1

From The Command Deck

RECRUITING STATION

LOUISVILLE

S u m m e r 2 0 1 2 F a m i l y R e a d i n e s s N e w s l e t t e r

Dear Families

With the end of the school year we are moving into

an exciting time in the annual cycle of recruiting duty You may have heard your Marine talk about

ldquorising seniorsrdquo or ldquonew marketsrdquo All of the jargon

simply means that the high school students that we

have been investing time in throughout the year

have finally graduated and will soon be leaving for

recruit training It also means that we are starting to build relationships with students for next year

In many ways this is the best time of year for

recruiting there is ample opportunity to get ahead

on our monthly missions and set the conditions for

future success It is never easy and will require hard work but if your Marine takes advantage of this op-

portunity he is setting himself up for more flexibil-

ity in his schedule and a better quality of life during

the summer and into the new school year I encourage you to talk with your

Marine about this opportunity

This is also the time of year that many Marines transfer to new assignments Of particular importance to the RS Louisville family is the departure of

Master Sergeant Jared Cobb After three years as our Operations Chief and

Family Readiness Officer he will be transferring to Parris Island SC to serve

in the headquarters for all recruiting activities on the east coast During his

time here Master Sergeant Cobb has had an enormous and positive impact on all of us His leadership and commitment to the success of every Marine

is greatly appreciated and will be missed In his place Gunnery Sergeant

Mark Mason will take over responsibilities as the Family Readiness Officer

Most of us have already met Gunnery Sergeant Mason or at least his better

half Adrienne

This edition of the newsletter also contains our annual family events calen-dar I hope that it will help your family plan for the coming year As you will

see we kept some of the best events from last year and incorporated a few

new items that I think will be beneficial for all of us One event that I would

like to highlight is a marriage retreat hosted by the military chaplainsrsquo

association that will take place from 27-29 July in Lexington KY Although it is not a mandatory function please consider attending To make it a little

easier we are going to give those days off to any Marine that attends with his wife

Details can be found on page 5 of this newsletter

I wish all of your families the best in the coming months

Scott Stephan

Inside This

Issue

Command Deck

1

Farewell to the Fro

2

SgtMaj Remarks

3

RSS Spotlight

4

Summertime

5

RI Shop

Summer Activity

6

Military Family

Shortcuts

7

HailFarewell

Important Dates

Important Contacts

CREDO

8

2

As my time here in RS Louisville winds down I want to take a minute to say a few

things First it has been an absolute pleasure working with you and your families I

believe that we are in a good place right now with more supportive families than ever

before The RS Facebook page has been a positive tool to allow the spouses to

communicate across the RS and be supportive of one another Continue supporting

each other and your Marines That support will take the sting out of the hardest days

on this duty Second I have had the privilege of working with two wonderful women as

my advisors Nicole Cobb picked up as the advisor when the family readiness program

here was in disarray and organized it into a fully functional program Adrienne Mason

has taken the baton and ran with it in a seamless motion I have no doubt that she will

take the Family Readiness Program to the next level I appreciate the hard work from

both of you and am sincerely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you I

will miss all of the Marines and families and wish you all the best in the future

Continue to grow as families and as a unit If you ever need Nicole or me we are a

phone call away

Semper Fi

MSgt Jared L Cobb

Would you like to contribute to the newsletter Send your input over It can be a story experience

resource recipe kids activity or any information you would like to share with the families of

RS Louisville Submissions can be sent to RSLouisvillefamiliesgmailcom

MSgt Cobb-

On behalf of the RS Louisville family Thank You for

your unwavering dedication and time as our FRO

Your balance of leadership not only as a Marine but

a husband and father has been instrumental to the

development of our Family Readiness Program

Best wishes to you and your family as your journey

in the Marine Corps takes you onto your new

adventure

2

As my time here in RS Louisville winds down I want to take a minute to say a few

things First it has been an absolute pleasure working with you and your families I

believe that we are in a good place right now with more supportive families than ever

before The RS Facebook page has been a positive tool to allow the spouses to

communicate across the RS and be supportive of one another Continue supporting

each other and your Marines That support will take the sting out of the hardest days

on this duty Second I have had the privilege of working with two wonderful women as

my advisors Nicole Cobb picked up as the advisor when the family readiness program

here was in disarray and organized it into a fully functional program Adrienne Mason

has taken the baton and ran with it in a seamless motion I have no doubt that she will

take the Family Readiness Program to the next level I appreciate the hard work from

both of you and am sincerely grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you I

will miss all of the Marines and families and wish you all the best in the future

