In the service of others

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Melissa McKenzie | A group of volunteers from USCGC Kukui (WLB 203) pose with members of the local community outside Prince Wellington Ngu Hospital in Vava’u, Tonga, March 17, 2016. Crewmembers spent time cleaning and donated cleaning supplies to the local hospital. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Melissa E. McKenzie/Released)  

UNITED STATES

05.18.2016

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Melissa McKenzie 

U.S. Coast Guard District 14 Hawaii Pacific

Coast Guardsmen drenched in sweat drift in and out of barren hospital rooms carrying rags and water buckets as the uplifting sound of a nearby chorus wafts through the jalousie windows carrying smells of insect repellant and disinfectant spray.

Mahatma Gandhi once said the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. He believed that serving the needs of others better served humanity.

That spirit of selfless service is a driving force for many who join the Coast Guard. They join not only to serve their country but also to serve those in need, even when their very lives are at stake. But serving others isn’t always as glamorous as jumping out of helicopters. The crew of USCGC Kukui (WLB 203) knows something about that.

While the Kukui crew was conducting a patrol in the Central and Western Pacific Ocean, an opportunity presented itself. They jumped at the chance to help.

“We don’t have materials for cleaning,” said Dr. John Lee, one of the doctors at Prince Wellington Ngu Hospital. “Our budget is not enough for us to buy all the cleaning supplies, so this is really helpful.”

While on a port visit in the Kingdom of Tonga, an archipelago of 176 islands with a population of 100,000, a group of more than 20 volunteers brought supplies from the ship and spent time cleaning at the hospital in Vava’u March 17. Situated nearly 3,000 miles from Hawaii in the town of Talau, the district hospital is home to 40 beds and two doctors. They provide services to the people of northern Tonga for minor cases including the delivery of babies. More severe cases are referred to the hospital on Tongatapu. Recent severe weather throughout the Tongan islands, most notably Tropical Cyclone Winston which impacted Vava’u in February, has left the remote island in a state of recovery.

“I felt it was a very rewarding experience,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Lana Port, a yeoman aboard Kukui. “I enjoy the humanitarian aspect of our service the most, so to be able to take the time to give back to other communities and countries that may not be as blessed as we are is what I joined for. That’s what it’s all about.”

When deploying to the remote Pacific, Coast Guard crews make an effort to conduct these kinds of Pacific Partnership activities as a way to improve the interoperability of the region's military forces, governments, and humanitarian organizations while providing humanitarian, medical, dental, and engineering or logistical assistance to nations of the Pacific, and strengthening relationships and security ties between the nations.

“I took away a sense of gratification to see the number of our crew who came out to volunteer,” said Lt. Robert Stebe, executive officer of Kukui. “I was happy to see everyone jump right in and do the work. It also gives me a good indication of the quality of people we have. You truly learn a lot about their personal commitment to humanity when doing things like this.”

Kukui is a 225-foot sea going buoy tender homeported in Honolulu. The crew recently conducted a 36-day law enforcement and fisheries patrol in the Pacific Ocean.

• Date Taken: 05.18.2016
• Date Posted: 05.18.2016 20:59
• Story ID: 198497
• Location: US