Thursday, April 5, 2018
Dear Marine families,

The mission of MarineParents.com, Inc., is to provide support, information, and services to Marines and their family members, and create opportunities for the public to support our troops through the organization's outreach programs.

The mission of our outreach program, Gold Star Luminary Initiative, is to promote awareness of Gold Star Family Day and urge organizations and individuals in communities throughout the United States to light luminaries at dusk on the last Sunday of each September in honor of our fallen heroes. Learn more in our first article.

April is Month of the Military Child and today is Gold Star Spouses Day. Learn more about how you can honor the sacrifices of military families and Gold Star families in our second and third articles.

Thank you for supporting our troops!

God bless and Semper Fi!
Take the Pledge Now: Show Your Support for Gold Star families

Show your support and take the pledge. Complete our online form TODAY, then mark your calendar for the last Sunday in September every year to light a luminary for Gold Star families. This year, Gold Star Family Day is September 30, 2018.

April is Month of the Military Child

Established in 1986 by then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, April is the Month of the Military Child. April is not only a month to be aware of what these children are sacrificing, it's a time to say and show thanks.

Today, April 5th, is Gold Star Spouses Day

In 2017, the United States Senate designated April 5th as Gold Star Spouses Day, to allow Americans to pay respect to the spouses of fallen servicemembers.

Take a moment to show your support and show Gold Star Spouses that we remember their sacrifice.

The Marines Hymn

Following the Barbary Wars of 1805, the Colors of the Corps were inscribed with the words "to the shores of Tripoli." After the capture and occupation of Mexico City in 1847, the Colors were changed to read "from the shores of Tripoli to the Halls of Montezuma." These events in Marine Corps history are the origin of the opening words of the Marines' Hymn.

TMP Participant
Michael Cummins

Michael has enjoyed running for quite a while. He is currently on a consecutive days streak of running for 8 years! During this streak he has completed over 14 marathons, and he will be running the 43rd Marine Corps Marathon this October in Washington, D.C. This will be Michael's third year to run the MCM!

Featured Volunteer
Stephanie Groves

Stephanie is a volunteer in our Official MarineParents.com Facebook Group for Charlie Company, San Diego. Prior to her son leaving for boot camp, he introduced her to our website. After her recruit shipped, she found that the information she received had given her the support she needed during this transitional time.

MOS School Logjam

"Hurry up and wait!" This is a common saying in the Marine Corps. Prior to making it to their Permanent Duty Station (PDS), your Marine may encounter halts in their training. Whether it happens at the School of Infantry (SOI) or Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) school, there are many reasons why this could happen.