May 12, 2016
Semper Fi Marine Corps Families!

Thank you for opening and reading this edition of our weekly newsletter. We've got great articles to share with you this week.

May is "Military Appreciation Month" and we would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to write "thank you" cards and letters to the service members in your life. Learn more in our first article.

The Marine Corps Marathon lottery has announced the lucky recipients of bibs for their 2016 Marathon being held the end of October. If you did NOT get your bib in the lottery, we have additional bibs as a Marine Corps official charity partner. Read the article below to sign up or learn more.

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! 

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

God Bless and Semper Fi!
May is Military Appreciation Month

In 1999, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution designating May as National Military Appreciation Month (NMAM). NMAM began as a simple idea - to honor, remember, recognize, and appreciate those who serve and have served our great nation.

To mark the occasion, we'd like to encourage our supporters to write "thank you" cards and letters to the military service members in their lives. Whether it's a family member, friend, neighbor, coworker, or acquaintance, we encourage you to thank the service member (or members) you know for their service and sacrifice on our behalf. 

Click here to learn more about Military Appreciation Month...

Volunteer Spotlight: Rene Hernandez

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 long-serving military supporter from Maryland--Rene Hernandez. 

Rene is an active duty Navy officer; a Research Physiologist who works in the area of mild Traumatic Brain Injury and has been helping with Warrior Support Team (previously Purple Heart Hero Support) dinners at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (aka Bethesda), since they first began. 

According to Rene, "Most family members are very grateful for this 'small' thing that we do for them - bringing them a hot meal - and those 'thank you's' always warm the heart." Thank you, Rene, for all you've done on our behalf over the years, your support and generosity is greatly appreciated!

Click here to read more...

*Image info: Rene Hernandez.
TMP Spotlight: Anna Friedman

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.

This week's TMP featured participant is a military supporter from Massachusetts--Anna Friedman.

Anna will be graduating from nursing school at Northeastern University in Boston this month, and it was during her time in college that she discovered her love of running, as it provided her with a way to relieve stress and remain active while taking classes.

Anna ran her first marathon last summer in Chicago, and decided to celebrate graduating nursing school this year by participating in her second-ever marathon, the 2016 Marine Corps Marathon. While she doesn't have any personal ties to the Marine Corps, Anna has, " great admiration for the Marines and what they do to support and protect our country."

So far, Steven has raised $150 of her $500 goal and we know that with your generosity and support, she can reach that goal in no time! Thank you, Anna, for being a part of the team and for all that you do on our behalf! Good luck in October!

Click here to read more...

*Image info: Anna Friedman.
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 only have 26 charity partner bibs remaining, so if you didn't make it in through the lottery, join the team and get your bib today!

Click here to learn more about Team Marine Parents...
Marine Corps News: Fallen Marine's Bronze Star Upgraded to Silver Star

In a rare move in modern military conflicts, the  Army recently upgrade one of two Bronze Star with “V” medals earned by Marine Staff Sergeant Nicholas Sprovtsoff , who was killed during an IED blast in 2011. Sprovtsoff's widow, Tasha, received the award on his behalf, during a private ceremony Friday, April 29, at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

The Army initially recommended the Silver Star be awarded to Sprovtsoff following a 48- hour firefight  in the summer of 2007. According to his citation, Sprovtsoff “with complete disregard for his own safety and in spite of wounds sustained in combat, effectively orchestrated his unit’s defense...His unwavering courage, selfless service, and situational awareness under fire were decisive in his unit’s defeat of the enemy ambush.” However, despite the Army's recommendation, Sprovtsoff was erroneously awarded a Bronze Star with "V", according to a spokesman for the Army’s awards and decorations branch.

In 2009, Sprovtsoff made a lateral move into the  Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) field. In September of 2011, Sprovtsoff earned his second Bronze Star with “V” in Afghanistan for leading Marines “through a region filled with IEDs following multi-directional fire from an enemy ambush”, according to his citation. Approximately one week later, a week later, Sprovtsoff was injured while trying to remove an IED in Afghanistan's Helmand province. As other Marines tended to his injuries, a second IED detonated, killing Sprovtsoff.

Click here to read more...

*Image info:  A U.S. Marine Corps carry team transfers the remains of Marine Staff Sergeant Nicholas A. Sprovtsoff at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Oct. 1, 2011. 
(U.S. Air Force photo by Roland Balik/released)
Marine Corps News: 13th MEU, Boxer Amphibious Group Arrive Off Yemen

Approximately 4,500 Marines from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) with the  USS Boxer amphibious ready group arrived off the coast of Yemen this week in support of U.S. ground troops who have been deployed to the country.  

This is the first time in more than a year that the U.S. has had ground troops in Yemen and has been described as a "short-term" deployment by Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook, even though there is currently no confirmed end-date for the deployment.  

Click here to read more...

*Image info: Amphibious assault ship USS Boxer, fleet replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe and Ticonderoga-class Cruiser USS Port Royale steam alongside each other during a replenishment at sea. Approximately 4,500 Marines with the 13th MEU are currently deployed aboard the Boxer. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Craig Z. Rodarte/Released)
Marine Corps News: Additional Marines Sent to U.S. Embassy in Baghdad

Following protests in Baghdad, Iraq last week, the Marine Corps dispatched an additional 25 Marines to the American embassy in the city last Friday, May 6.

According to  State Department Spokesman John Kirby, the embassy has  “continued to operate normally,” despite protesters loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr having stormed the "Green Zone" last week, breaching the secure area that includes Iraqi government building and the U.S. Embassy for the first time since the Green Zone was established in 2003.

Click here to read more...

