MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii -- Marines are renowned for their volunteerism.
From signing the contract to become a Marine and volunteering to serve their country to offering to visit a local nursing home and volunteering their time and company, they are well-known for being unselfish and helpful.
All volunteer jobs don’t always seem as fun and rewarding as some, though. A lot of those job tasks Marines don’t look forward to performing are additional jobs referred to as working parties.
At times Marines are even “volun-told” or informed that they will be participating in a working party that they may not deem entertaining.
Needless to say, all the tasks given to service members, whether the responsibilities are volunteered for or not, are all important in their own specific way.
Some of the jobs more commonly assigned during working parties include picking up trash, recycling, setting up and tearing down chairs and tables for events, cutting grass, directing vehicles and doing car washes.
Although those jobs may not seem interesting or worthwhile, some individuals find that once they are actually performing the task, the importance of what they are accomplishing becomes apparent.
During the month of July, four Marines from Charlie Battery, 1st Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, were assigned to a working party in order to assist other Marines of their battalion.
“Being on this working party has taught me to take a lot of pride in the little things to help out the battalion,” said Pfc. Kyle “Bob the Builder” M. Nelson, field artillery cannoneer, Charlie Battery, 1/12.
Not only have the Marines performed tasks that beautified their unit area, they have also participated in a recycling program that runs every Friday. The proceeds from the recycled items go toward their unit’s Marine Corps Ball fund.
“The most we raised in one day was one hundred sixty-three dollars and eighty cents,” proclaimed, Michael “D” E. DeShields II, field artillery cannoneer, Charlie Battery, 1/12. “It is a positive thing for us to be a part of and since it helps us out by raising money for our ball, we can appreciate what we are doing, more.”
Throughout their time on the working party, which is a five-day-a-week, eight-hour-a-day job, the Marines explained one of the most beneficial things they got out of the working party was camaraderie among the four of them.
“We all pretty much have nicknames now,” said Lance Cpl. Sean “Face” D. Tatro, field artillery cannoneer, Charlie Battery, 1/12. “Some of the names don’t mean anything in particular, they are just an example of how close we have all gotten.”
According to Nelson, who was only with his unit for one week before he was assigned to the working party, being around the same people day after day has given him the chance to make three friends outside of his actual work section.
“At first I wanted to stay with my unit and learn more about my job,” explained the Brookfield, Ill. native, “but after getting the chance to meet these guys, if I had the chance to go back in time, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.”
Although not many Marines openly volunteer to be on a working party, some find that it can be a great way to learn how to make the best of what you are doing, even if it is not fun.
“In my opinion,” began Lance Cpl. Dustin B. Barr, motor transport operator, Charlie Battery, 1/12, “working parties help build character by bringing troops together. It unifies the Marines.”
According to Barr, 23, when most Marines hear the word working party they either think that is a job for Marines who get in trouble, or for newer, also referred to as “boot,” Marines. He said he thinks it is a common misconception because working parties have such a negative reputation.
“They really aren’t that bad,” said the Reno, Nev. native, “In general, my overall view is that they are really a great way to meet new people and make friends, while doing something constructive.”