February 11, 2016
Greetings!

Thank you for joining us for this issue of Marine Parents News. If this is your first time receiving the newsletter, welcome aboard, we're excited for you to be here!

2016 Registration for Team Marine Parents is now open! Learn how YOU can join the team in our first article.

February is African-American History Month in the United States, and we would like to take this opportunity to take a further look at the life of the first African-American officer in the United States Marine Corps - Frederick C. Branch. Learn more in our second article.

To see what else is new with the organization or to learn more about the Marine Corps, check out the rest of our articles. We hope you enjoy! 

Be sure to get your FREE 2016 Marine Parents Calendar. See our articles below to learn about the history of the Marine Corps, and learn about our great Marine Parents volunteers.

Thank you for your continued support of our brave men and women in uniform.

Semper Fi Marine Families!
2016 TMP Registration is Now Open

2016 Registration for Team Marine Parents is now open! Raising awareness and funds for a grassroots organization starts on a grassroots level; it starts with YOU. If you enjoy running or competing in athletic events, encouraging communities to engage in troop support activities, and raising money for a good cause, then TMP is a great fit for you.

Also, if you are planning on running the 41st Marine Corps Marathon, consider running with TMP. We have 50 charity partner bibs and you can purchase one now instead of waiting on the lottery!

Click here to learn more about Team Marine Parents....
African American History Month Spotlight: Frederick C. Branch

Frederick Clinton Branch was born in Hamlet, North Carolina, in 1922, the son of an African Methodist Episcopal Zion minister. After graduating high school in New York, Branch enrolled at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC, before transferring to Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While enrolled at Temple, Branch received his draft notice from the US Army in 1943 and reported to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for basic training.

After reporting to Fort Bragg for induction into the Army, Brach was chosen to become a Marine and was sent to the nearby Camp Montford Point for Recruit Training, becoming one of the more than 20,000 Montford Point Marines (African-American Marines who underwent separate, segregated Recruit Training at Camp Montford Point between 1942 and 1949.) After Recruit Training, Brach applied for Officer Candidate School (OCS), but was denied due to his race and was sent to serve with a supply unit supporting operations against the Japanese in the Pacific instead.

Click here to learn more....

*Image info: Frederick C. Branch being pinned with his 2nd Lt. bars by his wife, Camilla "Peggy" Branch. (USMC photo)
Elizabeth Dole Foundation Discusses Military Caregiver Suicides

Last week, the Department of Veterans Affairs held a national summit to address suicide among veterans and military caregivers. Among the numerous organizations and individuals invited to speak at the summit was former Senator (R-NC) and chairwoman of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, Elizabeth Dole.

In her speech, Dole discussed how military caregivers, "...are often unrecognized for their critical role as the first line of defense to veteran suicide. All too often, the overwhelming stress and emotional toll it takes to care for a loved one - especially one who wishes to take their own life - is overlooked."

Click here to learn more....

*Image info: Senator Elizabeth Dole (U.S. government photo/released)

Volunteer Spotlight: Bob Drake

Here at Marine Parents, nothing we do would be possible without our amazing volunteers across the country. Our volunteers truly are the backbone of our organization, and we'd like to take this opportunity to recognize the efforts of one individual in particular. 

This week's featured volunteer is a longtime Marine Parents supporter from Manassas, Virginia -- Bob Drake.

Bob learned about Marine Parents five years ago when he and his wife, Mary Jane, went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to visit a friend of their youngest son who had been injured while deployed to Afghanistan. During that visit, Bob and Mary Jane learned about Marine Parents and decided that volunteering with our Warrior Support Team (then Purple Heart Hero Support) would be a great idea. 

When asked about what he enjoys most about volunteering with the Warrior Support Team Bob said that,  "the chance to help those that have sacrificed so much for us and their families is extremely rewarding. It's a pleasure to meet these strong individuals and see how upbeat they are and how willing they are to tackle the next challenge!"

In addition to being a long-serving volunteer with Marine Parents, Bob is also a retired Naval Aviator who flew CH-46, SH-3, and UH-1N aircraft. He is also retired from FAA as an aircraft accident investigator. Additionally, he and his wife have raised three service dogs, one of which is with an Iraqi war vet and another of which is with Ms. Wheelchair New York.

Click here to read more...

*Image info: Lori with her husband, Dale.

What's After Boot™: MOS: Military Occupational Specialty

After Graduation from the Marine Combat Training (MCT), Marines will attend schooling for their chosen MOS, or Military Occupational Specialty.

Your Marine has a 4-digit MOS number that corresponds with the title of his/her Military Occupational Specialty. Typically, your Marine will have selected an MOS during the enlistment process. The first two digits of the MOS are the OCC (Occupational career code), plus two additional numbers which define the specialty.

 Click here to learn more....

