Families come together at annual holiday party 

Marines, sailors and families of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit Command Element gathered to celebrate the holidays at the Abby Reinke Community Center on base, Dec. 9.

The event also gave the unit’s leadership the opportunity to welcome the unit’s new Family Readiness Officer, Rebecca Roman and bid farewell to Audrey Hooper, who served as the unit’s FRO on the last deployment. During the holiday party the families enjoyed good food and company while Santa Claus passed out gifts and took photos with kids.

“[As the new sergeant major,] I’m getting to see the character and culture of the command element,” said Sgt. Maj. John W. Scott, 15th MEU sergeant major. “I want to put an emphasis on team building, both personal and professional, continuing with events like this one,” added the 41-year-old native of Carson, Calif.

Parties coordinated by the unit’s FRO are designed to help spouses of service members get to know each other before deployment.

“It’s great to get families together. It gives a lot of the spouses an opportunity to get to know each other before we deploy and helps them build a support system while their Marine or sailor is deployed,” said Staff Sgt. Darrol R. Wynn, embarkation chief, logistics section, 15th MEU CE. “Most of all it’s another opportunity to spend time with my family and extended family,” added the 26-year-old native of Detroit.

This was Hooper’s final event at the 15th MEU before she returns to the civilian sector.

“I’m sad to leave the MEU,” said the Northampton, Pa. native. “I had a great time while I was here.”