Professional Documents
Culture Documents
WINTER NEWSLETTER
2010
COMMANDING OFFICER LTCOL KEVIN J STEWART
1st Maintenance Battalion Families and Friends,
It is an exciting time of year as we celebrate the Holiday Season. We have so much to
be thankful for and at the top of the list are the incredible families that support us.
You make so many sacrifices and we do not say "Thank You" enough. Bottom line, we would
not be successful without you.
After recently returning from Afghanistan, it is so nice to rejoin the Battalion. There
are many familiar faces, but there are also many new ones. I look forward to serving
IMPORTANT PHONE with you all as we head towards the New Year and beyond. You are part of a unique Com‐
NUMBERS: mand that plays a vital role in the Marine Corps and your efforts to support the Nation
are noteworthy.
•Family Readiness Officer: As I look at the Battalion, there are 5 key areas that we need to focus on in the months
Nila Thompson ahead: Afghanistan, MEF Readiness, 1st Maint Bn Way Ahead, Operations/Training, and the
760-725-3023 Marines and Sailors. We currently have Marines deployed to Afghanistan and we will con‐
tinue to provide this critical support. We will ensure the Marines are ready and pre‐
•Chaplain Services pared to serve with distinction. We will aggressively train and operate so we can re‐
Lt Jeanette Shin spond to any challenge. We will keep working to remain the preeminent unit in the MEF,
while simultaneously always striving to increase MEF Readiness. Most importantly, we
760-725-4001
will never lose focus of our most precious resource, the Marines and Sailors of 1st
Maintenance Battalion and all of our families.
•Battalion Duty Line
760-725-4363 It is a privilege to serve as your Commanding Officer and it is a special honor to be
part of this incredible team. I hope to see you all at the Christmas Party on 16 Decem‐
•Domestic Violence Hotline ber. Happy Holidays!
1-800-799-7233
All the best,
LtCol K. J. Stewart
•Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton
760-725-1288
“Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference.
Base Police (PMO)
The Marines don’t have that problem”
760-725-3888
President Ronald Reagan, 1985
Family Readiness Officer Nila Thompson
First and foremost, I would like to welcome home Maintenance Company CLR‐15 FWD 10.1 and offer my services to the families of
Maintenance Company CLR‐15 FWD 10.2. These deployments have given the families and the Family Readiness Officers of CLR‐15,
Maintenance Bn, Supply Bn, and Medical Bn a rare opportunity to engage in meaningful monthly meet ups at which our families
can share their obstacles and accomplishments. It is encouraging to see the strength and courage our families portray during these
challenging times.
Over the last several months we have had a number of events and functions that have allowed all of us to grow as a unit. I look
forward to continuing this tradition in 2011.
As always, we are looking for volunteers to accomplish the mission and direct us to a common goal. If you are interested in be‐
coming a Family Readiness Assistant, please contact me at Leonila.thompson@usmc.mil or 760‐725‐3023.
Happy Holidays!
“The United States Marine Corps, with it’s fiercely proud tradition of excellence in combat, its hallowed
rituals, and its unbending code of honor, is part of the fabric of American myth.”
Thomas E. Ricks; Making the Corps, 1997
Chaplain’s Corner December 2010
It’s the holiday time of year again! Christmas is a holiday celebrated by Christians as the birth of Jesus Christ, but for non‐Christians, it is
also celebrated, usually because it is part of the culture of where we live. Sometimes, it’s celebrated as a “consumer” holiday, where the
emphasis is on buying, buying, and buying on‐line. So sometimes, the Christmas holiday become criticized as nothing but materialism.
It may help us to remember that the virtues of the man who is celebrated during Christmas are those shared by the teachers of other
faiths also: compassion, forgiveness, and love. If we can keep these ideas in mind, especially when we are stressed‐out during this time,
we can all really participate in the Christmas holiday.
