Rachel Sandlin, family readiness officer for VMU-1, is furthering the Marine Corps mission one family at a time.
“I want to do something that contributes to the overall mission of the Marine Corps,” she said. Since moving to Twentynine Palms in late 2007, she has been working to increase awareness and appreciation for what the local area has to offer. “There’s a lot more here than meets the eye and I try to pass that on,” she said. As her husband often tells her, “We’re not in the middle of nowhere, we’re in the middle of everything.” Some of Rachel’s favorite hot spots are Joshua Tree National Park, Big Bear and Death Valley. Desert oddities like the Integratron, Amboy Crater and Pappy and Harriet’s are also at the top of her list.
She enjoys many activities aboard base as well. Rachel is a CrossFit trainer and is a proponent of LINKS, the Personal Financial Management Program, the Lifelong Learning Library and, of course, the Family Readiness Program.
As the Family Readiness Officer for VMU-1, Rachel hopes to reach families before they ever get to Twentynine Palms and help unveil all that this area has to offer. Family resiliency is also important to this FRO as she strives to curb the divorce rate in her unit and remove deployment stressors that tear at the family. “My goal is to increase the spouses’ and families’ general knowledge and understanding of the Marine Corps and build a deeper appreciation of what it is their service member does.” |