Continue to grow as families and as a unit If you ever need Nicole or me we are a

phone call away

Semper Fi

MSgt Jared L Cobb

Would you like to contribute to the newsletter Send your input over It can be a story experience

resource recipe kids activity or any information you would like to share with the families of

RS Louisville Submissions can be sent to RSLouisvillefamiliesgmailcom

MSgt Cobb-

On behalf of the RS Louisville family Thank You for

your unwavering dedication and time as our FRO

Your balance of leadership not only as a Marine but

a husband and father has been instrumental to the

development of our Family Readiness Program

Best wishes to you and your family as your journey

in the Marine Corps takes you onto your new

adventure

3

As Major Stephan mentioned we will be losing MSgt Cobb as he PCSs to Parris Island In addition GySgt Geitgey former

SNCOIC of Louisville North and Program Specialist will be retiring after 20 years of honorable and faithful service

Lastly SSgt Bushnell SNCOIC of London will be transferring to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar during the month of

August I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank MSgt Cobb GySgt Geitgey and SSgt Bushnell for their unending

service and dedication to RS Louisville Last but certainly not least the spouses Nicole Cobb Amy Geitgey and Jennifer

Bushnell Ladies please know that your support and loyalty to the mission - at every level - does not go unrecognized

Semper Fidelis Silvia Poynter

Sergeant Major Recruiting Station Louisville

I pledge allegiance to the Flag

of the United States of America

and to the Republic for which it stands

one Nation under God indivisible

With Liberty and Justice for all

4

How Many

Schools They

cover

33 High schools

2 Community

Colleges

Number of

Counties

11

RSS Spotlighthellip

RSS Clarksville SNCOIC SSgt Strand

Recruiters SSgt Husley SSgt Jones SSgt Heitzman

Sgt Morgan Sgt Wiggins

What helps to make your station successful

We have such a STRONG support system Not only do we have the support

from our family and friends but from other fellow Marines and our communi-

ty We are a TEAM who support and stand by each other no matter what

That is why our station has been so successful

What is your advice for maintaining a strong marriage

during this demanding duty

Communication is key If you communicate you trust and better under-

stand each other As a spouse keeping yourself busy helps you get through

all the stress and negativity around you Get a job find playmates for the

kids have a girls night out- connecting with the other wives is essential

And always support your Marine

How do you keep the families of the RSS close We are ALWAYS welcoming of each other We try to keep in touch and in-

form each other with whats going on through our social network We get to-

gether as often as we can by hosting parties at each others houses- game

nights bbqrsquos celebrate birthdays and holidays

RSS

Clarksville

is an

OHANA

-a family

SS

gt H

eitz

man

not p

ictu

red

Family isnt Always blood Its the people who want you in theirs the ones

who ACCEPT you for who you are The ones who would do ANYTHING to see

you smile and who LOVE you no matter what

4

How Many

Schools They

cover

33 High schools

2 Community

Colleges

Number of

Counties

11

RSS Spotlighthellip

RSS Clarksville SNCOIC SSgt Strand

Recruiters SSgt Husley SSgt Jones SSgt Heitzman

Sgt Morgan Sgt Wiggins

What helps to make your station successful

We have such a STRONG support system Not only do we have the support

from our family and friends but from other fellow Marines and our communi-

ty We are a TEAM who support and stand by each other no matter what

That is why our station has been so successful

What is your advice for maintaining a strong marriage

during this demanding duty

Communication is key If you communicate you trust and better under-

stand each other As a spouse keeping yourself busy helps you get through

all the stress and negativity around you Get a job find playmates for the

kids have a girls night out- connecting with the other wives is essential

And always support your Marine

How do you keep the families of the RSS close We are ALWAYS welcoming of each other We try to keep in touch and in-

