USS Wasp Rents Out Water Park
27 June 2022
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (June 23, 2022) -- Laughter and squeals fill the air as Sailors and their families enjoy a steep, twisting waterslide at Ocean Breeze waterpark. The pool roars to life and sends crashing waves over the heads of overjoyed children as the smell of salt fills the air. Inner tubes carry people slowly down the lazy river as the annual command picnic begins.
The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Committee hosted their 2nd straight command picnic at Ocean Breeze waterpark, June 23. MWR, a team dedicated to provide Sailors and their families various off-ship functions and events, rented out the waterpark after the popularity the year prior.
The park hosts a variety of rides and attractions such as a wave pool, lazy river, various waterslides and a kid-friendly fun zone. The wave pool and lazy river were particularly popular amongst the Sailors as they could have fun and de-stress while enjoying the water.
The entire goal of the picnic was to boost the morale of the Sailors and give them a chance to take a break from a stressful yard period. The splashing sounds of the wave pool dull in comparison to the echoes of angle grinders and needle guns. The cool water is a refreshing retreat as compared to the scorching heat that this time of year brings.
“I think commands get muddled down,” says Lt. j.g. Jerrod Jenkins, Wasp’s acting Fun Boss. “When you have ships that aren’t on deployment or underway, that are stuck in port or a shipyard, you need to have events like these so Sailors can go kick back and relax.”
In order to do just that, Wasp rented out the entire water park for the second year in a row due to its popularity amongst Sailors and their families. Aviation Support Equipment Technician 1st Class Ace Agpoon, Wasp’s MWR president, explained it was a great time for everyone, adults and children alike. It was also a good opportunity for Sailors to have their families meet the people they worked side-by-side with every day.
“I think it was a very good way to boost morale because it is a day that everyone gets to wind down and enjoy themselves,” said Quartermaster 3rd Class Ashley Banks. “You were provided a free meal and drink. I personally had a lot of fun and got to see and spend time with a lot of my friends.”
MWR events allow for individuals with similar interests and hobbies to come together when they normally would never meet.
“When someone’s family builds connections to their ship it makes it easier on the Sailor,” said Capt. Christopher Purcell, Wasp’s executive officer, “because their family begins to develop an appreciation of the hard work and long hours their Sailor puts in to get our ship ready to go to sea.”
Command functions also allow for the families of Sailors to intermingle and, in turn, construct strong support systems.
“It was nice to get my family out of the house,” said Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Christopher Kushner. “They know who I work with, but it was cool to be able to hang out with other people they hadn’t met yet. Due to COVID, I wasn’t able to bring my wife last year, so it was nice to be able to bring my family out this go around.”
The MWR Committee pulled out all the stops, and Wasp’s command picnic was a huge success this year, boasting over 950 guests in attendance.
As the night drew to a close, and Sailors left for their cars, the MWR Committee did one final sweep of the water park and breathed out a collective sigh of relief. For the second year in a row, Sailors aboard Wasp came together to form a deeper sense of comradery and recharged to continue to uphold the ship's motto: Honor, Tradition and Excellence.