 While deployed, female engagement teams provide a much needed foundation of support to the women and children of Afghanistan. Having their own support systems here at home makes it easier for the Marines and the teams to fully understand the value of their mission. This is obvious when watching female engagement team 12-TAC-1 leave Camp Pendleton for the Afghan countryside. They went through about five or so months of training here at ATC and now left to deploy into Afghanistan to all the battalions of Afghanistan. I'm excited for it. I'm really excited about our mission going over there and being able to engage with the population and help them out directly. Two girls that I gave bracelets to are two of the girls from my original unit that I had encouraged during the FETS because I know that they would do a good job. The bracelets are like a good luck charm. I wore one the entire time and so did my team while we were out there. So I gave it to the two of them as a reminder of everything that they've gone through and what they're about to go through and it's also like a band that kind of brings us together. They've gotten the best training that they could get. She's went from a brand new Marine to a fine Marine, a young lady that knows what she wants and she volunteered for this FET program and she got in that. She's extremely happy that she gets to deploy. She's looking forward to that. Know what your mission is, know what you can do and stand your ground and make changes out there. Do the best they can.