SEA CADET CORNER
“Tunes 4
the Troops”
a Big Hit
When she attended boot camp in
Florida in 2005, Sea Cadet
Kaylee Marie Radzyminski listened to troops returning from
combat zones and long shipboard deployments as
they complained about the same thing: boredom
in their downtime. The troops talked about the
lack of entertainment such as music or movies,
and, said Radzyminski, what little media they did
have was used repetitively, and passed around
among everybody.
Radzyminski, 16, returned home to Tennessee
with an idea and spread the word to friends and
fellow sea cadets in the Chattanooga Sea Cadet
Division about the need for used CDs and DVDs
of music, movies and recorded books to send to
the troops. Within weeks Radzyminski had collected nearly 500 CDs and launched a new program, calling it Tunes 4 the Troops.
For two years now, Tunes 4 the Troops has sent
nearly 600 boxes with more than 148,000 new and
used CDs and DVDs to military personnel stationed in combat zones and on ships. The 65
young members of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps
Henry E. Mooberry Division and the U.S. Navy
League Sea Cadet Corps Admiral John S. McCain,
Jr. Training Ship, headquartered at the Navy Yard
in Washington, D.C., recently assumed the respon-
JOSEPH P. CIRONE
Naval Sea Cadets from the Henry E. Mooberry Division and the U.S. Navy League Sea Cadet Corps Admiral John S. McCain, Jr.
Training Ship, including (l to r) Kathryn Plata, Kristine Plata and Kyle Herbert package boxes of CDs and DVDs with music, movies and
recorded books to send to troops as part of the ‘Tunes 4 the Troops’ program. Each box contains 150 CDs and DVDs, and the Sea
Cadets, operating from a Navy Yard office in Washington, D.C., hope to send out half a million CDs by the 2008 holidays.
sibility of spearheading and coordinating efforts in
the Navy League National Capital Region.
Awareness of the program has spread quickly.
There have been 750 requests for the boxes from
Military Chaplains and Morale, Welfare and
Recreation (MWR) Officers, though, at this point,
they have only enough donated media to fill a
fraction of that. The Navy Yard cadets, ages 10 to
18, pack each box with 150 CDs and DVDs and
prepare them for shipping. They are working hard
to help the program meet its goal of delivering
500,000 CDs and DVDs by Christmas.
“We’re in it for the long haul,” said Lt. Joseph P.
Cirone, commanding officer of the Navy Yard’s Sea
Cadet units. “As long as military personnel are
deployed in remote locations, away from entertainment venues, there will be a need for us to help.”
The Sea Cadets in Washington are hoping to
partner with other youth development, military
and civic organizations to help the program grow.
New and used CDs, DVDs and Books on CD can go
to: Tunes 4 the Troops/U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps,
P.O. Box 30910, Alexandria, Va. 22310-8910, or
visit the web site at: www.seacadetsdc.org
STAFF
NATIONAL PRESIDENT
J. Michael “Mike” McGrath
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Stephen Pietropaoli
VICE PRESIDENT FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Patricia Du Mont
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Janet Mescus
EDITOR
Daisy Ridgway Khalifa
CONTRIBUTORS
John Fleet, Director of Legislative Affairs
CONTACTS
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Reunions listed under “Sea Services News”
on www.navyleague.org
ON CAPITOL HILL
Navy League Hosts Event
Honoring Coast Guard’s
Congressional Supporters
The Navy League hosted a reception on Capitol Hill in February to honor members of
Congress who have long supported the U.S. Coast Guard. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) received special recognition for their leadership of
subcommittees responsible for funding and authorization of Coast Guard programs and
operations. The event was widely attended by Coast Guard flag officers, including Commandant Adm.
Thad Allen and Vice Commandant Vice Adm. Vivien Crea. Also in attendance were Jay Cohen, undersecretary for science and technology for the Department of Homeland Security; Vice Adm. Robert
Papp, Coast Guard chief of staff; Vice Admirals Brian Peterman and Charles Wurster; Master Chief
Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles Bowen; and Navy League National President Mike McGrath,
as well as several senior congressional staff members.
Cochran is the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as its Homeland
Security subcommittee. Cummings, who could not attend the event due to the inclement weather in
the Washington, D.C. area, chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on the
Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. Cummings’ legislative director, Nikki Jones, attended on
his behalf. Allen, McGrath and Navy League Vice President for Legislative Affairs Randy Hollstein
acknowledged the importance of budgetary and legislative support from the subcommittees led by
Cochran and Cummings.
BELOW LEFT: Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is flanked by Navy League
National President Mike McGrath (left) and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen. (right). McGrath presented Cochran with a
miniature replica of the U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle at a Navy-League sponsored event on Capitol Hill.
BELOW RIGHT: (l to r) Allen, standing with McGrath and Navy League Vice President for Legislative Affairs Randy Hollstein, makes
remarks during the Capitol Hill reception.
