July 2011

Volume 3, Issue 1

Upcoming Events:
August 12th Battalion Fun Day

CLB-2, CLR-2, 2D MLG JULY 2011 NEWS LETTER

From the Commander
In addition to CLB-2 decreasing in personnel strength since its return from Afghanistan, the battalion has also recently experienced a great deal of leadership turnover including myself and SgtMaj Murphy. However, rest assured, the best interest of our Marines and their families remains a top priority. Ive been anxiously awaiting my arrival to CLB-2. I love Marines and enjoy working with them. My last unit was different in that I was not in charge of a command but rather worked for one. The experiences that I gained there and from previous units have given me the knowledge that I need to command a unit such as CLB-2. As we begin to reform the battalion, we will transition our mindset from resetting the battalion to preparing the battalion to support exercises and operations for II Marine Expeditionary Force units to our scheduled deployment to Afghanistan in the summer of 2012. While striving to maintain balanced excellence through training, taking care of our Marines and always maintaining a high state of equipment and material readiness, the battalion will begin conducting a series of intense platoon, company and battalion level training, beginning with the Battalions August 15 field exercise. In October, the battalion is scheduled to deploy to Fort Bragg, NC to support 10th Marine Regiment for exercise Rolling Thunder. The companies and their platoons will also continue to remain engaged with a combination of classroom and field training as well. Rest assured, there will also be time set aside to enjoy our Marines and their families. Our battalion Family Readiness Officer, Mr. Jeff Peters is aggressively working to schedule events that will build unit cohesion and begin to mold the CLB-2 family. We have a battalion Fun Day scheduled for August 12 and we have already tentatively planned for the battalion Christmas party on December 19. My goal for this battalion is to provide the II Marine Expeditionary Force Commander a force that is combat ready at all times, prepared to support II MEF forces with responsive, flexible logistics all the while maintaining the tremendous reputation that Combat Logistics Battalion -2 has established during its short history. To this end, I have challenged the leadership of this battalion to ensure we carry out the ethos of Mission First, Marines Always and that in doing so, every Marine in this battalion achieve balance mind, body and spirit. Ultimately, our discipline, espirit de corps, and rigorous training will be the ingredients to equip us to survive the physical and mental challenges of combat and return our Marines to their families safely from deployment. I am humbled to be the Commanding Officer of CLB-2 and honored and privileged to be leading such a fine group of warriors. Rest assured, I dont take my obligation lightly. Semper FI LtCol D. M. Mull

You can find CLB-2 on FaceBook under Combat Logistics Battalion 2 Family Readiness

Inside this issue:

The Commander The Sergeant Major Headquarters Company T/S Company Family Readiness Officer

1 2 3 4 5

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CLB-2, CLR-2, 2D MLG JULY 2011 NEWS LETTER

From The SgtMaj

Good Day Marines and Families, It is a great year to be joining the CLB-2 family and I am proud to say that I am now a part of this great command. I recognize that I have joined a unique unit that is built on a foundation of motivation, dedication, and espirit de corps. I would like you to know that my daughter Korania and I are grateful for this opportunity to bond with you, to continue building a lifelong elite brotherhood of Marines and their families. To the families, I would like to Thank each member of this family for their continued support of your Marine and I asked that you always know that you too are a part of this family. Know that our experiences of laughter, joy, shared hardship, and adversity will create a unique bond that will last throughout our present and future.

On May 26,

2011, a new link was added to Combat Logistics Battalion-2.

To the Marines: on May 26, 2011, a new link was added to Combat Logistics Battalion-2. It is my goal that this leadership will add more leadership, experience, education, history and traditions, new ideas, new concepts, and patriotic address, while maintaining the mission of the Marine Corps as a force in readiness. I ask each of you to recharge your warrior spirit by maintaining discipline and continually cultivating the hearts of our Marines and the deep abiding love of corps and country through the display of honor, courage, and commitment. Remember, we are Marine Warriors, the premier warriors on planet earth and we have a warrior spirit that is displayed by the eagle, globe, and anchor tattooed on every one of our souls. We must continue to breathe life through teamwork, energy, heart, and passion because we are Marines and its our DNA! Semper Fi Sergeant Major Murphy