Some upcoming events from the Chaplain’s Office: on Wednesdays we have a new beginner’s meditation at 12 noon and at 1800. At 1800
is also the “Buddhism for Beginners “Class. You do not have to be Buddhist to meditate, and this is not a conversion class. It’s open to
anyone interested in the Buddhist traditions. We are also beginning collaboration in Jan. 2011 with the counselors at the Pegasus Rising
Project in Del Mar, which provides therapy for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans and counseling for those caught up in domestic stress/
violence issues. Please contact the Chaplain’s Office for info if you are interested. More to come!
Namaste! Happy Holidays!
Engineer Maintenance Company
November was a fantastic month for Engineer Mainte‐
nance Company. The return of CLR‐15 and CLB‐5 Ma‐
rines strengthened our roles and introduced experi‐
ence and flavor that will no doubt increase our
capabilities and enhance our swagger. New additions
to the EMC family include Erika Bedford born on the
1st, Kaydence Mejia who was born on the 2nd and
Aayden Robinson who was born on the 28th congratu‐
lations to the new parents. A job well done to our
very own 1st Sgt Torres who was 1 of the 21,856
runners who completed this year’s Marine Corps
Marathon held in Washington DC. The Company visited
MCRD San Diego and completed the 11‐obstacle Confi‐
dence Course without incident. Starting the month
off with the Marine Corps Ball and ending it with a
Thanksgiving pot luck feast is how we at EMC like Engineer Maintenance Company in
to conduct business, bring on December. front of the tower at MCRD
PAGE 3
ORDNANCE MAINTENANCE COMPANY
Ordnance Maintenance Company has been hard at work continu‐
ing our effort to support the Marine Expeditionary Forces by
repairing over 900 items and completing the disposal of over
250 pieces of unserviceable and obsolete equipment. With all
of that, we were still able to fit in a bit of fun celebrat‐
ing the 235th Marine Corps Ball with our families and
friends. OMC would like to take this opportunity to welcome
a new addition to our Marine Corps family, Paige Carolee
Savage, brought to us by Cpl Jared Savage and Brandy Savage.
Congratulations to Cpl Taylor on his selection as the NCO of
the Quarter for 1st Marine Logistics Group and LCpl Macleod
on his selection as the Combat Logistics Regiment 15 Marine
of the Quarter. Thanks to all the Marines and families for
their participation in the company Thanksgiving pot luck “Sometimes it is entirely appropriate to
kill a fly with a sledge-hammer!”
dinner. The food was plentiful, taste was delicious and
Maj Holdredge
hopefully a good time was had by all. Thank you, Mrs. Nila
Thompson for your support in making this a great day.
H&S COMPANY
Headquarters and Service has maintained a steady pace throughout the
last several months. With the return of our Marines of 10.1, we have
reacquainted ourselves with our newly merged team. Focused and
ready, we support our Battalion on a daily basis. November itself
was an eventful month beginning with the Marine Corps Ball hosted at
the Grand Ballroom of Disneyland, a cake cutting ceremony at Combat
Logistics Regiment 15, and closing out with a Thanksgiving gathering
with our H&S Marines. We have enjoyed our Thanksgiving break and are
looking forward to the next holiday season. We wish everyone pleas‐
ant travels and look forward to your safe return.
MOTOR TRANSPORT MAINTENANCE COMPANY
MTM CELEBRATES AN EARLY THANKSGIVING
The Marines of Motor Transport Maintenance Company and their family members were treated to an early Thanksgiving feast
on Wednesday, November 24. Following a Battalion motivation run at Camp Del Mar led by the Battalion Commanding Officer,
Lieutenant Colonel Stewart and Sergeant Major Miller, Marines were given time to collect their loved ones and return to
work, where a Motor Transport Maintenance bay had been converted into a small banquet hall.