form each other with whats going on through our social network We get to-

gether as often as we can by hosting parties at each others houses- game

nights bbqrsquos celebrate birthdays and holidays

RSS

Clarksville

is an

OHANA

-a family

SS

gt H

eitz

man

not p

ictu

red

Family isnt Always blood Its the people who want you in theirs the ones

who ACCEPT you for who you are The ones who would do ANYTHING to see

you smile and who LOVE you no matter what

5

As soon as the summer starts my first reaction is to go

outside to enjoy the weather I definitely never thought to

run to the computer to research summer safety tips Here

are a few reminders to help keep you and your family safe

this summer

1 Do NOT use the combination of insect repellant and

sunblocksunscreen Any product protecting you from

harmful UV rays MUST be applied every 2-3 hours

maximum between applications depending on your activity

level Unfortunately insect repellant is an item you

should not reapply as often as you apply sunblock

sunscreen The best advice I have found to work really well

is to apply sunblock to your skin and then insect repellant

to your clothing

2 Floral prints are a great way to attract stinging insects

Double-up your floral prints with insect repellant

3 Sunscreen must be applied approximately 20 minutes

prior to going outside This allows your skin time to absorb

the product properly and work more efficiently However

sunblock doesnt need time to absorb into your skin It

can be applied just before you enjoy the outdoors

4 Even if youre sitting in the shade apply sunblock

sunscreen UV rays will bounce off of any whitereflective

surfaces

5 Make sure everyone stays hydrated Kids playing out-

side should drink an average of 6oz of water (or sugarfree

juice) every 45 minutes

6 For those looking for a healthier alternative to Gatorade

and similar drinks coconut water is a great way to go

Enjoy the weather and stay safe

Summa Summa Summertime

By Chiara White

6

Sunshine Brings Family time

Summertime recruiting has the potential to change the

amount of hours our Marines work each day Many Marines

find this allows them more time to do the things they enjoy-

like spending time with family and participating in their

hobbies Marines are not making school visits and there is the

opportunity to meet with applicants earlier during the day al-

lowing them to get home earlier than they have in the past

With a continued support system our marines can accomplish a lot this summer

and reap the benefits They can use the summer along with all the new seniors they

have been working all year to get ahead and achieve the assigned mission faster

This allows them more time for family friends and fun - I hope they take advantage

of it

We can all be part of the success of our Marines by encouraging our them to

continue working hard and being positive about what they do We all know

recruiting is challenging and we must all support our marines directly and indirect-

ly Direct support is talking to the people around us and to try assisting in getting

referrals for them Indirectly we can continue to provide the Marines everything

they need to stay motivated and passionate about the Marine Corps and Marine Re-

cruiting daily Positive reinforcement and encouragement goes a long way and will

lead to quality of life for every Marine their family and loved ones

- MSgt GreenemdashRS Louisville Recruiter Instructor

mdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdash

Liquid Sidewalk Paint

1 cup Water

1 cup cornstarch

Food coloring (any color)

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy

7

SOAR provides individualized online tutorials amp skill builders

based on your statersquos standards Children take an initial as-

sessment in math and reading Then individualized tutorials

and skill sets are developed at your childrsquos level Parent portal

is available to view progress wwwsoarathomeorg

The National Military Family Association works to improve

the lives of the central support system for all service members-

the military families They are a resource for information about

military family benefits such as TRICARE The Exceptional

Family Member Program (EFMP) The Commissaries Defense

Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) etc They

offer military spouse scholar-ships Operation Purple-a free

camp for military children and the Military Family Award

Military OneSource is provided by the US Department of

Defense at no cost to you They offer resources referrals con-

sultation and counseling services on the issues that concern

military families Services are offered in person by telephone

or online They are available 277 365 days a year

DOD Scholarship Program for Spouses (Must be ranks E1-

E5 O1-O2 W1-W2)

The Department of Defenses expanded Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program (MyCAA) will pro-vide up to

$4000 of financial assistance for military spouses who are pur-

suing associate degree programs licenses or credentials leading

to employment in portable career fields It will cover tuition for

associate degree programs vocational training courses that lead

to licensing andor industry certifications Eligible spouses can establish a MyCAA Account by visiting the MyCAA website

httpsaiportalaccafmilmycaa

Sittercity has partnered with the Department of Defense to

provide all military families a membership at no cost You can

have instant access to caregiver profiles which include back-

ground checks pictures references reviews a four-step

screening process and proprietary matching technology to help

families hand-select the perfect caregiver for their family This

is for a free membership not for free childcare

wwwsittercitycomdod

8

MSgt Cobb- HQ GySgt GeitgeymdashHQ SSgt Rosser- RSS Louisville North SSgt James- OSO- Lexington SSgt Bushnell- RSS London

Upcoming Dates

June 17ndash Fatherrsquos Day

July 4ndash Independence Day

August 16-26ndash Ky State Fair

September 3ndash Labor Day

Late SeptEarly OctmdashFamily Day

Nov 10ndash Marine Corps Ball

Sgt Englandndash RSS Louisville North Sgt Bashamndash RSS Evansville

hellip Fair Winds And

Following Seashellip

Important Numbers

FROmdashGySgt Mason

(614) 558-0176

FRAmdashAdrienne Mason

(262) 751-3578

Tricare Health Insurance

(877) 874-2273

United Concordia Dental

(800) 538-9522

Military OneSource

(800) 342-9647

Chaplain (available 247)

