2nd Med. Bn. shares thanks before future deployments
US Marine Corps News
11/23/2010
By Cpl. Bobbie A. Curtis, 2nd Marine Logistics Group
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- It’s safe to say that the Marine Corps and Navy family aboard Camp Lejeune is much larger than your average American family.
So one can imagine how much larger our Thanksgiving Day celebrations may be compared what you may be used to.
The sailors and Marines from 2nd Medical Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 25, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, held one such celebration, Nov. 19, which brought a whole battalion worth of troops, their families, and appetites together in a preemptive observance of “Turkey Day.”
The event opened with the blue-green family gathered around the battalion’s commanding officer, Navy Capt. Efren S. Saenz, as he welcomed everyone with opening remarks.
“Thank you very much for being part of 2nd Medical Battalion,” he said.
After emphasizing how important family and friendship are to the holiday, he concluded his speech by praising his sailors, Marines and their families for their hard work and dedication.
“I love who you are and love what you do,” he said toward the end of his poignant speech.
After an invocation by the battalion’s chaplain, the hungry crowd dug into some traditional thanksgiving foods prepared by the unit’s officers, senior chief petty officers and staff non-commissioned officers.
As the turkey and various other dishes dwindled, and the guest’s stomachs filled, everyone hung around and mingled.
The ties built between spouses at events such as this creates a support system that is important for the battalion’s family members while their spouses are deployed to Afghanistan and other locations around the globe.
Semen Apprentice Joslah Garcia, a corpsman with the battalion, explained his opinion on the importance of events like this in the battalion.
“It keeps not only the medical family together in the battalion, but also involves people like our wives, bringing everyone together as one,” he said.
His wife Elizabeth shared similar views.
“It’s nice to meet other wives and get out of the house and enjoy some food and all the company,” she said.
The Thanksgiving Day celebration comes a few months away from II Marine Expeditionary Force’s scheduled deployment to Afghanistan, which many of the corpsmen from 2nd Med. Bn. will support; it was a suiting time to give thanks to friends and family.
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