Contact & About Us
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Tina (Tina Smith (Donnelly)) from Newton, KS
Marine
and
Tina is a mother of three and has two grandsons. She is originally from Alaska, but due to
her husband’s career, she has recently moved to Kansas. Her daughter and grandchildren
still live in Alaska, giving her a reason to go back and visit as often as possible. Her oldest
son joined the Marines in 2021, shortly after starting his first semester of college. He realized
college wasn’t where he wanted to be at that time, and after talking to a Marine recruiter, he
decided to enlist. He is currently stationed in North Carolina and has enjoyed his time and
the experiences he has had so far. Her youngest son, who swore he would never join the
military, surprised her when he had two Marine recruiters drop by the house prior to starting
his senior year. He decided he wanted to join the Marines and needed her to sign the
paperwork for the delayed entry program. He is in a holding platoon waiting to be picked up
for his MOS. When Tina isn’t working, she enjoys traveling and exploring new places.
Tina was caught off guard when her oldest son decided to enlist. He was away at college,
and one night, he called his mother and asked if she was sitting down. He told her he
decided to join the Marines and would be leaving for boot camp in two weeks. She knew
nothing about the Marines or what to expect. She felt like she was on an emotional
rollercoaster, never knowing what to expect. While dropping her youngest off at the
recruiter’s station to ship out, she learned about Marineparents.com. It was here where she
met others who were on the same journey and understood what she was experiencing. A
group of people who provided information about the challenges our recruits were
experiencing during boot camp, offering their support as we navigated this new journey
together. This support helped make the boot camp experience less stressful, so she decided
to volunteer with Marineparents.com. Tina wanted to have the opportunity to provide
support, resources, and encouragement to other Marine families as they begin their journey
so they do not have to do it alone.
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