MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- Family readiness personnel with Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, gathered together at the Paradise Point Officers’ Club aboard the base to honor those volunteers who have dedicated their time, energy and resources to help families of military members, during the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, April 29.
“This is an annual Headquarters and Support Battalion recognition event of its volunteers,” said retired Master Gunnery Sgt. Marcia McLaurin, event coordinator and former family readiness officer for HQSPTBN. “It’s important for us to recognize their time, support and assistance they’ve given to this battalion this year. It’s a small token of our appreciation.”
After a well-catered three-course dinner, Lt. Col. Susan B. Seaman, battalion commander of HQSPTBN, presented each volunteer with a certificate of appreciation and a gift bag as a way to say “thank you” for all their hard work and dedication.
“It’s not just the Marine, sailor or service member who is deploying, it’s the family who is sacrificing,” said Seaman. “We appreciate what you do.”
David Tanner, the husband of Family Readiness Assistant Staff Sgt. Julia Tanner, a corrections specialist at the Camp Lejeune brig, said this social function not only served to boost the morale of the volunteers, but also enabled the volunteers’ spouses to expand their social network because they were able to put names and faces of volunteers with the events they worked.
Tiffanie Flowers, a family readiness assistant who is new to the Camp Lejeune area but not to the family readiness volunteer program, said it was an honor to receive a recognition award, but remained focused on the bigger mission of providing a strong support network for military families.
“I never came into this wanting awards or recognition,” said Flowers, who is a military spouse and great-granddaughter of a Marine World War II veteran. “I have only done it to help families, Marines and just the military community in general, so knowing that people out there take the time to recognize us – it’s a real honor.”
For more information about becoming a family readiness volunteer with Headquarters and Support Battalion, visit the website www.lejeune.usmc.mil/hqsptbn/familyreadiness.