Conference brings Marine spouses together in Northeast

Family Readiness Conference brings Marine spouses together in Northeast
DVIDS
1st Marine Corps District
Story by Cpl. Juan Alfonso

ALBANY, N.Y. - Raising a family can be one of the most challenging endeavors. Couple that with being married to a Marine on recruiting duty and spouses end up having to practically raise their children on their own.

Although Marine spouses are capable of being heavily leaned on by their Marines, they are accustomed to living on bases and installations were they benefit from goods and services easily available there but harder to find off base.

“I’ve been married to my husband for eight years and during these eight years we have been through a lot,” said Ashley Gearhart, a Marine spouse and conference attendee. “He’s missed our son growing up and missed our daughter’s birth. This last year and half of recruiting duty has been one of the hardest times that we have gone through.”

To ensure spouses use every resource at their fingertips to help make raising a family a less daunting task, the 1st Marine Corps District, the unit in charge of Marine recruiting in the Northeastern United States, held its annual Family Readiness Conference at the Desmond Hotel, here, Aug. 29 through Sept. 1.

“You can’t get the mission accomplished if you don’t take care of your Marines,” said Col. J.J. Dill, the district’s commanding officer. “Taking care of your Marines means taking care of their families.”
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