Petty Officer 1st Class Darnell Mason, a preventative medicine technician with Regimental Combat Team 7, is responsible for the medical readiness of the Marines and sailors of the RCT. Mason, a 36-year-old native of Oakland, Calif., coordinated with the 1st Class Petty Officers’ Association to complete a humanitarian project to help children in Helmand province. Sailors and Marines salvaged broken bunk beds and arranged the delivery of the items to an orphanage in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. The equipment improved the lives of more than 120 local children. “My reward was working with my team to get it done,” Mason said. “This project was proof, in my humble opinion, that with sound communication and a little physical labor we can help win the hearts and minds of the future leaders of Afghanistan.”