Spirit of Hope Award

1. PURPOSE. TO ANNOUNCE THE RECIPIENT OF THE 
""SPIRIT OF HOPE"" AWARD FOR 2003. 
2. BACKGROUND. THE ""SPIRIT OF HOPE"" AWARD IS PRESENTED TO 
INDIVIDUALS WHO EMBODY THE VALUES OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE 
MILITARY: DUTY, HONOR, COURAGE, LOYALTY, COMMITMENT, AND INTEGRITY. 
3. DISCUSSION. OUR SELECTION FOR THE AWARD THIS YEAR IS GYSGT GUSS 
ALEXANDER OF MCB HAWAII. IN HIS NEVER-ENDING EFFORT TO SERVE OUR 
COMMUNITY, GYSGT ALEXANDER COORDINATED EVENTS FOR THE MCB HAWAII 
2002 BAYFEST, SECURING THE SERVICES OF MORE THAN 60 VOLUNTEERS AND 
PERSONALLY SERVING COUNTLESS HOURS DURING THIS MILESTONE EVENT. HE 
ALSO SERVED AS THE MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII COORDINATOR FOR THE 
HAWAII FOOD BANK DURING THE 13TH ANNUAL FOOD DRIVE. HIS EFFORTS 
WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN COLLECTING MORE THAN 610,000 POUNDS OF FOOD AND 
$340,000 IN DONATIONS FOR THE STATE OF HAWAII AND MORE THAN 2000 
POUNDS OF FOOD FROM MCB HAWAII ALONE. BY ORGANIZING SUCH AN 
EXTENSIVE OUTREACH PROGRAM ABOARD MCB HAWAII, HE HIGHLIGHTED THE 
ONGOING COMMITMENT OF THE MARINE CORPS TO BE A ""GOOD NEIGHBOR"" TO 
THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. GYSGT ALEXANDER HEADED THE SANTA'S VILLAGE 
PROGRAM WHICH PROVIDED HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES FOR MORE THAN 1500 
MILITARY FAMILY MEMBERS ABOARD MCB HAWAII. THE HOLIDAYS ARE AN 
ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT TIME FOR MILITARY FAMILIES DUE TO SEPARATION 
FROM THEIR LOVED ONES. BY PLAYING A KEY ROLE IN THE SANTA'S VILLAGE 
PROGRAM, GYSGT ALEXANDER HELPED REINFORCE THE MARINE CORPS MESSAGE 
OF ""TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN."" 
4. PRESENTATION. CMC WILL PRESENT THE AWARD TO GYSGT ALEXANDER AT 
THE ENLISTED AWARDS CEREMONY HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MODERN DAY 
MARINE EXPOSITION TO BE HELD AT MCB QUANTICO ON 17 SEPTEMBER 2003. 
5. SPIRIT OF HOPE AWARD NOMINATIONS ARE DUE TO CMC (MRE) BY 15 
APRIL EACH YEAR, OR THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY IF THE 15TH IS ON A 
WEEKEND. THE NEXT NOMINATIONS WILL BE DUE ON THURSDAY 15 APRIL 
2004.