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Support Our Marines! |
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Team Marine Parents™
Show your support of our Marines and their families at home! Participate in one of the MarineParents.com Outreach Programs today! Our Marines need YOU! |
| Support for You:
a Place to
Connect & Share™ |
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| Learning Center:
Operations Security |
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NOTE: When communicating online, your Marine's privacy is as important as Operations Security. Please respect YOUR Marine's privacy! |
| Learning Center:
About Deployment |
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(from your Marine, with the USMC, and with other families)
(tips, tricks and money savers for mailing to YOUR Marine)
(bills, taxes, legal issues, injuries, notification from the Marine Corps)
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Learning Center:
About Homecoming |
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(Tip: While in our store, check in your Marine's unit store for more homecoming shirts!) |
| Learning Center:
Bootcamp |
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| Unit Chat Nights |
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Unit Chat Night Schedule:
Sunday: 1/4
2nd & 4th Sunday: deployed MAWS Monday: 2/5, 2/6 and 26th MEU, 15th MEU
Wednesday: 2/1, 3/8, 2/9
Thursday: 1/3, 1st LAR, 1/12
Friday: 1/1, 13th MEU
For additional information about the Chat Room and Unit Chat Nights for your Marine's Unit, please see:
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| Local Support Groups in Your Area |
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NEWEST SUPPORT
Fredericksburg, VA
(Stafford/Spotsylvania)
New Philadelphia, OH
(Tuscarawas)
Placerville, CA
Bluffton, SC
For a list of all support groups in our database or to find one in your area, see:
If you are interested in starting a local support group in your area, please visit the "Support Groups" section of our website:
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| Marine Corps Spirit
T-shirts, Gifts & More |
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Show your Marine Corps spirit and pride! Proceeds from sales support MarineParents.com, an IRS approved 501(c)(3) public charity.
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| Sign Up for the Newsletter |
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Dear Marine Families,
If this is the first edition of the MarineParents.com Newsletter you have received, WELCOME! If you are a returning reader we are glad you have joined us.
We've got a ton of stuff going on, with conference planning, girl scout cookies on their way, and having to move the corporate office. We're working hand-in-hand with Marine Corps offices around the United States to provide you with information on recruit training, deployments, and homecoming. It's a busy season and the year has only just begun!
We hope you'll take time to read the articles in this weeks newsletter; we've got a survey we need your help with as well as other important announcements. Thank you for taking time to help us help you!
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| Marine Parents Survey |
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| How are we doing? How can we improve?
 We've developed a three-part survey for visitors of MarineParents.com web sites and services. Your participation is important to us and we value your input. Your responses will help us to improve services and information offered to you from MarineParents.com.
Each of the three surveys will be published on Wednesday morning and be available for one week during which time we hope you will complete the survey and encourage others who use services or websites of Marine Parents to do so as well.
The link below is Part I of the three-part survey. Each survey is from 12-18 questions and should take no longer than 5-10 minutes to complete. Participation in the survey is voluntary. No personally identifying information will be asked or collected during the survey.
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| 2009 National Conference |
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| Plan Your Trip to San Diego
 We're taking reservations now for the 5th Marine Parents conference. Register now as seating is limited and you won't want to miss our surprise keynote speaker!
The 2009 Annual National Marine Parents Conference will be held in San Diego, California from April 17-19, 2009 at the Crowne Plaza Mission Valley. Conference registration fees will include all meals. Room nights at the hotel will be $115 for up to 4 guests per room.
The pre-conference tour on Friday has been changed to a tour of Camp Pendleton and lunch at at one of the chow halls. The conference will kick-off with a reception or dinner on Friday. Saturday, April 18, will be filled with educational breakout sessions during the day and our formal benefit dinner on Saturday evening. Sunday, April 19, will include networking opportunities in the morning.
Our lineup of speakers and breakout sessions, along with the online registration form, is now available on the web site at www.MarineConference.com/2009
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| We need HELP: The Big Move |
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| Support the Organization that Supports You
 Marine Parents has grown beyond what anyone could imagine--from a one-woman show run out of my home in 2003 to a nonprofit corporation with staff, hundreds of volunteers and 27 web sites on 7 different servers for all of our outreach projects. The corporate office includes offices, a warehouse and packing area, meeting areas and a classroom. Without the corporate office and staff to do the work behind the scenes, this organization would not exist. We have to move from our current space and we need your help with donations to develop the only structure we could afford; it's a warehouse which needs to be transformed into an office. Please support the organization that supports you; we need your donation today so we continue to have an office space and continue to provide services to you and our Marines.
