Col. Matthew McKinney, commanding officer and SgtMaj. Frank Kammer, base sergeant major, Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, joined other base leaders and men from the local community for the annual Ties that Bind, June 12.

Hosted by Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Network of Trust, the event pairs young boys, many from homes without male role models or live-in fathers with distinguished men from the local community.

Dougherty County Sheriff Terron Hayes says that “without a knot in the tie, you cannot successfully wear it because it will fall off. Without a knot in a relationship, the relationship won’t be successful. Building relationships with people in this room, you are, we are the ties that bind this community.”

McKinney says that "this event is a great opportunity for us as Marines to connect to the young men in our community and provide mentorship through meaningful conversations about accountability, citizenship, and patriotism in a fun, relaxed environment as we teach them how to tie a necktie. Those ties then become metaphors for the knot that now binds us as friends and mentors to them in the future.”

MSgt. David Hernandez, company first sergeant, MCLB Albany, says “it’s important for us to be able to pass on our knowledge and experiences to the young men to show them that there’s a bigger future past the struggles you may go through.”