MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, Calif. -- Marines, Sailors, soldiers and airmen are often portrayed aboard ships, in bars or dance clubs and bases across the world. Girls and guys love them, sometimes civilians loathe them, but always the government supports them.
It is said that a true service member usually bears identification cards, tattoos, a deck of cards, a camera, a portable radio and last, but not least, a loving, supportive spouse back home waiting for his or her return.
Marla Monk, victim advocate for MCLB Barstow’s Marine and Family Services, is one of these outstanding military spouses. Originally from Albuquerque, N.M., Monk came to Barstow with her husband, Ensign Gregory Monk, physician assistant, Branch Medical Clinic Barstow.
“Albuquerque is just like Barstow, except bigger,” Monk jokingly added.
Unlike some military spouses, Monk was no stranger to military life. Her father was in the Army, and she herself was looking into joining the military.
“We actually met when I was trying to get into Officer’s Candidate School for the Marines in San Diego,” said Monk, who met her husband through a friend.
Ensign Monk had already been in the Navy for eight years when they met.
“We’ve been married for a year and five months,” she said. “Being a military spouse hasn’t been that rough yet but I can imagine what it would be like.”
Monk has yet to face the possibility of her husband being deployed, but she knows it will happen eventually.
“I think it will be fine when he deploys because I know he will be doing something good wherever he deploys,” said Monk.
“He hasn’t been on a ship or deployed, but I know he has to go and he wants to go.”
When she is not busy supporting her husband or working at Marine and Family Services, Monk volunteers at the Haley House for Domestic Violence.
“I think I work more than he does,” Monk said. “I don’t do nearly as much as I want to do though because I am still adjusting to military life.”
During her time at the Haley House, Monk conducts hotline interviews, works at the center’s childcare and conducts support groups and child protective services classes.
Along with these, she also volunteers her time at the Homeless Fair and Safety Fair held in Barstow, reads to children in the Head Start Program in Lenwood and appea court support for victims of domestic abuse seeking legal action against their abusers.
All of this started when Monk decided to major in criminology in college.
“I always wanted to help people and volunteering at the Haley House goes along with it,” she said.
“There are so many people in Barstow that need help. With all the drugs that are in the area, it starts getting to kids and I want to help them.”
In the future, Monk plans on volunteering with services on base for other military spouses.
“I’m not sure yet what I want to get into,” she said. “I want to get involved in the Key Volunteer Network but I’m not quite sure what else is out there.”
Monk said she wants to volunteer more on base as well because there are so many military spouses here.
“I think it’s amazing what the wives of deployed service members do, like take care of their kids, go to school and more, while their husbands are away,” Monk said. “There are so many people that need to be recognized on this base.”