Marine Corps Family Team Building has one of the most important missions in the Corps.
"Our overall mission is to achieve ready and resilient Marines and families," said MCFTB member Patricia Sowell during a recent interview in her office on Building 12 on the Henderson Hall portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. "That means families and Marines that are ready for life's challenges and life's events."
Sowell said the most well-known of MCFTB's program is LINKS or Lifestyles, Insights, Networking, Knowledge and Skills. She said LINKS enhances the readiness of both single and married Marines and their families by offering an orientation to the Marine Corps lifestyle and the benefits and services it offers.
"Every Monday we go to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) at Fort Meade to speak to parents and extended family members of the shippers, of those who are going to join the Marine Corps," said Sowell.
During the sessions, family members learn about the history, tradition and language of the Marine Corps, receive tips on financial awareness and moving and learn how to deal with separation and deployments.
"It's a lot of information and if you don't have any military background it can be extremely overwhelming," she said. "We want to make sure that we prepare them for life's challenges as they come up."
LINKS classes are also available that are tailored to military kids between the ages of 6 and 12, continued Sowell.
"They are very interactive," she said. "We teach them about drill movements, we build mini-CFT (combat fitness test) courses, they run with ammo cans, crawl through sand. There's a tug-of-war between the kids and Marines. In the past, we've taught them about flag etiquette and had MRE [meal ready to eat] tasting."
Sowell also added that representatives from Army Community Service on the joint base travel to the station on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to discuss the Army lifestyle with prospective Soldiers and their families.
MCFTB also offers life skills programs that include classes on unit, personal and family readiness. Basic stress management classes and what can be used to combat it are also available.
"A lot of our classes are proactive and preventative," she said.
MCFTB also offers Chaplain's Religious Enrichment Development Operations (CREDO) retreats, which provide programs for personal growth, character development, team building, ethical leadership and workshops on marriage and family enrichment and spiritual growth, Sowell said.
All MCFTB programs are free of charge. The MCFTB office on JBM-HH is located in Bldg. 12, room 136. For more information, call 703-693-4840.
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