Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Evans-Sherburne.
Hi Kristina, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story with The 3D CEB Foundation really began long before the foundation itself existed.
I spent nearly a decade as a military spouse. My husband was stationed with The 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion in Twentynine Palms, California, and during that time I became deeply involved in the 3rd CEB community. I served as a Family Readiness Advisor to the Family Readiness Officer, where I helped support other 3rd CEB spouses and families, as well as the Marines and Sailors themselves.
That experience shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time. I saw the incredible strength of military families, but I also saw the struggles that happen behind the scenes. I saw spouses trying to hold everything together during deployments, families trying to navigate life after the military, and Marines and Sailors who often didn’t know where to turn when they needed help.
In 2014, the 3rd CEB stood down after completing its missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Marines and Sailors went their separate ways, but many of them continued to stay connected. That connection never really went away.
About a year ago, I was invited to help plan a reunion for them. I thought I was helping organize a weekend for old friends to get together. Instead, that experience opened my eyes to just how much potential there was to continue supporting this community.
I realized that these Marines and Sailors didn’t just need a reunion. They needed somewhere to stay connected. Their families needed resources. Veterans needed help navigating benefits. People who had spent years carrying grief needed a place where they didn’t have to carry it alone.
That’s when the idea for The 3D CEB Foundation was born.
We held our first reunion over Labor Day weekend, bringing nearly 100 people together. I wanted it to be more than a traditional reunion, so we began incorporating some of the programs we hope to build long term. We held a support group, a veterans benefits group, and a family day. We also held a Memorial and Banquet featuring Retired Sergeant Major Matt Fortune and Colonel James H. Bain, two incredibly respected and beloved members of the 3rd CEB community.
One of the most meaningful moments was honoring the 38 members of the 3rd CEB community we have lost. There were people in that room who had mourned those losses quietly and individually for years. Being able to come together and remember them as a community was incredibly powerful.
I think that’s why this work means so much to me. I’m not an outsider looking at a population I want to serve. I’m one of them.
I know firsthand what it feels like to transition out of military life and suddenly realize that no one really gives you a roadmap for how to reintegrate into civilian society. I know what it’s like for families to make sacrifices alongside their service member and then struggle to figure out what comes next.
I want to change that.
I want to build something where connection happens before someone reaches a crisis point. Where families know where to go for resources. Where veterans can find support navigating benefits and employment. Where children and spouses are included in the conversation. And where remembrance isn’t just about looking backward, but about making sure the people who are still here know they aren’t forgotten.
The foundation is still young, and there is a tremendous amount of work ahead of us. But I think back to where this started: a group of Marines and Sailors who served together, went their separate ways, and still found their way back to one another.
I saw what that connection meant to them. And I knew I wanted to build something that could make sure it didn’t end there.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Of course it hasn’t been a smooth road. I think the struggles are actually a part of any meaningful process, and building The 3D CEB Foundation has certainly been no exception.
Starting a foundation from scratch requires an enormous amount of time, planning, paperwork, logistics, and patience. I built this organization without hiring anyone, so there have been a lot of moments where I have had to figure things out as I go. There were plenty of times when I was humbled by how much I didn’t know, particularly while working through the process of establishing the organization and achieving our nonprofit status.
One of the hardest parts is that so much of the work happens behind the scenes. Before you can directly help someone, there are bylaws to write, paperwork to file, systems to build, finances to establish, programs to develop, relationships to create, and countless logistical details to figure out. It can sometimes feel like you’re working nonstop without seeing the immediate impact you set out to create.
But I’ve learned that building something meaningful takes patience. Every obstacle has taught me something, and every time I have had to figure out something I didn’t know how to do, it has made me more determined to keep going.
I also think there is something valuable about building this from the ground up myself. I’m learning every part of the organization, from the administrative side to fundraising and program development, while staying connected to the people we were created to serve.
There is still a lot ahead of us, and I’m sure there will be plenty more challenges. But I don’t expect the road to be easy. I just want to keep building something that is worth the work.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The 3D CEB Foundation?
The 3D CEB Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to serve the Marines and Sailors of the 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, their families, veterans, and the broader community connected to them.
At its heart, we are about connection. We believe that people shouldn’t have to wait until they are in crisis to find support, and they shouldn’t have to navigate life after military service alone. We are working to build a community where people know they have somewhere to turn.
Our work is centered around several areas, including peer connection, family support, veterans resources and benefits, employment and community resources, mental health and wellness, emergency assistance, scholarships, care packages, retreats, and remembrance. We are also developing programs specifically for children and families, because military service affects the entire family, not just the person who wears the uniform.
One thing that sets us apart is that this organization was built from lived experience. I spent nearly a decade as a military spouse and served within the 3rd CEB community as a Family Readiness Advisor. I know these families personally, and I understand many of the challenges because I experienced them myself. This isn’t an organization where we are trying to determine what a community needs from the outside. We are building it from within the community.
We also want to approach remembrance differently. The 3rd CEB has lost 38 members of its community, and many people have carried those losses quietly for years. We believe remembering those who are gone and supporting the people who are still here are connected. Remembrance isn’t simply looking backward. It can be part of how we continue taking care of one another.
Our first major event was our Labor Day weekend reunion, which brought nearly 100 Marines, Sailors, veterans, and family members together. But we intentionally made it more than a reunion. We incorporated a support group, a veterans benefits group, family programming, and a Memorial and Banquet where the community came together to honor those we have lost.
I’m particularly proud of that approach. We aren’t interested in creating programs just to say that we have programs. We want to build things that people actually need and that create lasting relationships.
I also want people to know that The 3D CEB Foundation is still young. We’re building something from the ground up, and there is a lot more to come. Our vision is much bigger than one battalion or one reunion. We want to create a model of connection and support that recognizes the service member, the veteran, the spouse, the children, and the families who have all been part of the journey.
If there is one thing I want readers to understand about our brand, it’s that we are deeply personal. We aren’t trying to be a large organization that people simply receive services from. We want to be a community that people belong to.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Honestly, my favorite resources aren’t necessarily the traditional business or productivity ones. A lot of what keeps me going is rooted in faith, purpose, and being reminded why I started in the first place.
My faith is a huge part of how I approach both life and the work I’m doing. I spend a lot of time in the Bible, particularly passages that remind me to keep moving forward when things feel overwhelming. Isaiah 54:17, Mark 5:41, and Psalm 139:14 are a few that have stayed with me and have become meaningful reminders throughout this journey.
For the practical side of building the Foundation, I’m constantly learning. I use resources that help me understand nonprofit operations, fundraising, organizational development, and communications because there really isn’t a handbook for building an organization from scratch. A lot of what I’ve learned has come from researching, asking questions, talking to people who know more than I do, and figuring things out along the way.
And, honestly, one of the most useful “resources” I’ve had is simply the people around me. The Marines, Sailors, veterans, spouses, families, board members, volunteers, and community members who share their experiences with me constantly remind me why the work matters.
I’m also a big believer in writing things down. I keep a lot of notes, ideas, plans, and lists because there are always about 100 things happening at once. When you’re building something from scratch, sometimes getting an idea out of your head and onto paper is the first step toward figuring out how to make it real.
I don’t think there is one book, podcast, or app that has taught me how to do this. It’s been a combination of faith, lived experience, research, and a willingness to keep learning when I don’t have the answer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.the3dcebfoundation.com
- Instagram: @The 3D CEB Foundation
- Facebook: The 3D CEB Foundation
