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Marines, USS Truman celebrate Hump Day

9 Sep 2010 | Lance Cpl. Kel Clark Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort

After three months underway, Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312, along with the other Navy squadrons onboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, had the opportunity to celebrate the expected halfway point of a deployment with “Hump Day” festivities, Sept. 3.

“Hump Day was a milestone for all of us,” said Megahn Dronberger, the Fun Boss and event coordinator for Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) onboard Truman. “MWR wanted to give something different to the crew that was fun and exciting.”

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 left the comfort of the Air Station to attach to Truman for a seven-month deployment May 20. The squadron had the opportunity to experience a day filled with events that didn’t involve a flight schedule.

The day included fishing, basketball, dodgeball, poker, tricycle racing and more.

“During Hump Day, I was able to drive golf balls off of the flight deck,” said Lance Cpl. Shannon Smith, an administrative clerk for VMFA-312. “The weird thing was I never picked up a golf club before then, and I golfed for the first time in the middle of the Arabian Sea. It was a new experience for me.”

For some of the Marines, this is their first deployment and first time away from their families for an extended period of time. A day off, whether it’s for fun or just to relax, is something all of the service members appreciated.

“The day was a huge success,” Dronberger said. “Thanks to the help from the entire MWR staff and chief selects, we were able to hold a lot of the events and continue our other daily services, such as our coffee shop and tour signups.”

The ship held a special steak and lobster dinner for the event as well, along with an ice cream social in the mess decks for the crew.

According to Dronberger, MWR received lots of positive feedback from the crew and hope to do more events like it in the future.

“For me, I enjoyed the day because it was fun, and we all got the chance to relax and get our minds off of the stresses and worries that entangle our minds during the deployment,” said Lance Cpl. Sara Mund, the central technical publication librarian for VMFA-312. “The deployment is halfway over. Hump Day was a reminder to us that we are almost home.”