The festivity went off without a hitch, thanks largely to the careful planning of the event’s coordinators, SSgt Donnelly
and Sgt Bronson. Children looking to stay warm in the cool morning weather enjoyed jumping in an inflatable bounce house,
while adults took advantage of the rare opportunity to talk to coworkers in so casual an environment. The fact that all
Marines were allowed to dress in civilian attire lent the gathering an unusually relaxed atmosphere, which was a welcome
change from the Marines’ normal workday.
After the Commanding Officer, CWO4 Arnold, and the Company First Sergeant, 1stSgt Acosta, greeted the hungry guests, LCpl
Petretti led the company in prayer and the food was served. The feast, provided primarily by the Marines of Motor Trans‐
port Maintenance with help from the Family Readiness Officer Mrs. Leonila Thompson, featured all of the Thanksgiving fa‐
vorites. The obligatory turkey was moist and tender, the stuffing soft and flavorful, and the many desserts, most baked
by MTM Company families, brought a special home‐cooked feel to the meal. Stuffed and satisfied, the Marines and their
families eventually bade each other farewell and went their separate ways, eagerly looking forward to their real Thanks‐
giving feasts the next night and the four‐day weekend ahead.
REPARABLE MAINTENANCE COMPANY
Greetings from the Marines and Civilians of the Reparable Man‐
agement Company! Over these last few months the RMC has been
fully engaged in providing superlative maintenance support to
the units of I MEF, both here at Camp Pendleton and those de‐
ployed to Operation Enduring Freedom. During this past summer,
the RMC provided more than 65 supply and maintenance Marines to
deploy with OEF 10.2, and while this was an exciting time for
the deploying Marines, the RMC at Camp Pendleton also faced its
own challenges with an influx of new equipment fieldings, Divi‐
sion unit support, and contracted logistics support issues.
But the RMC is not all work and no play, since August, the RMC
has hosted several barbecues on beautiful Del Mar Beach, has conducted two company hikes (one six mile
and one nine mile) lead by the ever vigorous Capt Knapp, was the talk of the 21 Area by conducting a
full costume on Halloween Fun Run, and hosting the Officer and Staff social and Battalion Halloween
Party.
Several of the RMC Marines have distinguished themselves during this period. Congratulations to SSgt
Fricke and SSgt Doreus for being selected to Warrant Officer! Sgt Lowery was Corporals Course Honor
Graduate and was meritoriously promoted, and Cpl Douglas won the international bench press competition
in Bath, England!
The RMC looks forward to the Holiday season and strong finish of the calendar year as it prepares for
next years up‐coming deployments.
HIGHLIGHTS: OUR MARINES
THE PRICE IS RIGHT FOR OUR
RUNNING FOR A CAUSE MARINE
Marines from First Maintenance Battalion continue to take a step in Cpl Christopher Morrison, a veteran of
the right direction by volunteering their time outside the work
Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as Op‐
space. One Marine in particular, Lance Corporal Vince Green of
Repairable Management Company, is participating in the Las Vegas eration Enduring Freedom, attended the
Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon this month. He has made a commitment to special Veteran’s Day showing of “Price
run this 26.2 mile marathon to raise money and awareness for re‐ Is Right”. Wearing Dress Blue “Deltas”,
search leading to a cure for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.
he was selected as a contestant to go
Crohn’s Disease is a chronic disease that causes inflammation of the
gastrointestinal tract. Ulcerative Colitis is also a chronic disease on stage and participate in a game en‐
which affects the colon or large intestine. Lance Corporal Green has titled “Switch It”. Cpl Morrison, who
raised $2,310 (46%) of his $5,000 goal in the effort of finding a cure is part of Ordinance Maintenance Com‐
for these diseases. His dedication to being a Marine not only on‐
pany, won a $1000 gift certificate, a
duty, but off‐duty as well, is a great example for Marines to emulate.
dirt biking trip to Cabo San Lucas, a
For more information on LCpl Green’s quest, please visit snow mobile trip to Vale, Colorado, 2
www.active.com/donate/lv10sandiego/lvvgreen snowboards with all gear, and 2 wake‐
boards with all gear.