Upcoming events to look for: July 16 FREE Comedy Show New River Air Station July 23 Busch Garden Williamsburg, VA $20/person New Information Regarding MyPay Because summer is peak moving season, it's a good time for a reminder to keep your address and direct deposit information up-to-date and accurate using MyPay. If you switch banks or your account number changes due to a bank merger, please be sure to enter your new bank information in MyPay. Forgetting to do so may cause a delay or a misrouted payment. Updating your address in MyPay is also critical, even though you're enrolled in direct deposit. DFAS uses your mailing address to send you letters regarding your account, forms and other important announcements. For more questions regarding MyPay call the Customer Support Unit toll-free at 1-888-DFAS411 or 1-888-3327411, Commercial 216-522-5096, or DSN 580-5096, 7:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Eastern time. Option 5 is for MyPay questions.
Happy Birthday to all for the month of July For Those turning 10 years old, dont forget your ID Card. The Court House Bay ID Card center is available and has very little to no wait. Hours of operation are from 0730 to 1600 Monday-Friday 1st
ELIZABETH CLAYSHON AARON KESSIDAUNE DAKIRA STEPHANI JADZIA MARY MADISON SUHAILY ROBYN CARLA P E D A E E F J N A J
9th
ALANAUH MCKENZIE ASHLEY KAFAYANA MONICA BENJAMIN R M D M D A
16th
TRISTAN S JULIA AYDEN L J
24th
MADISON KELSEY BONITA CORYNNE JESSICA EMILIE EMILY REALEEN A C E A L J K N
17th
ANDREA ANTHONY JESSICA L J R A DECLAN HANNAH JULIUS MIYAKO C
10th
OLYVIA LUKE RACHEL ELIZABETH S W B
25th
JENNA SAMANTHA R R R D N G D L J
26th
MARCY AMANDA RENEE LINDSEY SIERRA BARBARA ADRIANNA
2nd
GAIBREAL SHANDA ALENA R M R
N L E
18th
CHRISTINA S JANE KRISTEN L M
3rd
MIKAYDA D CLORISSA D JONELLE L ELIZABETH P ANTHONY W
27th 19th
APRIL ANGELA M A KINSLEY SHACOURTNEY DALTON MADISON CHARLES I N C G M
11th
GABRIELLA M MEGAN C SARAH R C A B J S
4th
KIERA SAMANTHA ELIJAH TANYA LAYLA S J A L M
MCKINLEY S VICTORIA L
28th 20th
THOMAS NATALIE HUNTER J A R S N C SARAH SERENA TERRA ARAH E K N L
5th
TARA CYNTHIA SARA AMBER JOSCELYN ZAVIEN SHEELA J C M N T T M
29th
LAURA B JERA L MICHAEL D GIANCARLOS TIFFANY L J J M S J L T
12th
MICHELLE D RACHEL ELISHA JUNE M K C
21st
KHAITLYN ERIKA BRITTANIE CORAL MARTIN DAVID FAITH
6th
EMILY KEYLEE LILA CHASE ROSALIE CHASE E N B M A
30th
JUSTICE TAMMY ALYSSA PAULA A J R A N M M E E
13th
TERESA L KAYLAH A JENNIFER A ARIANNA J ZOE M L A
31st
TRENT CHRISTINA AIDEN JENNIFER ROCHELLE SARAH SOPHIA
7th
CINDY LIYAH MISTY CHANCE ETHAN KERI L M D L J L
22nd
CHRISTINA TONY VANESSA C N K R REBECCA J M S A
IYESHA MARY
14th
LANDON BRITTANY SUMMER ALEXANDER A T L W J L
23rd
COURTLAND AMANDA VICTORIA TEVON CAITLYN MORGAN KYMBER BRAYDEN S M M A J F L A
Dont forget about or Google calendar and Facebook page at the following links: (Facebook) www.facebook.com/2d-MaintenanceBattalion (Google Calendar) www.mccslejeune.com/fro/2dmaintbn.html
8th
KRYSTAL JAMES JENNIFER KATIE GABRIEL TIARA
15th
JOLEEANN THADDEUS LEILANI
D