Love in the mail – Part 1

[thedrifter]

Love in the mail – Part 1

12/15/2008 By Gunnery Sgt. Bryce Piper , 26th MEU

ABOARD USS IWO JIMA, Arabian Gulf — Since time immemorial, warriors have left their homes and families while they struck out in support their nations' goals. And in all those thousands of years, leaving loved ones behind has always been a painful experience.

While separation is never easy, warriors of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit currently deployed to the Arabian Gulf have advantages like no warfighters before. A new Family Readiness Program and support from other endeavors keep Marines' morale high and minds on the mission.

"Your family is like your backbone," said Petty Officer 1st Class Myesha Booker, religious program specialist for the MEU. "My husband -- I have two younger kids, and one of them is in kindergarten, one of them is still very young -- and without him to be able to hold things down, I wouldn't be able to support the morale of this ship. I wouldn't be as effective for the Corps if I had issues at home."



Mind on the mission

"There are two things to look at," said 26th MEU Commanding Officer Col. Mark J. Desens. "First is family readiness. We go to great lengths to ensure every MEU family is fully prepared for their Marine or sailor to deploy before we go."

"Second is family support of their Marine or sailor," Desens continued. "The cards and letters and packages they get keep their morale high, remind them of just what their fighting for. That's important."

"Both these paths lead to the same destination," explained the commander. "When my Marines and sailors know their families are taken care of at home and they get love and support from home, they can focus exclusively on their mission. Take away either one of these and the Marine or sailor is distracted, which is bad for him and the unit. Family support works two ways, and they're both imperative to our morale and our mission."



A little bit of love in the mail

Mail call on any deployed vessel is an exciting time for the Marines and sailors aboard. And postal clerks aboard the vessels of the Iwo Jima Strike Group often have their hands full as thousands of letters and packages pour in from all over the U.S. and world.

"When I get a package from home, and I know my husband has touched that package," explained Booker, "when I put my hand on that same exact spot he's put his hand on, it's like us connecting. It's like us touching each other. Packages are so important, to me anyway. My husband is prior Navy so he understands how important it is. We call it 'a little bit of love in the mail.'"

Among the boxes from friends and family are care packages from complete strangers, U.S. citizens who support deployed troops through initiatives like Operation Gratitude, church drives and other charitable events. By signing up to receive packages, hundreds of 26th MEU Marines have opened boxes bulging with candy, snacks, toiletries, movies, music and video games.

"Operation Gratitude seeks to lift troops' morale, and bring a smile to their faces by sending care packages addressed to individual service members deployed overseas," according to their website. They report to have sent nearly 400,000 packages to deployed troops.

Heather Davis of Elnora, Ind., and Diane House, a disc jockey at a Terre Haute radio station, recently mailed 150 miniature American flags to 26th MEU Marines as a gesture of thanks for the unit’s involvement assisting flood victims during torrential downpours in June. Davis said in a letter she and House wanted to "send a little token of our appreciation to those who came and helped save my hometown."

"It was important to show that no matter where we're at, we're going to help," said Cpl. Trevor J. Blackburn, who received a flag from Elnora. "No matter if it's in our own country or outside the country, you know that's what we do. Our foremost job is to help out the people who care for us."

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Love In the Mail - Part 2

12/15/2008 By Gunnery Sgt. Bryce Piper , 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit
ABOARD USS IWO JIMA, Arabian Gulf — — "Love in the mail" -- Part 1detailed how 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit Commanding Officer Col. Mark Desens stressed the importance of families supporting their deployed Marines and the importance of the 'Corps supporting families. Desens said both were essential to morale and mission. Petty Officer 1st Class Myesha Booker, religious program specialist with the MEU, called packages from home "a little bit of love in the mail," including those from organizations like Operation Gratitude, which reports to have sent nearly 400,000 packages to deployed troops.

In Part 2, 26th MEU Family Readiness Officer Kelly Cotton explains the importance of empowering families to thrive while their Marines are deployed. Booker and Cotton explain some of the ways Marines can stay in contact with families and other ways families and Marines can stay engaged.



Knowledge is Power

Preparing families for and supporting them through deployment is key to keeping Marines' minds on the missions at hand, according to Desens. The 26th MEU leads the Marine Corps into a new era, fielding a new plan designed to do just that.

The new Family Readiness Program features a full-time civilian coordinator, or Family Readiness Officer, and a slew of volunteer assistants. Together, they prepare families for deployment, organize events and offer news, advice and support to families left behind. Their experience and training help direct families to available resources. As the FRO for the MEU and wife of a Marine, Cotton knows firsthand how tough deployment can be on families.

