November 2017 - Parks & Recreation - 18

Community Center
The Single Marine Program
Integral to morale and quality of life for young, single Marines
By Meghan Edwards

T
Photo courtesy of the US Marine Corps

his past April, 60 Marines from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in Havelock, North Carolina, traded in their rifles and PT gear for gardening gloves and
trowels. The Marines swept, dug and raked at various places, from schools to
veterans' homes, as a part of the Single Marine Program Days of Service, an
event that takes place across the country and involves thousands of Marines. But, these
acts are only a small part of a program that's integral to Marine morale and quality of life.
In 1995, the Marine Corps established
the Single Marine Program (SMP),
which was designed to address concerns
that many young, single Marines were
unhappy with overall Marine Corps life.
The idea was to create a place where
they could not only get out of the barracks and connect with other single Marines, but could also be empowered to
come up with workable solutions to the
problems they were experiencing with
Marine Corps life.

The SMP provides recreational activities and facilities to single Marines, as
well as ample opportunities for volunteerism. What makes this program especially unique is that its members have an
opportunity to have their voices heard -
members sit on councils at the installations where they are stationed and bring
the thoughts and ideas of their comrades
to the attention of higher leadership.
" Marines join this program because it
empowers them, " says HQMC Program

Manager Michael Brown. " Marines
power the program by participating in
and offering their ideas, and, in turn,
the Marine Corps leadership empowers
them. "
However, this isn't the only reason the
SMP is a hit. The opportunity to volunteer and get out in local communities
is hugely popular among participants.
Although each installation's program
provides opportunities throughout the
year, the biggest event is the annual Days of Service. Events can range
from beach cleanups and veteran home
visits, to more traditional, structured
activities, such as Habitat for Humanity builds. This year's Day of Service
brought more than 7,000 volunteers
together to contribute nearly 29,500
hours of service to their communities.
For Sgt. Daniel Hosch, president of SMP
at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton,
SMP is all about bringing Marines together. He joined as soon as he began his
Marine Corps career. " I was stationed
in Okinawa, and being over there was a
huge culture shock for me, " he explains.
" Joining the SMP helped me find people
to connect to. " Hosch says that he's seen
the program save lives. Military life is
stressful, and getting those Marines who
may be introverted or less inclined to
form a community to engage is crucial.
" I've seen Marines totally open up. They
begin to feel like they're part of something, " he adds.
Other activities single Marines particMarine volunteers haul logs during the SMP's
Annual Day of Service at Prince William Forest
Park in Virginia.

Parks & Recreation

| N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

November 2017 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2017 - Parks & Recreation