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| The Unity of Hearts |
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From Our Columnist Dr. Bridget Cantrell
 I'm so excited to be writing this short note to you on Valentine's Day weekend 2009. Since the unity of "hearts" is at the center of our organization, Hearts Toward Home International, it is always a special time for me. Out of all the things I could write and talk about I think preparation for the "reunion", and subsequent following through, is most important to mention at this time.
As I have said before, there is nothing quite as jolting as failed expectations when a loved one comes home from a combat zone. So remember, the reunion rarely
goes as expected, and the events you have been waiting for may not turn out as anticipated.
Have Questions? Join Dr. Cantrell for an Online Chat, Thursday March 5:
Ask Dr. Cantrell in person during the online chat night. She answers questions for any military family member or personnel one evening each month. Invite your friends and family to join us Thursday evening, March 5, 2009 at 8:00 Central Time.
For more information on chat night, Click here... |
| Let the 2009 Season Begin |
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Team Marine Parents™
Do you want to participate in an athletic event and show your support for our Marines with other Marine families? Join the 2009 Team Marine Parents!™
You can participate in events like the Camp Pendleton Mud Run, the Jerabek Memorial Challenge, or the Marine Corps Marathon. Join as an individual or form a team. We will put your picture, bio, and fund-raising goal meter online so your friends and family can watch your progress.
Registration is already open for some events. To learn more about the events, Team Marine Parents™, and how to join, Click here... |
| Your Purchase Supports Us |
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You have got to check out Marine Parents' NEWEST designs. Try on the bold yet simple "Marines Est. 1775" with a stunning EGA or one of our "Marine Corps Attitude" designs. Click the image to go to the hottest new Marine store out there!
Why purchase from other companies when your buck can go back to the organization that supports you and and our Marines?
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| Keeping You Informed |
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| Enhancing Marine Parents Web Sites
 Marine Parents is dedicated to keeping you informed throughout your Marine's career. With this goal in mind, we created new, categorized announcement pages.
The new web site feature contains categories such as: Combat Recovery™, Marine Corps Vets™, Purple Heart Hero Support™, and Gold Star Family Support™. Now you can navigate from one category to another making it easy to find announcements that pertain to you and your Marine.
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| Terminology for Recruit Parents |
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New Terms Recruits Learn in Bootcamp
 There are literally thousands of acronyms in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and all branches of the military and there are hundreds of new terms to learn.
Recruits in Marine Corps Bootcamp learn to call a flashlight a "moon beam", a pen becomes an "ink stick", and the bathroom is "the head".
MarineParents.com created a terminology page as a starting point for recruit families-the reference contains terms that are most important to learn during recruit training.
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| Keeping Marine Families Closer |
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| Marine Corps Family Readiness Officers
 Fightertown Marines and sailors must be ready to deploy at a moments' notice. While they are away performing their duties, they must have complete confidence their families are well cared for and life is running smoothly in the rear. Family Readiness Officers are available to help make deployments run a little smoother for the loved ones at home. Having events for adults and children to make sure the families are being well cared for is just one way units offer assistance during a deployment. "All Family Readiness Officers work directly for the commanding officer of their assigned unit and give spouses at home a sense of camaraderie and support while their service member is away," said Lynnette Thompson, the Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron FRO. "It will also give [family members] functions to look forward to that will help pass the time and ease the pains accompanying a deployment." |
| Unit Information Pages™ |
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Exclusively at MarineParents.com
 The UIP (Unit Information Page) includes unit history and location, USMC contact information and web sites for each unit. In addition, the UIP contains Marine Parents message board links and the chat room schedule for that unit, giving you "a Place to Connect & Share" with other Marine families.
Find your Marine's unit. Search by Unit Name, Specific Category such as Air Wings or Infantry Units, Primary Base Location, or Marine Division.
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| Our Bulldog Mascot Contest |
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Our Bulldog Has a Name!
Several hundred votes later, he's got a name and it's not cute and cuddly. Semper Fido™ is the hands down winner and we're proud to have him on board with us as the official Marine Parents Mascot!
A huge thank you goes out to Danna in Seaford, DE for being the first person to submit the winning name. Danna, please contact the office so we can get a Semper Fido T-shirt ordered for you as our contest winner!
 We've got new designs ready to go for St. Patrick's Day. Even if you're not Irish, this design is the perfect way to wear your green and show your pride in the Marine Corps at the same time!
All proceeds support MarineParents.com, Inc, an IRS approved 501(c)(3) public charity. Use Coupon code CLUNGHEIGHT to save $5 on an order of $50 or more through March 1.
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