CDR Taylor Keith

(270) 769-2811

4th MCD FROmdashJohn Cook

Johncookmarinesusmcmil

Take advantage of this great opportunity

CREDO July 27-29

Designed for you and your spouse to help

build a better bond healthier relationship

and stronger marriage This is first come

first served and you must submit the

application

No childcare provided

Questions Please email

hagenalhaolcom

or

markmasonmarinesusmcmil

6

Sunshine Brings Family time

Summertime recruiting has the potential to change the

amount of hours our Marines work each day Many Marines

find this allows them more time to do the things they enjoy-

like spending time with family and participating in their

hobbies Marines are not making school visits and there is the

opportunity to meet with applicants earlier during the day al-

lowing them to get home earlier than they have in the past

With a continued support system our marines can accomplish a lot this summer

and reap the benefits They can use the summer along with all the new seniors they

have been working all year to get ahead and achieve the assigned mission faster

This allows them more time for family friends and fun - I hope they take advantage

of it

We can all be part of the success of our Marines by encouraging our them to

continue working hard and being positive about what they do We all know

recruiting is challenging and we must all support our marines directly and indirect-

ly Direct support is talking to the people around us and to try assisting in getting

referrals for them Indirectly we can continue to provide the Marines everything

they need to stay motivated and passionate about the Marine Corps and Marine Re-

cruiting daily Positive reinforcement and encouragement goes a long way and will

lead to quality of life for every Marine their family and loved ones

- MSgt GreenemdashRS Louisville Recruiter Instructor

mdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdash

Liquid Sidewalk Paint

1 cup Water

1 cup cornstarch

Food coloring (any color)

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy

7

SOAR provides individualized online tutorials amp skill builders

based on your statersquos standards Children take an initial as-

sessment in math and reading Then individualized tutorials

and skill sets are developed at your childrsquos level Parent portal

is available to view progress wwwsoarathomeorg

The National Military Family Association works to improve

the lives of the central support system for all service members-

the military families They are a resource for information about

military family benefits such as TRICARE The Exceptional

Family Member Program (EFMP) The Commissaries Defense

Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) etc They

offer military spouse scholar-ships Operation Purple-a free

camp for military children and the Military Family Award

Military OneSource is provided by the US Department of

Defense at no cost to you They offer resources referrals con-

sultation and counseling services on the issues that concern

military families Services are offered in person by telephone

or online They are available 277 365 days a year

DOD Scholarship Program for Spouses (Must be ranks E1-

E5 O1-O2 W1-W2)

The Department of Defenses expanded Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program (MyCAA) will pro-vide up to

$4000 of financial assistance for military spouses who are pur-

suing associate degree programs licenses or credentials leading

to employment in portable career fields It will cover tuition for

associate degree programs vocational training courses that lead

to licensing andor industry certifications Eligible spouses can establish a MyCAA Account by visiting the MyCAA website

httpsaiportalaccafmilmycaa

Sittercity has partnered with the Department of Defense to

provide all military families a membership at no cost You can

have instant access to caregiver profiles which include back-

ground checks pictures references reviews a four-step

screening process and proprietary matching technology to help

families hand-select the perfect caregiver for their family This

is for a free membership not for free childcare

wwwsittercitycomdod

8

MSgt Cobb- HQ GySgt GeitgeymdashHQ SSgt Rosser- RSS Louisville North SSgt James- OSO- Lexington SSgt Bushnell- RSS London

Upcoming Dates

June 17ndash Fatherrsquos Day

July 4ndash Independence Day

August 16-26ndash Ky State Fair

September 3ndash Labor Day

Late SeptEarly OctmdashFamily Day

Nov 10ndash Marine Corps Ball

Sgt Englandndash RSS Louisville North Sgt Bashamndash RSS Evansville

hellip Fair Winds And

Following Seashellip

Important Numbers

FROmdashGySgt Mason

(614) 558-0176

FRAmdashAdrienne Mason

(262) 751-3578

Tricare Health Insurance

(877) 874-2273

United Concordia Dental

(800) 538-9522

Military OneSource

(800) 342-9647

Chaplain (available 247)

