Photo By L.A. Shively | Petty Officer 3rd Class Isaac Jones covers graffiti under an overpass in a central San...... read more read more
SAN ANTONIO – Reserve Sailors from the Navy Operational Support Center San Antonio’s Operational Support Unit took an afternoon to wipe out graffiti in an Alamo City neighborhood recently as part of the centennial the Navy Reserve is celebrating this year.
Navy Reservists are honoring a centennial of service that began 100 years ago March 3, 1915.
Fourteen Sailors spent a gray, drizzly afternoon painting over graffiti and picking up trash in a concrete gully located in a central part of town.
“Being in the Navy in San Antonio means doing things like what we were doing today,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Shawn Millender, whose hometown is San Antonio.
“You can’t have Military City USA without the Navy,” he said, stressing the joint environment of San Antonio, which recognizes all branches of the military, including the Navy, with special events throughout the year.
“Of course we live here, so it gives us the chance to make the city a little bit nicer,” Millender added, explaining that community service is the other side of the coin of a military career.
“This is a good way to stay engaged at home,” Millender said. “When people see the Navy involved in the community, they might feel it would be a good opportunity for themselves or their children to be in the Navy, too.”
“I love to do stuff like this graffiti wipeout,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Tia Davis, who is from Toledo, Ohio, originally, and moved to join her sister in San Antonio. “I love people to see the military at work – hands on, doing things to help the community.”
Davis is a nurse in the civilian world and would love to be a corpsman in the Navy, so she is studying hard to get the rating.
“I won’t give up,” she said, adding that she chose the Navy because of the camaraderie and discipline, plus she wanted a challenging career.
“The centennial is a great opportunity to be part of something that gives back to the community,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Gene Huertas Agosto, who hails from New Jersey.
Huertas Agosto said he felt the Navy has provided a stable environment for him and his daughter and the core values that he learned from his service in the Navy – honor, courage and commitment – are different than what he learned growing up.
“I wanted a second chance at a better life,” the corpsman said.
Huertas Agosto said he’s always been interested in medicine and helping people and the Navy gave him an opportunity to do just that.
Although the Alamo City is not near a large body of water such as the Atlantic or Pacific, Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathaniel Flores, a San Antonio native, enlisted in the Navy because he loves water – the ocean.
“It’s a passion of mine,” Flores said. “I always wanted to do many things with the Navy and I have the opportunity to do so.”
He said he is looking toward becoming involved with the Navy's Coastal Riverine Force, but meanwhile, wiping out graffiti in a nearby neighborhood is also an opportunity be of service to the community.
“I am proud to be a part of it,” Flores said. “It’s a good feeling.”
| Date Taken: | 03.20.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 03.20.2015 16:18 |
| Story ID: | 157700 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Hometown: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Hometown: | TOLEDO, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 74 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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