L.I.N.K.S.
Part of family readiness is mission readiness To help with this there is a program called L.I.N.K.S. This class will provide you, the spouse, the parent, the child or the teen with the information and tools that will help improve your lifestyle as a member of the Marine family. Even if you think that you know everything about the Marine Corps, there are always new ideas and information to be shared. If you are a member of the Marine Corps family, L.I.N.K.S. will help you to understand and be better equipped for this unique way of life. The class can be taken in either English, Spanish or Japanese. There are classes for couples, teens, tweens, and even Navy family members. To learn more go to their web site at http://www.mccslejeune.com/links/ Or they can be reached at 910-451-1299

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CLB-2, CLR-2, 2D MLG JULY 2011 NEWS LETTER

Headquarters and Support Company Each section has played an important role in the continued training of the company.
The new maintenance work area. To the family and friends of Headquarters and Support (H&S) Company: Greetings! I hope this finds you doing well and enjoying the fun days of summer. The summer months are always a time that many Marines and their families relocate, and the company has said farewell to a number of good Marines that are moving on to do good things elsewhere in the Corps. New Marines continue to check in to each section, as well, rejuvenating the ranks of the company. During the month of May Headquarters and Support Company had focused its efforts on capturing the wealth of knowledge still resident in the junior Marines that remained from deployment. Marines who entered the company have received a plethora of training which will ensure they are prepared for the upcoming pre-deployment training cycle. At the the end of May planning began for a Battalion Field Exercise (FEX) that took place during the first week of August. In June much attention was paid to the development of the company training schedule in conjunction with the battalion training plan. This has dictated the timeline for Headquarters and Support Company over the next three months. With an aggressive posture toward training, the company continues to reset its personnel. Each section has played an important role in the continued training of the company. The administrative section (S-1) is continuing to ensure all administrative issues are in order, the operations section (S-3) is keeping the company moving with training events, the logistics section (S-4) is constantly planning for internal requirements, the communications section (S-6) is working hard to keep our communications network functioning, supply continues its aggressive approach to requisitions, and the maintenance section is busy turning wrenches on the Battalions broken equipment. July has not been any different in regards to training. Rifle and pistol ranges, gas chambers, and a week in the field with Transportation Support Company has provided our Marines with challenges and successes. Without our Marines support many of these training events would not take place. Preparations for the upcoming Battalion FEX continue as August rapidly approaches. It gives me great pleasure to see individual Marines and the Company as a whole work so hard to become properly trained. With these continued efforts the Marines of Headquarters and Support Company will be well trained for the next deployment.

Maintenance General Purpose (Common #30)

Semper Fidelis! First Lieutenant Mark S. Fannin Headquarters and Support Company Commander

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CLB-2, CLR-2, 2D MLG JULY 2011 NEWS LETTER

T/S Co
I would like to formally introduce myself to the entire Transportation Support Company Family. My name is Captain Jeff Tew, and I am your Company Commander. I am honored and humbled to lead this company and I look forward to the challenges ahead. This unit has distinguished itself in battle and I am committed to uphold its outstanding reputation. My wife Mara and I are excited about the future and we are anxious to get to know all of you better. The company has welcomed many new faces since returning from deployment and we have wished fond farewells to many of our mainstays. Although the company continues to experience change, our Marines remain focused on the mission at hand. We will continue to plan for our impending return to Afghanistan in the summer of 2012, but with the unstable global environment we will also prepare our Marines for any contingency operation. We remain as a Force in Readiness, ready to handle any task that comes our way. However, the readiness of our unit extends beyond training exercises and field operations. As we work to prepare for future contingencies it is imperative that we focus on our readiness at home. The Transportation Support family is not just made up of our Marines in uniform. Our extended family is very important to our success. We cannot accomplish great things without the support of our families, friends and supporters. America expects a great deal from the Marine Corps and we will continue to be called upon to defend this way of life. The life of a United States Marine is a difficult one. At times the more difficult job is to be a family member, friend or supporter of a Marine. We need your continued support as we face the challenges ahead. We are a family. We will experience great success and great heartache together as a family. Above all, it is important that we stick together. I have asked the Marines to follow three simple rules in their daily routine: Take care of one another, do the right thing and make smart decisions. I implore the entire Transportation Support Company family to remain focused on those three rules as well. Our success depends upon how well we work together. We will move forward together, One team, one fight. Semper Fidelis, Captain Jeff Tew

The life of a United States Marine is a difficult one

Terrain Table From August Field Op.

