Bataan Sailors assist school in Dubai

Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Caleb Strong | Chief (Select) Boatswain's Mate Kelley Hawkins, from Fort Myers, Fla., and Chaplain Lt. Hardy Owens, from Covington, Ga., both attached to amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), stack books at the Bradenton Preparatory Academy during a community relations project. Bataan is the flagship for the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Caleb Strong/Released)  

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

08.27.2014

Courtesy Story

USS Bataan (LHD 5)

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Caleb Strong

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Sailors and Marines from the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) volunteered to assist Bradenton Preparatory Academy in a community relations project by moving supplies Aug. 27, 2014 to help them prepare for the upcoming school year.

COMREL projects are events where Sailors and Marines can volunteer while on deployment or in their homeport to aid the local community.

“We got the chance to help the faculty and staff of BPA prepare for the start of school, so as they welcome new students and their families in, they’ll have a little bit of a head start,” said Lt. Hardy Owens, one of the chaplains aboard Bataan. “Now, they don’t have to worry about furniture and where it’s placed, and they don’t have to worry about not having enough books ready.”

When Sailors and Marines walked into classrooms the teachers immediately asked for help. Heavy lifting was not a problem for the service members; they grabbed desks and organized them without hesitation and armfuls of books were moved to classrooms and storage closets, ready for use for the beginning of the school year.

Some members of the group were newly selected chief petty officers from Bataan and some of its Navy support elements. Traditionally, these new Chief Selects spend six weeks in training prior to their promotion on Sept. 16.

During the training period, they are taught advanced leadership skills and also take an opportunity to give back to the local community and provide volunteer services.

“We assisted teachers with setting up classrooms, we helped organize and dispense books and we were also asked to help put up bulletin boards,” said Chief (Select) Boatswain’s Mate Kelly Hawkins, from Fort Myers, Fla. “These were tasks teachers needed done before school started.”

The new Chief Selects all agreed that it was a great opportunity for fun and fellowship.

“I had a blast, it’s always about having fun with what you’re doing,” said Chief (Select) Machinist’s Mate Mike Rozell from San Antonio. “We definitely made the most of it.”

The service members said they did what they went there to do. They helped the school and staff accomplish their goal.

“We accomplished what we set out to do, to continue to forge and build successful relationships with the community,” Owens said. “It was very well received with the school and I am definitely certain they will continue to welcome our Sailors and Marines back whenever we get opportunities.”

Sailors and Marines help the U.S. Navy’s mission by volunteering for COMREL events where they build relationships and partnerships with other countries and show they are a global force for good.

“The faculty and staff at BPA were very welcoming to all of our volunteers,” said Owens. “They came out and showed incredible hospitality and took time to speak to us to get to know some of our names and express their appreciation. There were a couple of teachers in particular that continued to express their gratitude over and over. I don’t know who received the bigger blessing, if it was them or us.”

• Date Taken: 08.27.2014
• Date Posted: 09.24.2014 03:36
• Story ID: 143094
• Location: DUBAI, AE
• Hometown: FORT MYERS, FL, US
• Hometown: SAN ANTONIO, TX, US