*Image info: Marine Special Operations Officers (SOOs) graduating from Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command's (MARSOC's) Individual Course (ITC) will be assigned a new Primary Military Occupational Specialty, clearing the way for retention and promotion in a professional career path.  (USMC photo by Cpl. Donovan Lee.
Tapper-Hicks Freedom 5k Run/Walk

On Saturday, April 23, 2016, the fourth annual Tapper-Hicks Freedom 5K Run/Walk will be held at American Legion post #311 in Atco, New Jersey. The event is held each spring in honor of PO1 (SEAL) David M. Tapper, USN and LCPL Jon T. Hicks, Jr., USMC. Money raised at the event will be used for their respective scholarship funds, as well as for The Waterford Township War Memorial Committee.

For the fourth consecutive year, Marine Parents has secured a donation of beverage koozies from Conde Systems, Inc. This year, Conde is donating 275 Dyetrans HUG11 koozies and we'd like to thank them for their generosity and support of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our country. When we receive the koozies, we will press a design chosen by the event coordinators onto them before shipping them to New Jersey to be handed out to participants in the run/walk.

Click here to read more...

*Image info: David Tapper (left) and Jon Hicks (right).

TMP Featured Participant: Lisa Gutierrez

Team Marine Parents™ (TMP) is a group of individuals, generally parents, family, and friends of Marines, who participate in athletic events nationwide to support our troops.  The mission is to raise funds and awareness of the organization's outreach programs.  Currently, there are over 50 members of Team Marine Parents™ around the country.

Our first featured 2016 TMP Participant is Lisa Gutierrez. In addition to running for TMP in the Marine Corps Historic Half and the 41st Annual Marine Corps Marathon, Lisa will also be one of the co-team leaders for the program this year, along with Marine Parents' Graphic Design and Operations Manager, Holly Greenup.

For those of you who join the team this year, Lisa will be your hostess, mentor, coach, and fan! If you have questions, she'll have answers and will be ready to point you in the right direction.

Lisa describes herself as, " a proud member of a multi-generational Marine family" whose Marine father raised her to love all things Marine Corps. Lisa has two "great" stepchildren, and her stepson graduated from boot camp last June, a day she calls "one of the greatest" in her life. Additionally, Lisa has  been volunteering with MarineParents.com as a Facebook Company Leader for Lima Company San Diego since last July.

So far, Lisa has raised $500 of her $750 goal, and with your support and generosity, we know she can reach her goal in no time!

Thanks for being a part of the team, Lisa, and we look forward to working with you in 2016!

After the Corps™: Acronyms and Terminology

Acronyms are a part of Marine Corps life. From the moment your recruit gets to boot camp, acronyms will become an entrenched part of his or her (and your) life.

You may think that when your Marine finishes his or her time in the Corps, the need to learn new acronyms will no longer be necessary. This, however, is not the case.

As your Marine transitions out of the Corps, a new set of acronyms and terminology will need to be learned. After the Corps is here to help by providing you with a convenient, easy to read list of acronyms that may be helpful during this transitional period.

Marine Corps Motto & Slogans

The Marine Corps has a number of mottoes and slogans that you'll want to learn as your Marine begins his or her career in the Corps.

Here at Marine Parents, we provide information on the history of many of the more prevalent slogans and mottoes used by or about Marines, such as "Semper Fi," "Leatherneck," "Devil Dogs," and more.

Click here to read more...

*Image info: First Lieutenant Charles Rumsey Broom wears the high "leatherneck" collar in a photo circa 1817.
(USMC photo)

Marine Corps News: Corpsman Awarded Silver Star

Last week, on February 5, 2016,  Petty Officer 2nd Class Alejandro Salabarria, was awarded the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest award for valor, during a ceremony at Stone Bay, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Salabarria, 28, braved enemy fire to aide wounded troops in Afghanistan's Herat province in 2014 when they were attacked by a rogue Afghan commando.

On the day in question, Salabarria's team was gathered at a helicopter landing zone with a group of Italian special forces troops and Afghan special operations commandos when one of the Afghan commandos began firing on the American, Italian, and other Afghan troops in an "insider attack."

According to his medal citation, when the attack began, Salabarria charged into the kill zone, firing on the rogue commando while maneuvering his way to the side of a wounded medic. While using his body to shield the wounded medic, Salabarria continued to fire on the commando, ultimately killing him. Once the area was secured, he then treated two other wounded team members and helped coordinate their evacuation via helicopter.

Click here to learn more....

*Image info:  Major Gen. Joseph L. Osterman presents Petty Officer 2nd Class Alejandro Salabarria the Silver Star Medal during a ceremony at Stone Bay, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Feb. 5, 2016. (USMC photo by Sgt. Lia Gamero/released)
This Week in Marine Corps History: John H. Russell Appointed U.S. High Commissioner to Haiti

Ninety-four years ago this week, on February 11, 1922, Brigadier General John H. Russell was appointed  U.S. High Commissioner and personal representative of the President to the government of Haiti. For the next nine years, the future Commandant in supreme command of both the occupying American forces  and the Haitian Gendarmerie.

Click here to learn more....

*Image info:  John H. Russell (USMC photo/released)
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