By Lt. Cdr. Jennifer Cragg
Navy Expeditionary Combat Command
NEW YORK – Sea service members, including U.S. Navy Seabee personnel, assisted Habitat for Humanity New York City (Habitat NYC) on restoration projects in Brooklyn and Queens as part of a 2017 Fleet Week New York (FWNY) community service project, May 25-26.
Military personnel donated their time and skills on two home building projects in Brooklyn, two revitalization projects in Queens and joined “A Brush with Kindness” project to volunteer at a local community.
One volunteer, Builder 2nd Class Estephan Lopez, a Seabee and New York native with Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 1 at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek Fort-Story in Virginia Beach, Virginia, said he loves to serve not only at home, but also abroad.
“My favorite part is serving with other nations in joint operations to better our collective skills in both dive operations as well as construction operations,” said Lopez, who qualified as a Navy diver in 2015.
Lopez said his father, who retired from the U.S. Navy in 2016 and served his entire career as a Seabee, taught him how to be the best Seabee he could be.
“I learned from my father to keep my focus on my goals and obtain those goals regardless of the obstacles or challenges that may present,” said Lopez, who joined the Navy, in particular the Seabees to follow in his father’s footsteps.
Many other extended family members also have served in the Navy, Marines, and Army.
Some of the skills Lopez has developed during his Navy career include building and repairing all types of structures. Some of these structures include piers, bridges, towers, underwater installations, schools, offices and housing structures.
In 2017 Lopez and the U.S. Navy Seabees, past and present, celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the “Fighting Seabees.”
The goal of the volunteer effort was to give back to the local New York community for their support during FWNY, and to provide a positive impact while connecting Americans with their Navy.
Habitat NYC, a non-profit organization, transforms lives and communities by building and preserving affordable homes with hard-working families in need – and by uniting all New Yorkers around the cause of affordable housing. With the help of thousands of volunteers each year, Habitat NYC builds and preserves homes for ownership by low-to-moderate income families throughout the five boroughs, creating a stronger and more united New York. Learn more at www.habitatnyc.org.
FWNY, now in its 29th year, is the city’s time-honored celebration of the sea services. It is an unparalleled opportunity for the citizens of New York and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services. The weeklong celebration has been held nearly every year since 1984.
For up-to-date information on all FWNY events, visit the office FWNY website at www.fleetweeknewyork.com. “Like” FleetWeekNewYork on Facebook, or “Follow” @FleetWeekNYC on Twitter. FWNY photos can be viewed on Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/fwnypao and Instagram at www.instagram.com/fleetweeknyc. Join the conversation on social media by using #FleetWeekNYC. Follow the Seabee Commemoration at #Seabee75th.
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 05.26.2017 15:28 |
| Story ID: | 235497 |
| Location: | NY, US |
| Hometown: | MANHATTAN, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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