Officers and enlisted leaders with Marine Air Control Group 28 took an unconventional approach to improving morale among enlisted men and women living aboard Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, last month.
Armed with pressure washers, paint brushes and landscaping equipment, they led the North Carolina-based Marines in an effort to tidy up the barracks and surrounding grounds in the days before Thanksgiving. Though later billed in a Marine Corps news release by press officers as a holiday treat, boosting the air station's espirit de corps was the main goal, said several Marines involved in the two-day effort.
"Sometimes Marines, for lack of a better word, feel forgotten," said Cpl. Jared G. Brewster, a digital tropospheric scatter radio system technician with MACG-28. "So this event shows that everyone, from the group sergeant major on down, actually cares about the Marines and their quality of life."
The idea arose in late summer, said Sgt. Maj. Scott Grade, who estimates between 1,800 and 2,200 Marines participated in the project between Nov. 24 and 25. In the midst of a commander's meeting, one of his fellow sergeant majors suggested sprucing up the barracks, he recalled.
"We're always trying to figure out ways to improve the quality of life and show Marines across the group that no matter who you are, you are part of this group and we care about you," Grade said.
The leaders said they didn't know if any other units or bases had picked up on the idea.
Though the barracks remain in good shape after about 25 years of use, said Sgt. Clinton Sharp, a field radio operator, they still needed a touch of paint here and a bit of washing there. Organizers also focused on making improvements and upgrading amenities.
The latter undertaking included repairing pool tables, expanding cable television to floors previously lacking it, and adding dart boards, ping pong tables and televisions.
"It was more so focused toward helping the Marines to have a place where they could not only [live] but take pride in it," Sharp said. "It gives them a place to hang out and spend time bonding outside of work."
That, along with the show of support from officers and noncommissioned officers, boosts spirits, the Marines said.
"Absolutely, morale improvement was a huge factor during the event," Brewster said.
And morale has become a major concern in today's armed services. A Military Times survey of 2,300 active-duty troops released Sunday indicates they are increasingly dissatisfied with their quality of life.
"It's known throughout the Marine Corps that good units do everything well," Grade said. "[Showing that] no matter who you are … people care about you, that's part of doing things well."
