Recognizing the Marine Corps’ 245th Birthday

The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) celebrates its 245th birthday on November 10, and to mark the occasion, they‘ve released an inspiring new running cadence. Prior to COVID-19, Marines around the world would honor their history and tradition with formal Marine Corps Birthday Balls and cake cutting ceremonies. While celebrations are limited this year, November 10 will still celebrate the Marines as a strong U.S. military force.

In honor of this special birthday, we'd like to share some of our own fun facts and project highlights with the Marines.

Fun facts

• Our projects with the Marines span nine states and territories.
• There are currently 17 nonprofit agencies (NPAs) working on active projects with the Marines.
• As of late October 2020, SourceAmerica has 24 active projects with the Marines on the Procurement List.
• Food service is our largest line of business with the Marines, followed by apparel and equipage and medical supplies and equipment.
• The food service attendant project at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in Cherry Point, North Carolina, is our oldest active project with the Marines, dating back to 1993.

Project highlights

Marine Corps mess hall integrated work environments

Through the AbilityOne Program, NPA employees at The Arc of San Diego, Coastal Enterprises of Jacksonville, Eggleston Services, Job Options, Inc., Palmetto Goodwill and ServiceSource provide hot meals to U.S. Marines and visitors to Marine Corps bases across the country under a commercial prime contract. People with disabilities serve the Marines in a variety of jobs such as cashiers, food service workers, custodial staff, food prep workers, cooks and inventory control clerks. These employees work alongside commercial prime contractor employees, including those with and without disabilities. These services are provided at the following locations:

• Marine Corps Recruit Depot - San Diego, California (NPA: The Arc of San Diego)
• MCAS New River - Jacksonville, North Carolina (NPA: Coastal Enterprises of Jacksonville)
• Camp Elmore - Norfolk, Virginia (NPA: Eggleston Services)
• Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton- San Diego County, California (NPA: Job Options, Inc.)
• MCAS Beaufort - Beaufort, South Carolina (NPA: Palmetto Goodwill)
• Marine Corps Base Quantico - Quantico, Virginia (NPA: ServiceSource)
• MCAS Cherry Point - Cherry Point, North Carolina (NPA: ServiceSource)
• Marine Barracks (also known as 8th & I) - Washington, DC (NPA: ServiceSource)

ServiceSource also has an additional food service contract at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, but it is not part of the commercial prime contract mentioned above.

Camp Lejeune motor transport

NPA Skookum Contract Services supports everyday base operations critical to Marine missions on the 246-square-mile Marine Corps Base at Camp Lejeune located along the North Carolina coast, which is home to 47,000 Marines and Sailors.

Skookum’s Camp Lejeune team of 20 is heavily staffed with military veterans, including those with disabilities. Serving in vital roles, Skookum provides vehicle dispatching, driver training and licensing of Marines, Fire Department personnel and other civilians for forklifts, buses, and other commercial vehicles. Skookum’s team also provides vehicle maintenance on all non-tactical Marine Corps vehicles, ensuring everything is in prime condition for all Marine Corps Installations East and the surrounding areas. The team services and repairs everything from fire trucks to Dumpmaster trash trucks and forklifts, as well as light vehicles such as vans, cars and full-size pick-up trucks.

Skookum’s Motor Pool team maintains approximately 160 vehicles of various types, including sedans, vans, trucks, 44 passenger buses and tractor-trailers operated by NPA employees and used by Marines. Their day-to-day operation also supports the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force with functions such as tank movements. Skookum has 153-foot-long tractor-trailers to move the M1A2 Abrams Tank around Camp Lejeune. The Motor Pool team also supports the Marine Corps by giving bus tours to Department of Defense VIPs, General Officers, U.S. Senators and Generals from Marine Corps Headquarters.

Marine Corps clothing and equipment

Over the years, the NPAs in the network have helped develop, field and sustain various clothing and equipment items for the Marine Corps. Using the Manufacturing and Development (M&D) contract vehicle, concepts and design ideas have been developed, allowing for small scale runs of prototypes and initial low rate production of items for fielding and validation. While not all items ultimately make it to the Procurement List, the Marine Corps knows that the NPAs remain willing and able to help them develop and deliver clothing and equipment needed by the Marines. A few recent examples of items being worked through the M&D process include Improved Cold Weather Underwear by NPA Peckham, Inc. and the Marine Corps Tropical Uniform by NPA ReadyOne Industries.

Following any type of development and initial fielding, an item may move into a long-term fielding and sustainment plan managed by either the Defense Logistics Agency’s line of business directorates or by the service themselves. While sustainment quantities may be less than the initial fielding cycle, these orders still provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Some examples of items that were ordered in FY20 include the Marine Corps Cold Weather Infantry Kit by NPA PARC Community Partnership Foundation, the Individual First Aid Kit by NPA The Resource Center and USMC women’s dress slacks by NPA Vocational Guidance Services.

More Information

SourceAmerica is a leading job creator for people with disabilities. We are also a connector—a force for change—uniting individuals and organizations committed to increasing economic and social inclusion for people with disabilities. Working together—with other organizations, policymakers, and people like you—we're making progress every day. If you have any questions about SourceAmerica, please contact customerservice@sourceamerica.org.