*Image info: Marines of the Marine Security Detachment of the U.S. Embassy Baghdad, Iraq raise the flag at the new Embassy's dedication ceremony in 2009.  (U.S. ARMY photo/released)
Marine Corps News: Marine Pilot Rescued Off Coast of North Carolina

A Marine pilot was rescued off the coast of North Carolina last Friday, May 6, after ejecting from the Harrier he was flying. 

According to Marine spokeswoman Lieutenant Maida Zheng, the pilot was with Marine Attack Squadron 542, Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, and was conducting a training exercise when the plane went down.

The pilot, whose name has not been released, was not seriously injured in the crash.

Click here to read more...

*Image info: An AV-8B Harrier with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161 (Reinforced), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, launches off the flight deck of the USS Essex at sea in the Pacific Ocean, May 13, 2015. (USMC photo by  Corporal Elize McKelvey)
Marine Corps News: Corps Approves First Women for Infantry Positions

Marine Corps officials announced this week that later this year, the Corps will be getting its first female rifleman and machine gunner.

The two female enlisted Marines made lateral move requests to infantry jobs that have been approved, said Marine Corps spokesman Captain Philip Kulczewski. 

The Marine who applied to be an 0311 rifleman is a Lance C orporal while the rank of the Marine approved to be an 0331 machine gunner is not yet clear. 

The Marines who applied for infantry jobs are part of a group of 233 women who were granted infantry military occupational specialties earlier this year after passing the Corps' enlisted infantry training at Camp Geiger, North Carolina. While all of the 233 women are eligible to apply for infantry jobs, only these two Marines have done so to thus far.

Click here to read more...

*Image info: Female Marines with the Lioness Program refill their rifle magazines during live-fire training at Camp Korean Village, Iraq, July 31,2006. 
(USMC photo by Sergeant Jennifer Jones )
Marine Corps News: Marine Wife Named Military Spouse of Year

Last Thursday, May 5,  Marine Corps spouse Natasha Harth of Marine Corps Barracks Washington was named the 2016 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year at a luncheon at Fort Myer, Virginia. The award was presented by Ellyn Dunford, wife of General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as Harth was accompanied by her husband, Gunnery Sergeant Patrick Harth.

Before presenting Harth with the award, Ellyn Dunford spoke  about Harth’s wide-ranging volunteer work, which includes gathering supplies for battered women’s shelters and inner city schools, as well as the mentoring she provides to other military spouses. Harth is also the founder of “Be a Blessing,” a project to distribute food and other necessities to the homeless in Washington, D.C.

Harth is a mother of two  and has been a military spouse for ten years. She was chosen for the award from among six candidates, representing all the service branches and the National Guard.  

Click here to read more...

*Image info:  Natasha Harth, left, discusses appropriate behavior for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball Saturday with Combat Center wives and girlfriends during the 2012 Belle of the Ball event at the Community Center at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. 
(USMC photo by Lance Corporal  Lauren Kurkimilis )
Marine Corps News: Commandant Neller Visits Tennessee Terror Attack Site

Last Friday, May 6, Marine Corps Commandant Robert Neller traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee for the city's first Armed Forces Day Parade since five American service members were killed in two terror attacks on military facilities in Chattanooga last July 16.

Neller, who  watched the parade from an elevated podium, said he felt honored to attend the event and hoped his presence served as a "thank you" to the local community.

"The events that took place last July 16 were tragic and needless, but I think out of that came a recognition that the relationship between this community and the military is as strong as ever," Neller said. "And as tragic as the loss of those Marines and that sailor were, the only thing that could be worse is if we didn't have communities like Chattanooga that are willing to support their military and provide great young men and women to serve."

Click here to read more...

*Image info:  Commandant Robert Neller. (USMC photo )
Lance Corporal Leon B. Deraps Memorial Scholarship Walk/Run

On May 6, 2006, Lance Corporal Leon B. Deraps of Jamestown, Missouri made the ultimate sacrifice for his country while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq.

To honor Leon, his family (longtime Marine Parents pack day volunteers), along with the Moniteau County C-1, Jamestown-area high school FFA, set up a scholarship fund in his name in late 2006. 

Money for the scholarship fund is raised through an annual 5 mile walk/run/ride held in early May. This year, the event was held this past Saturday, May 7, at 9:00 am in Jamestown, Missouri. More than 400 people registered for the event this year and $6,500 in scholarships were awarded.

Thank you to everyone who supported this wonderful cause!

Click here to read more...

*Image info:  Participants from the 2016 Leon Deraps Memorial Scholarship Fund Walk/Run.
This Week in Marine Corps History: Marines March Toward Naha, Okinawa

Seventy-one years ago this week, on May 10, 1945, the 22nd Marines, 6th Marine Division, executed a pre-dawn attack across the Asa River Estuary and captured a bridgehead that allowed them to continue their attack toward Naha, the capital of Okinawa.

Click here to learn more....

*Image info:  A patrol of the 6th Marine Division  searches the ruins of Naha, Okinawa looking for Japanese snipers. Spring 1945. (USMC photo/released)
This Week in Marine Corps History: Marines Help Evacuate New Orleans Flood Victims

Twenty-one years ago this week, on May 8, 1995, Marines from Marine Forces Reserve demonstrated the Corps' quick-response capabilities in helping evacuate more than 2,500 civilians from the New Orleans area after one of the most devastating storm in more than 200 years hit the region.

Click here to learn more....

*Image info: A Marine with 4th Amphibious Assault Battalion surveys the damage during a search and rescue operation in New Orleans' Ninth Ward District in 2005, 10 years after the 1995 storm hit.
(USMC photo by Corporal Rocco DeFilippis)
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