Camp Pendleton -- Have you ever been stuck in your barracks room with nothing to do and nobody to hang out with?
If so, the Camp Pendleton Single Marine Program is for you. The SMP welcomes all single Marines, geographic bachelors and single parents.
“The Single Marine Program was developed to improve the quality of life for single Marines and sailors,” said Danielle West, the Camp Pendleton SMP coordinator.
West said accompanied Marines tend to have a higher quality of life than single Marines living in the barracks.
“We want to bridge the quality of life gap between married and single service members,” she said. “Our recreation centers can be like their living room. The various trips can be similar to a family trip and the other Marines and sailors can be their family.”
The SMP offers various types of recreation for the Marines such as weekend trips, day and sporting trips, community involvement opportunities and recreation events held at the recreation centers. Camp Pendleton currently has six SMP recreation centers located in areas 21, 24, 22, 43, 53 and 62.
West said there is a stigma surrounding the SMP that does not embody its true value.
“Many people think we are a dating service, which is not true,” West said. “We are simply an outlet for these single Marines to get out of the barracks and have fun doing things that they generally could not do by themselves.”
The Camp Pendleton SMP operates its events different than a lot of other bases, West said.
“Although we do go out as a group, we generally don’t hold the Marines’ hands and make them wear matching shirts or conduct a group tour,” she said. “They check in with us once a day then they can go out and explore. We like to avoid the ‘nerd-herd.’”
West said the SMP receives discounted prices on most of their events, but they also help offset the cost of the tickets so Marines get them even cheaper.
“We understand that most single Marines are younger guys who don’t make very much money, so we try to make all of our events affordable to those service members,” she said.
The SMP strives to enhance the quality of life for single service members by providing positive and rewarding outlets through recreation, community involvement and dynamic facilities. For information on recreation activities at your local SMP recreation center, please contact your unit’s SMP representative.
For more information on the SMP please visit www.mccscp/smp.
Upcoming SMP events
Jan.22- Big Bear ski trip. Price: $40 (includes transportation, 1-day lift ticket, 2-hour lesson and gear rental)
Jan. 25 – "The Price is Right" game show (must be on special liberty)
Feb 25 – Disneyland and California Adventure Park. Price: $40 (includes transportation and 3-day hopper pass)