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Can't wait to tell the world your story? Get involved, join the COVE

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Carolyn Glover
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Enjoy meeting new people? Have a passion for public speaking? Need more bullets for an upcoming performance report?

Tell the world the story of America's premier joint warfighting base from your perspective by enrolling in the latest public affairs program on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the Community Outreach Volunteer Experience.

Themost recent addition to the JB MDL public affairs outreach program, COVE is a community relations program providing the people of JB MDL a platform to share personal experiences and tell the joint base story.

The COVE program encourages and prepares members of JB MDL to venture outside the installation gates and intermix with members of the local community. Members are provided comprehensive training prior to engagements to assure a positive and successful community outreach experience.

"Our servicemembers have extraordinary and unique stories to share with the world. This program is the ideal platform to do it," said Angel Lopez, public affairs chief. "We've taken an already successful speaker's bureau program and expanded it to support a new joint base population and the influx of public requests."

The COVE program takes public engagement one step further, providing all program members with preparatory training and ensuring all volunteers are set up for success.

"When our people go outside the gate to interact with local citizens, they assume a very important responsibility as the face of JB MDL," Lopez explained. "Because they are in official capacity, it is extremely important we provide them with proper training when it comes to engagements. The best part is the training we provide will prove to be very useful in their everyday professional lives."

In order to become an official COVE member, volunteers must attend a training session hosted by the public affairs team. Training focuses on developing skills in media relations, public speaking and community interaction.

Upon completion of training, COVE members will be added to a database, classified as speakers, tour guides or public event participants. Volunteers will be notified by a public affairs representative when an engagement opportunity becomes available to them.

Success of the COVE program depends on the dedication and professionalism of the servicemembers and civilian volunteers committed to community outreach as ambassadors of America's premier joint warfighting base.

Join the team and attend the first COVE training session from 2 to 4 p.m Feb. 25 at Tommy B's Community Activity Center. Contact the JB MDL Public Affairs Community Relations Division at 754-3955 or email 87abw/pa@mcguire.af.mil to register.