Convoy Brief During August Field Op

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Volume 3, Issue 1

Family Readiness Officer

Greetings to the Marines, Families and Friends of CLB-2.
There are going to be some changes in CLB-2 over the next couple of months. Change is good. Marines will be moved into bigger and better jobs preparing them and the unit for the deployment next year. It may not be an easy change at first but once everyone gets settled in, the Marines will start to function like a fine tuned engine. The closer we get to deployment the better the engine will run. You might ask why is the FRO bringing this up. If you have ever had a job you know that your work will often times bleed over into your personal life. Please talk through these changes with your Marine. Communication is very important in any relationship. Whether you are the spouse or immediate family. If your Marine needs help please point them to any of the below resources. Counseling Services Camp Lejeune has their very own counseling center. They can be reached at 910451-2864. Military OneSource They can help with any problem that your Marine may have. One of the most important is they can sign them up for free family counseling sessions out in town. So if the disagreements turn into something bigger give them a call and get some help. Their number is 1-800-342-9647. CREDOChaplains Religious Enrichment Development Operations This program is sponsored by Chaplains to help enrich relationships to better enhance the overall quality of life for active duty service members and their families. The program offers a free weekend trip for you and your spouse. This event is not a religious event. It is a relationship strengthening retreat for any couple, not just those facing challenges. Please call 450-1668 for more info. FOCUSFamilies Overcoming Under Stress Multiple deployments affect both the service member and the family as routines and roles are disrupted. Children may experience stress related to a parents role in the Global War on Terror and the impact of Combat Operational Stress on the family life. The program uses family training techniques to highlight areas of strength and resilience in the family and promote family growth to help address current challenges. Please call 450-5631. There are many other services here and around Camp Lejeune. Please go to http://ww.mccslejeune.com/ and look under Marine and Family Services f you have any questions on this please contact your Family Readiness Officer, Mr Jeff Peters at 910-382-9175 or 910-451-0593.

Transistion From Mass Communication Tool (MCT) to Marine OnLine (MOL)

With MCT now a tool of the past we will be picking up and using MOL. There are a couple of differences between these two programs. 1. MCT was able to send information out by e-mail, text and phone. MOL at present is only able to send information out by e-mail. What does this mean to you and your family. If they are designated as a contact by the Marine or Sailor they must have an e-mail address. If they do not have an e-mail address they will not receive vital information in the near future. Vital information might be upcoming events in CLB-2 or deployment information when the unit gets ready to deploy. 2. MCT was updated by the Family Readiness Officer. Now with MOL the information must be updated by the Marine or Sailor. Failure to update this information will mean that your family will not receive up to date information.

Volunteering with CLB-2 We are always looking for volunteers to attend monthly meetings, help plan events, and help around the office. In addition to helping the Marines and families of our battalion, some benefits to volunteering are that you will be among the first to know what is going on and you will make life long friends. Keep in mind that this is your program and any ideas that you may have will be listened to and put into play if they are reasonable and can be implemented on our limited budget. Listed below are the volunteer positions that we have available. Command Team Advisor Attends monthly Command Team meetings with the Battalion Commander, Sergeant Major, Executive Officer and the Family Readiness Officer. Gives input on upcoming events and the overall view of how the family readiness program is running. Advisors must be interviewed for the position and appointed by the Battalion Commander. Family Readiness AssistantAssist the Family Readiness Officer by attending monthly meetings and helping to plan events. Helps around the office by proof reading and preparing the news letter to be mailed out. Assistants must be interviewed for the position and appointed by the Battalion Commander. If you live in the Jacksonville North Carolina area and you are interested in volunteering please contact your Family Readiness Officer., Jeff Peters at 910-451-0593 or 910-382-9175.

Project for a Spouse of CLB-2 Mrs Kelley Vandecoevering is presently taking some college courses. She has a project that she needs to do for her Ed Class. This project includes Military Children and deployments. Her hypothesis is, I believe children have attachment and/or behavioral issues related to deployments. She wants to determine if this statement is true and then determine if the more deployments children endure, the more problems they have. She is attempting to reach out to families of CLB-2 to assist her by use of a small survey. If you are interested in doing this survey please contact Kelley at [email protected].