CAMP KINSER, OKINAWA, Japan -- Live music pulses from speakers as Marines and their families dine under canopies dripping with freshly fallen rain as the aroma of a summer barbeque fills the air. Although dark clouds mist over the 3rd Maintenance Battalion Luau, the activities did not cease and the Marines and their families carried on with the summer festivities.
Marines with 3rd Maintenance Battalion hosted their 3rd annual Summer Luau to promote unit cohesion by bringing the battalion together with live music, a hula-dance performance and free food for Marines and their families.
“The Marines have the opportunity to get to know the other Marines from different companies of 3rd Maint. Bn., during the event,” said Maria Lopez, the battalion’s family readiness officer. “Events like this develop camaraderie, and the battalion leadership gets to meet the families of the battalion.”
The luau began with opening remarks from Maj. Keith G. Nunn, the commanding officer of 3rd Maint. Bn., Combat Logistics Regiment 35, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force, and Sgt. Maj. Robert M. Tellez, the sergeant major of the battalion.
“This is my first family and single Marine event with the battalion,” said Tellez, a San Diego, California, native. “I’ve been here just under four months, and events like this help me to get to know the Marines of the battalion. It also helps them to recognize and get to know the leadership.”
Along with getting to know leadership, the luau provided Marines a chance to socialize with their counterparts who work at various installations across Okinawa.
“Our battalion is located on several different camps,” said Tellez. “This is the first time many of the Marines have met each other. Every unit should hold events like this because the (spouses) get to know each other, the children get to play with each other, and the Marines get to network to become familiar with the fellow Marines in their battalion.”
The event also assisted Marines who were new to the island with getting to know the people and places they will call home for the next few years, according to Lance Cpl. Sean T. Ward, an automotive maintenance technician specialist with the battalion.
“Being away from home is hard, but events like this help us develop that family feeling many may be missing,” said Ward, a Selah, Washington, native.
For many Marines stationed on Okinawa, the closest family member is thousands of miles away, so building strong relationships nearby is crucial, according to Lopez, a Dallas, Texas, native.
“As a battalion, we consider each other family,” said Lopez. “We want to make sure that the Marines and the families know that we’re there for them, and that we are going to continue to take care of each other.”