MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The Single Marine Program at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni celebrated its 15th birthday with games and fun during the SMP 15th Annual Birthday Bash at the Hornet’s Nest here June 22, 2012.
The festivities brought Marines and sailors from around the station to participate in contests and enjoy some free food.
“We have a lot of great prizes and good contests planned,” said Shaun Ally, SMP manager. “We have the ‘American Idol’ karaoke, which we did for the first time last year and it was very popular, so we are trying it again this year. We have tricycles and a little obstacle course set up for a race and we have a dunk competition set up outside too. And of course, we have lots and lots of food.”
Complete with its own stage, the karaoke contest started off the night, with participants choosing from a list of available songs and then performing their selection as best as they could on stage in the hopes of impressing the crowd and three judges sitting on the stage.
“We do this for the Marines,” said Ally. “A lot of people complain that there’s nothing to do around here and things are expensive out in town. We planned this event specifically between pay days and on a Friday afternoon in the hopes that the Marines could have some good, free fun.”
Party-goers could be seen listening to the karaoke singers, talking amongst their friends and partaking in the food provided. Eventually, a group of Marines and sailors drifted over to the basketball hoop further down the street and began practicing for the upcoming dunk competition.
“I come to the SMP every day, I usually go on trips with them, and I’m here every day to work out,” said Cpl. Miguel Rivera, SMP 15th Annual Birthday Bash participant. “My plans were to just check it out, but I ended up (staying) because I was enjoying my time here.”
Before the dunk competition took place, partygoers grouped up in a relay-race type competition which required them to navigate through traffic cones while on a tricycle.
While every first, second and third place winning person or team was awarded a prize for every event, raffles were held in between the main events of the evening to offer more opportunities for single and unaccompanied servicemembers to win prizes.
Some raffle prizes included a free massage pass, a paid train ride to Tokyo, a pair of headphones and more.
“It was a great time, the camaraderie of being together here,” said Rivera. “I met a whole bunch of new Marines that I had never seen before. Some of them came up to me and told me they were rooting for me after they heard me sing. This is just a great way to build camaraderie and meet new people, and it’s an awesome way to get free stuff.”