thedrifter
05-22-06, 06:05 AM
ABOARD USS ESSEX (May 21, 2006) -- The top enlisted Marine and sailor for III Marine Expeditionary Force visited here May 21 to talk with Marines and sailors of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) participating in the in the 25th Anniversary of Exercise Cobra Gold 2006 held in the Kingdom of Thailand.
"It is important that we come out to see the Marines and sailors as they participate in the exercise," said Master Chief Petty Officer Yenhung Duberek, the command master chief petty officer for the MEF. "These are the people that make the exercise go. We need to get out here and talk with them and find out how they are doing. The more we see what issues or concerns are important to them, the better we are able to help them."
Duberek and Sgt. Maj. Ronald Williams, the MEF sergeant major, started off their time aboard ship talking and sharing a mid-day meal with the embarked service members from both the ships crew and the MEU.
After lunch, they toured the ship, taking the time to talk with as many Marines and sailors as they could.
"We appreciate what they do out here, and we want to let them know that," said Williams. "Without them out here, (the U.S.) wouldn't be able to extend its reach in helping maintain peace in this part of the world."
The USS Essex (LHD 2) was the first stop in their tour to visit all of the MEF forces taking part in the exercise, and they were impressed with what they saw.
"The morale is very high out here," said Williams. "You can see the motivation, and you can tell that they are really looking forward to doing the things they have to do," he said, referring not only to the exercise, but to real world contingencies the Marines and sailors may someday have to face.
"They've proven themselves to be very capable of handling their jobs," he continued, speaking about the recent humanitarian assistance/disaster relief mission conducted in the Philippines when a mudslide wiped out the village of Guinsaugon in Southern Leyte. "We could not be as effective without the caliber of Marine or sailor that we have right now."
"The tempo of deployments and training isn't going to change any time soon, so the Marines and sailors have to continue to work hard like they have been," he ended.
Ellie
"It is important that we come out to see the Marines and sailors as they participate in the exercise," said Master Chief Petty Officer Yenhung Duberek, the command master chief petty officer for the MEF. "These are the people that make the exercise go. We need to get out here and talk with them and find out how they are doing. The more we see what issues or concerns are important to them, the better we are able to help them."
Duberek and Sgt. Maj. Ronald Williams, the MEF sergeant major, started off their time aboard ship talking and sharing a mid-day meal with the embarked service members from both the ships crew and the MEU.
After lunch, they toured the ship, taking the time to talk with as many Marines and sailors as they could.
"We appreciate what they do out here, and we want to let them know that," said Williams. "Without them out here, (the U.S.) wouldn't be able to extend its reach in helping maintain peace in this part of the world."
The USS Essex (LHD 2) was the first stop in their tour to visit all of the MEF forces taking part in the exercise, and they were impressed with what they saw.
"The morale is very high out here," said Williams. "You can see the motivation, and you can tell that they are really looking forward to doing the things they have to do," he said, referring not only to the exercise, but to real world contingencies the Marines and sailors may someday have to face.
"They've proven themselves to be very capable of handling their jobs," he continued, speaking about the recent humanitarian assistance/disaster relief mission conducted in the Philippines when a mudslide wiped out the village of Guinsaugon in Southern Leyte. "We could not be as effective without the caliber of Marine or sailor that we have right now."
"The tempo of deployments and training isn't going to change any time soon, so the Marines and sailors have to continue to work hard like they have been," he ended.
Ellie