HUAY TAI, Thailand—Members of Expeditionary Port Unit 113 (EPU 113) participated in a community relations event at an orphanage here as part of their civic outreach program during Cobra Gold 2017 (CG-17), Feb. 5.
Eight members of the EPU went to the Protection and Development Center (CPDC), a local orphanage dedicated to the caring of displaced children, orphans and rescued trafficked children.
“It’s just incredibly fulfilling to know that you’re impacting a child’s life that’s obviously had some hardships in their life that they really didn’t have a decision or put themselves in,” said Lt. Cmdr. Brad Eastman, strategic sealift officer with Commander, Naval Reserve Forces. “If you can help make their day brighter…maybe it’s playing a game of soccer with them; maybe it’s sharing a meal with them. When you see those smiles and you get those hugs at the end of the day, it just warms your heart. It’s so hard to leave.”
Members of EPU 113 also distributed much needed supplies, toys and clothes to give to about 60 kids at CPDC, who range in age from 4 to 17.
The CPDC is located inland about 12 miles southeast of the Sattahip Port in Chuk Samet, which is where the EPU is posted conducting exercise port operations training.
During the exercise, the EPU’s role is to ensure the proper contacts are made at the port, to direct the ship in where to go, and query as to what the ship is going to need when it arrives.
In doing so, the reserve-component Sailors manned a mobile sealift operations command center (MSOC), a portable communications facility designed to operate and manage port operations, even if port infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. EPU's can quickly deploy to a contingency operation and manage the arrival and departures of cargo ships in port.
Prior to any ship arriving, the members of EPU 113 took advantage of the lull in operations and decided to visit the orphanage and learn a little more about Thai culture.
“It educates us as Americans to see more than just the military,” said Lt. Stephen Haden, operations officer, EPU 113. “It’s part of that cultural presence and cultural communication.”
During the three-hour evolution, the kids played soccer and a variety of playground-type games that often led to many laughs, cheers and yells of encouragement that were fostered by the EPU members, the facility volunteers and the kids.
EPU 113 is a reserve unit based out of Fort Worth, Texas, and conducts expeditionary port operations in support of operations and contingencies. There are 17 EPU units under the control of MSC.
| Date Taken: |
02.05.2017 |
| Date Posted: |
02.14.2017 01:42 |
| Story ID: |
223455 |
| Location: |
HUAY TAI, TH |
| Web Views: |
338 |
| Downloads: |
1 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, Military Sealift Command Sailors Visit Thai Orphanage during Cobra Gold 17, by Grady Fontana, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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