Brittany Babineaux joined the Morale, Welfare and Recreation team as a civilian community recreation director for the U.S. Navy. Photo provided by Brittany Babineaux

In 4-H, there is a place for everyone. With projects from astronomy to woodworking, there are innate skills being taught to members. Through my 4-H University contests and officer service, I spent a lot of time preparing leadership and team-building activities, writing speeches and guiding workshops. Those 4-H activities prepared me for guiding a team with dedication, flexibility and a willingness to learn.

4-H taught me to say, “Yes!” to any adventure. I never imagined the same spirit that led me to new contests and projects would bring me to South Korea! As a 4-H alumna from Ascension Parish, I was active in our Junior Leader Club and served as the 2009-2010 Louisiana 4-H Executive Committee secretary/treasurer and as a Food and Fitness Board member. My 4-H highlight reels always include Camp Grant Walker, giving a speech dressed as Becky Broccoli and creating friendships that spanned the globe.

As a 4-H office student worker in college, I was introduced to Operation: Military Kids, a 4-H program supporting geographically dispersed military children coming together for camp experiences. The youth and families I had a chance to interact with were resilient and sparked an interest in me to support our military community. I had never imagined working with the military but was eager to give back to a community that gives our country so much.

In 2016, I packed my bags and moved to Chinhae, South Korea, to join the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) team as a civilian community recreation director for the U.S. Navy. Our team supported service members and families every day through quality-of-life programs including leisure skills classes, special events, Deployed Forces Support, Outdoor Recreation, Armed Forces Entertainment and more. I had a chance to lead base festivals, bubble soccer tournaments, Humvee-pulls, fishing clinics and even a trip to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Much like the world of 4-H, MWR brings something new every day.

The MWR team is especially important overseas, where service members and their families are swiftly immersed in a new culture, with a new house, new job and new friends. Navy Community Recreation endeavors to bring a sense of home to everyone on base. Recreation can be a tool for a successful, healthy life that allows you to manage stress and make new connections.

My adventures with MWR brought me to Navy bases in South Korea, Cuba, Bahrain and Djibouti. Working in remote and isolated locations, I loved getting to know the programs and the people. Getting involved with the community allowed me to build relationships within the community to support the quality of life of everyone on post. Some challenges could have become roadblocks, but by leaning on our partners, we always found a way. Working together with base leadership, local schools, clubs, businesses and community groups, we pooled resources, knowledge and interests to bring visions to life.

In 4-H, there is a place for everyone. With projects from astronomy to woodworking, there are innate skills being taught to members. Through my 4-H University contests and officer service, I spent a lot of time preparing leadership and team-building activities, writing speeches and guiding workshops. Those 4-H activities prepared me for guiding a team with dedication, flexibility and a willingness to learn. In the MWR world, I facilitated team training and events and wore many hats to get the job done.

Bringing community partners together to build something to benefit everyone redoubled the success of our partnerships. Fleet visits were the shining success story of our team. Several times a year, an aircraft carrier strike group would come to port, increasing the base population tenfold. Our team would set up a pier-side bazaar to bring a bit of home and adventure to sailors and Marines. Many service members join the military to see the world, and MWR brought that to life introducing visiting sailors to the country and the culture by planning tours, participating in cultural experiences, attending sports tournaments, providing Wi-Fi for communications and restocking protein powder. Fleet visits were special because the ships’ crews were grateful to explore a new country, try new food and take a break. These visits were made possible through collaboration with our base partners, community organizations and local businesses.

I am thrilled to be back with Louisiana 4-H as the community outreach and engagement specialist. 4-H gave me the tools to jump into any scenario with MWR and adapt to the team, learn from those around me and bring everyone to the table. MWR added to my toolkit and taught me to deepen those relationships with our community partners that see the value in the work we do in our community. I look forward to bringing that back to 4-H as I work within our organization, the LSU AgCenter and our local communities to “Make the Best Better.”

Partners that believe in the good of 4-H in every local community help programs thrive across Louisiana and the world. 4-H gave me an opportunity to explore Louisiana, new interests, and ultimately, the world. You never know where 4-H may bring you!

"4-H taught me to say ʻYes!ʼ to any adventure. 4-H gave me an opportunity to explore Louisiana and the world. You never know where 4-H may bring you!"