Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Courtney Glen White | Staff Sgt. Bryan Villarreal, the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 powerline staff...... read more read more
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The USS Enterprise arrived in Marmaris, Turkey, for their second port visit, Feb. 8. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 was released for liberty to explore the local culture and community.
Banners welcoming the Marines and sailors as well as the American flag were hung from the walls in the downtown area to show the country’s support and appreciation for the visiting service members.
The Turkish people came to town to open their shops, which are normally closed during the winter months, to sell their unique crafts and gifts to the service members. The Thunderbolts were able to take tours, purchase souvenirs, taste the cultural food and enjoy the night life.
“This port visit gave the Thunderbolts a chance to clear their mind and prepare for the long upcoming underway period,” said Gunnery Sgt. Ty Jones, VMFA-251 logistics chief. “The Morale Welfare and Recreation tours are a great way for Marines to learn about the different cultures.”
The Thunderbolts were offered the chance to participate in one of the two community relations sporting events while in port. Morale Welfare and Recreation set up basketball and soccer competitions with the Turkish people.
“I participated in the soccer game,” said Staff Sgt. Enel Laborn, a VMFA-251 quality assurance representative. “The [Turkish people] played a very skilled, intelligent and fast paced game. By playing the game together we were able to build a bond. Even though we lost the game it was well worth participating.
“Community relations events like this helps us build a relationship with other countries,” Laborn continued.
While walking the streets of Turkey, the Marines were invited to many street vendors to purchase unique foods such as the variety of kebabs and desserts.
“The Turkish food was very good,” Laborn said. “They had a lot of lamb, goat, vegetables and kebab. The food tasted a lot healthier and less greasy than the food back in the states. It also seemed to fill you up for a longer period of time.”
In Turkey, many of the store owners sell handmade items that have great meaning in their culture and the service members were surprised by the manner in which they were sold.
“In America, the price you see is what you pay, so it is different here because you have to bargain with them and come to an agreement on the price,” Laborn said.
As evening turned to night, service members were welcomed into local clubs to experience the night life.
“Although the prices are higher, the night life was well worth it,” said Cpl. Christopher Hilty, a VMFA-251 data analyst. “The clubs reminded me of back in the states except a lot of the music was from the 90s. You could tell that the Turkish people enjoyed having us there. The night life was a much-needed time for everyone.”
While at port, the Marines and sailors enjoyed a couple days off before pressing on with the deployment and ensuring they are ready to provide air to ground support for Operation Enduring Freedom.
| Date Taken: | 02.18.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 02.18.2011 20:04 |
| Story ID: | 65718 |
| Location: | BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Thunderbolts explore Turkey, by GySgt Courtney Glen White, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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