"As spouses," said Cotton, "we must be aware of what causes us to feel like we are in the 'overload' mode, and head off getting to that place from the beginning. It is not an easy task for the remain-behind parent to be both Mom and Dad, and this is why it is vital to utilize the support systems that are in place."

"Knowledge is power," Cotton said, "and yet we find so many families without the knowledge and power of the resources that are available to them. … Plus, the family members get an opportunity to get linked for social interaction with others during the deployment. This may sound silly, but in reality, we find a lot of spouses who feel secluded once their Marine deploys. They no longer feel the easiness of connecting with others."

Booker agreed these programs help families adjust. She said her family benefits from events Cotton helps organize like 'Children in the Midst' and 'Kids in Deployment' workshops.

"We're talking about communicating," Booker explained. "You're communicating with the child who doesn't understand. All they know is Mommy or Daddy is gone. But things like 'Kids in the Midst' are specifically geared towards young children so they can feel special, so they can feel like they matter, make them feel important. Those things are very important."

Family events like October's Harvest Fest at Camp Lejuene, N.C., help to boost morale for deployed Marines and families. When MEU families gathered for the social event, they made a "we miss you" sheet filled with messages and children's handprints to send to their Marines. When it arrived a few weeks later, Booker arranged to hang it in the Iwo Jima mess deck, where the overwhelming majority of Marines and sailors could admire it during chow.

"Whenever I see those tiny little hands it's like a flashback to me," Booker said. "And when someone specifically like Lance Corporal (Bobby) Hoover, his wife, they're pregnant with their first child. His wife has her hand and a little message. I said, 'Hey, did you see that message?' and you should see the smile on his face. It's like being home again. It's like a little remembrance. It really does a big thing … It's like 'Wow, that's from home.'"



United Through Reading

Booker's job requires she not only deal with the separation from her own family, she must support the morale and religious programs for the entire MEU. One project she helps run is United Through Reading, in which Marines record themselves on video reading children's books, then mail the recordings home. Reading to and with children has long-lasting benefits to the child, according to United Through Reading literature.

"I use United through reading to stay connected with my kids," said Sgt. Curtis A. Long, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician with Combat Logistics Battalion-26, the Logistics Combat Element for the 26th MEU. "Being in EOD, I am gone a lot of the time even in between deployments. This way my daughters know that I still care about them. It helps keep that family bond," he said.

"I have noted that deployments have gotten harder on (my husband) since we have had kids," said Cotton, explaining that it's equally hard for the deploying Marine to 'let go' of his or her parental duties as it is for the remaining spouse to pick them up.

"There are some great resources out there that make it easier for the Marine to stay engaged," Cotton asserted, "especially with children -- United Through Reading is at the top of the list. Chaplains have great ideas for ways to stay connected as well. Writing and/or calling home is also a great benefit. I always think letters are the better option because letters are tangible and can be read over and over if needed."

Colonel Desens' wife, Linda, also does her part to ensure families endure deployment with as little pain as possible. She serves as advisor to Cotton and the Family Readiness Assistants and spearheads a project to ensure newborn children of Command Element Marines have a remembrance of their deployed parent. Called "Daddy Dolls," these soft, plush figures are made in the likeness of the deployed Marine and produced using a digital photograph of him.

"I've received very positive responses on them from the wives and some cute pics of babies with their daddy dolls," said Linda. "I usually stink at picking out gifts so I'm so happy that they like them!"



How to support deployed Marines

"Although the Marine keeps busy, he or she misses home!" Cotton explained “Home is the reminder of what he/she is working for. The best part about sending packages and letters is the creativity that families get to take part in -- everyday pictures from the everyday routine pasted to a small poster board for the Marine to hang on his rack, or funny cards that bring a smile or laughs, and most of all, those home-baked goodies that everyone loves to get! The point is, (mail) is a perfect way for the families and the Marines to stay engaged with each other during deployment."

"There are lots of long term resources and organizations that serve the military and are always looking for volunteers," asserted Cotton, "(like the) USO, American Red Cross, local churches and Operation Gratitude. These organizations are supported by volunteers, and make such a huge impact on Marines and sailors."



Easing the burden

While deployment may never be easy for Marines or their families, conditions are in place and constantly evolving to ease the burden on families. Many 26th MEU Marines agree that simple mail and care packages go a long way toward keeping morale high.
The Marine Corps initiated a new Family Readiness Program headed by dedicated civilians knowledgeable of the unique needs of deployed Marines' families. But ultimately, the value of these programs can only be measured through the people who operate and benefit from them. People like Cotton, Booker and the countless supportive families and anonymous civilian volunteers ensure 26th MEU Marines keep morale high and minds on the mission.

Ellie