CDR Taylor Keith

(270) 769-2811

4th MCD FROmdashJohn Cook

Johncookmarinesusmcmil

Take advantage of this great opportunity

CREDO July 27-29

Designed for you and your spouse to help

build a better bond healthier relationship

and stronger marriage This is first come

first served and you must submit the

application

No childcare provided

Questions Please email

hagenalhaolcom

or

markmasonmarinesusmcmil

7

SOAR provides individualized online tutorials amp skill builders

based on your statersquos standards Children take an initial as-

sessment in math and reading Then individualized tutorials

and skill sets are developed at your childrsquos level Parent portal

is available to view progress wwwsoarathomeorg

The National Military Family Association works to improve

the lives of the central support system for all service members-

the military families They are a resource for information about

military family benefits such as TRICARE The Exceptional

Family Member Program (EFMP) The Commissaries Defense

Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) etc They

offer military spouse scholar-ships Operation Purple-a free

camp for military children and the Military Family Award

Military OneSource is provided by the US Department of

Defense at no cost to you They offer resources referrals con-

sultation and counseling services on the issues that concern

military families Services are offered in person by telephone

or online They are available 277 365 days a year

DOD Scholarship Program for Spouses (Must be ranks E1-

E5 O1-O2 W1-W2)

The Department of Defenses expanded Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program (MyCAA) will pro-vide up to

$4000 of financial assistance for military spouses who are pur-

suing associate degree programs licenses or credentials leading

to employment in portable career fields It will cover tuition for

associate degree programs vocational training courses that lead

to licensing andor industry certifications Eligible spouses can establish a MyCAA Account by visiting the MyCAA website

httpsaiportalaccafmilmycaa

Sittercity has partnered with the Department of Defense to

provide all military families a membership at no cost You can

have instant access to caregiver profiles which include back-

ground checks pictures references reviews a four-step

screening process and proprietary matching technology to help

families hand-select the perfect caregiver for their family This

is for a free membership not for free childcare

wwwsittercitycomdod

8

MSgt Cobb- HQ GySgt GeitgeymdashHQ SSgt Rosser- RSS Louisville North SSgt James- OSO- Lexington SSgt Bushnell- RSS London

Upcoming Dates

June 17ndash Fatherrsquos Day

July 4ndash Independence Day

August 16-26ndash Ky State Fair

September 3ndash Labor Day

Late SeptEarly OctmdashFamily Day

Nov 10ndash Marine Corps Ball

Sgt Englandndash RSS Louisville North Sgt Bashamndash RSS Evansville

hellip Fair Winds And

Following Seashellip

Important Numbers

FROmdashGySgt Mason

(614) 558-0176

FRAmdashAdrienne Mason

(262) 751-3578

Tricare Health Insurance

(877) 874-2273

United Concordia Dental

(800) 538-9522

Military OneSource

(800) 342-9647

Chaplain (available 247)

CDR Taylor Keith

(270) 769-2811

4th MCD FROmdashJohn Cook

Johncookmarinesusmcmil

Take advantage of this great opportunity

CREDO July 27-29

Designed for you and your spouse to help

build a better bond healthier relationship

and stronger marriage This is first come

first served and you must submit the

application

No childcare provided

Questions Please email

hagenalhaolcom

or

markmasonmarinesusmcmil

8

MSgt Cobb- HQ GySgt GeitgeymdashHQ SSgt Rosser- RSS Louisville North SSgt James- OSO- Lexington SSgt Bushnell- RSS London

Upcoming Dates

June 17ndash Fatherrsquos Day

July 4ndash Independence Day

August 16-26ndash Ky State Fair

September 3ndash Labor Day

Late SeptEarly OctmdashFamily Day

Nov 10ndash Marine Corps Ball

Sgt Englandndash RSS Louisville North Sgt Bashamndash RSS Evansville

hellip Fair Winds And

Following Seashellip

Important Numbers

FROmdashGySgt Mason

(614) 558-0176

FRAmdashAdrienne Mason

(262) 751-3578

Tricare Health Insurance

(877) 874-2273

United Concordia Dental

(800) 538-9522

Military OneSource

(800) 342-9647

Chaplain (available 247)

CDR Taylor Keith

(270) 769-2811

4th MCD FROmdashJohn Cook

Johncookmarinesusmcmil

Take advantage of this great opportunity

CREDO July 27-29

Designed for you and your spouse to help

build a better bond healthier relationship

and stronger marriage This is first come

first served and you must submit the

application

No childcare provided

Questions Please email

hagenalhaolcom

or

markmasonmarinesusmcmil