Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Connor Burns | USS Boxer (LHD 4) Fun Boss Haylee Holm poses for a photo in the Morale, Welfare and...... read more read more
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PACIFIC OCEAN - Everyone at sea needs time to blow off some steam, do something they love or kick off their boots and unwind for a bit. One resource that the Boxer crew has onboard to help them relax after a busy day at the underway office is the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program which provides activities to the more than 2,000 Sailors and Marines onboard.
While every platform in the Navy operates an MWR program, Boxer is lucky enough to have a dedicated recreation specialist known as the Fun Boss. Recently, the crew welcomed aboard new Fun Boss Haylee Holm. The daughter of an aviation mechanic in the Navy, Holm grew up in a military household. She spent much of her childhood and young adult years living on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, where her father was stationed. When it came time for Holm to get her first job, she turned to the Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) program on Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. This started Holm’s passion and career in recreation.
“My first job was serving as a snack attendant at the Bob Hope Movie Theatre,” Holm said. “I eventually worked my way up to theater manager, but in truth I did a lot more than that. Over the years, I came to work a bunch of jobs, including organizing sporting events, working in a food truck, doing some security, catering and so much more.”
After years of serving as a member of Miramar’s MCCS team, Holm came to learn about the Navy MWR AFLOAT Recreation Program, a platform designed to enhance the quality of life for personnel at sea. After reading about the job opportunity, Holm could see herself fitting the position perfectly. She seized the opportunity to join the program, and was selected to become a Fun Boss aboard a naval vessel—Boxer.
“I saw the AFLOAT program and I was like, ‘I get to do that?’” Holm said. “I love to travel and I always wanted to work closely with the military, so being Fun Boss seemed like the next logical step to take after my time at Miramar.”
Holm checked in aboard Boxer in October 2023 and was eager to provide the best recreational opportunities for the ship’s crew. But she’s not working alone. Together with Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Richard Jojola, the president of Boxer’s MWR committee, Holm is working to support Boxer’s entire crew as well as the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
“She has stacks of fun ideas, and she’s really bringing the fun to Boxer,” Jojola said. “I can’t wait to see her ideas grow and flourish, because it’s really exciting to see what she brings to the table.”
During her short time aboard Boxer, Holm has already held multiple events to include extreme corn hole, movie night, karaoke and her own spin on sip and paint with soda and watercolors.
“The sip and paint was a really creative idea, and I got to take a break from work to paint the Eiffel Tower,” said Operations Specialist 2nd Class Chanel Hamilton who attended the event on the mess decks. “The whole time, Fun Boss was there giving commentary on what everyone was painting, and she made it really fun.”
Holm’s passions begin with serving the crew and she is just getting started. During her time aboard, she plans to inspire and encourage each and every Sailor and Marine onboard.
“I want to create experiences that make the crew feel good and give them heart; so life on the ship isn’t just work and no play,” Holm said. “I’m so excited to be here, to learn about everyone, and make time at sea the best for the crew.”
When looking to the future, Holm is determined to bring the absolute best that MWR has to offer to the Boxer crew. Already, she has multiple events for the crew as holiday season nears.
“MWR is going to do holiday festivities like Christmas song karaoke, a 12-day Christmas movie countdown and a fair that will be held by Dental,” Holm said. “We also have the holiday party coming up, which will be a grand event for the entire crew.”
This embedded recreation specialist will continue to bring the fun to Boxer as she remains a part of the crew in port and at sea.
| Date Taken: | 12.08.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 12.09.2023 19:12 |
| Story ID: | 459569 |
| Location: | PACIFIC OCEAN |
| Hometown: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 310 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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