LOCAL YOUTH HELPING GET TUNES 4 THE TROOPS

WASHINGTON DC (February 26, 2008) - Good things still come in small packages. Sixty-five members of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps Henry E. Mooberry Division and the U.S. Navy League Cadet Corps Admiral John S. McCain, Jr Training Ship, operate from their Washington Navy Yard office in the National’s Capital, shipping small boxes that help Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and other military personnel, beat a different kind of foe - periodic boredom!

While attending Boot Camp in 2005, 14-year old Sea Cadet, Kaylee Marie Radzyminski, heard from military members returning from combat zones and long shipboard deployments, about the lack of entertainment resources and periodic boredom that exists.

“The one thing they kept telling me was that entertainment is a need. The little entertainment they do have gets used so many times, it becomes repetitive and they pass it on to the other men and women,” Radzyminski said.

With plans to attend the U.S. Naval Academy after graduating from High School, and determined to help her future shipmates, Radzyminski, returned home; gathered her CD's; and told her friends and members of the Chattanooga (Tennessee) Sea Cadet Division, what she learned. They donated theirs, too. “I was amazed! Before I knew it, I collected almost 500 CD's,” she said.

148,000 SENT, 500,000 PLANNED

For the past two years, Radzyminski has operated “Tunes 4 The Troops,” sending nearly 600 boxes, containing 148,000 new and used CD's and DVD's, worth over 2 million dollars, to military personnel stationed in combat zones and in ships. Each package shipped contains about 250 CDs and DVDs.  

Working with other Sea Cadets, school friends, financial supporters, and the media, awareness of Tunes 4 The Troops has grown significantly. “Right now we have 750 requests from Military Chaplains and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Officers, but only have enough CDs and DVDs to fill 43,” explained Stephanie Radzyminski, a Sea Cadet volunteer instructor, and Cadet Radzyminski’s mother.

WASHINGTON DC (February 24, 2008) - U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Kathryn Plata, Kristine Plata and Kyle Herbert (left to right) prepare boxes at the Washington Navy Yard’s Naval Services Family Line office for shipment to Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard locations, worldwide. Photo by Joseph P Cirone, U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps

IT’S A SMALL TOKEN…REGARDLESS IF WE SUPPORT THE WAR OR NOT

Lieutenant Joseph P Cirone, commanding officer of the Navy Yard’s Sea Cadet units, and a resident of Woodbridge, VA, said, “we are in it for the long-haul. As long as military personnel are deployed in remote locations, away from entertainment venues and department stores, there will be a need for us to help.  I know what it is like being deployed to remote parts of the world. Music was vital to me; it got me through the periods of danger and boredom.”

Spearheading and coordinating the National Capital Region’s collection and shipment of CDs and DVDs, the Navy Yard’s Cadets, males and females aged 10 to 18, are doing their part to help Tunes 4 The Troops meet its goal of delivering a half-million CDs and DVDs by Christmas. “We all have a few CD's and DVD's we no longer want or we’d be willing to give up for a military member protecting our way of life. It’s a small token of gratitude to show those serving abroad how much we care and support their efforts, regardless if we support the war or not,” Cirone said.

With members from throughout the National Capital Region, the Sea Cadet unit is anxious to work with other Youth Development, Military, Civic, Veteran’s, School and Church organizations, businesses and individuals. “This is a massive project. We can’t do it alone. We have the contacts, leadership, management and shipping resources in place, but we need much more help establishing, publicizing and maintaining collection points and conducting collection drives,” Cirone added.

Burke, VA resident Janice K. Lavoie, a Sea Cadet adult volunteer, said planning has begun to establish temporary and permanent collection points in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia, so people can drop off their new or used CDs, DVDs or Books on CD.

“We’d love to have the media help promote our collection efforts, perhaps printing and broadcasting our collection locations; advertising our drives and doing on-air remotes from collection points on various weekends,” Lavoie said enthusiastically.

THE COMPASSION OF A NURSE

The Sea Cadets and others involved in helping Tunes 4 The Troops share a common thread of patriotism and having a heart for their fellow man. Lavoie, a director of nursing at an area hospital, said the e-mails she’s read, “really touch the heart and invoke my compassion. We’re committed to doing all we can.”

Most of the Navy Yard’s Sea Cadets know someone deployed in support of securing the nation from terrorism.  “Three of our Cadets have a parent deployed - one in the Army and two in the Navy. One of our adult volunteers is deployed with the Army and another is getting ready to deploy with the Navy this summer,” Cirone said. 

Initially deploying with “a handful of CDs and DVDs,” Army Specialist Harrell (a member of the 10th Mountain Division 1st Battalion, from Fort Drum, NY, currently stationed in Iraq), said in an e-mail, “we are in dire need of some entertainment, since watching Forrest Gump for the 70th time is a bit tiring.” Army Lieutenant Craig (an

Infantry Platoon leader with the 4th Mechanized Infantry Division, from Fort Carson, Colorado, on his second tour in Iraq and deployed to a Forward Operating Base), wrote, “DVD's get passed around over here like you wouldn't believe. Morale would go through the roof if we were to get an influx of DVD's.” 

“We have an excellent book library, but have only worn out VCR tapes for entertainment,” explained National Guard First Sergeant Mike Bowman, in an e-mail. Bowman and other personnel from various military services, operate a remote Medical Treatment Facility in Southern Iraq.

“Depending solely on the donations of CDs, DVDs, cash; the volunteer efforts of Sea Cadet members; and the concern for the brave military members on land, at sea and in the air, we are doing our part to make their time away from home a little more bearable, one small package at a time,” Cirone concluded.

New and used CDs, DVDs and Books on CD may be sent to: U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps c/o J.P. Cirone PO Box 30910  Alexandria, VA 22310-8910. People and groups interested in helping the Sea Cadet’s effort to establish collection points or drives; donate funds to help pay for shipping costs or to make arrangements to drop off or have a large volume of CDs or DVDs picked up, may call the Sea Cadet unit at 703-740-1138, Extension 1. Their website is: www.seacadetsdc.org

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