Photo By Chief Petty Officer Shamira Purifoy | 170915-N-YL073-0076 KEY WEST, Fla. (Sept. 15, 2017) Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class...... read more read more
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KEY WEST, Fla.- Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class (AO2) Gabrielle Young, assigned to Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), assisted in relief efforts in Key West, Florida, Sept. 7-16.
Young, a native of Key West, along with other Sailors aboard Iwo Jima, has been a crucial piece in the puzzle for the ongoing relief efforts after Hurricane Irma made landfall in Key West as a Category 4 hurricane.
“It was incredibly cool to have had AO2 Young be a part of the relief effort after Hurricane Irma to help restore her hometown after a hurricane,” said Capt. Bobby Baker, commanding officer of Naval Air Station Key West (NASKW). “I stand in awe of all the service members and civilian employees who have worked so hard this week to get NASKW and our community up and running.”
While Young was born in Lafayette, Louisiana, she considers Key West to be her hometown as she spent the majority of her life living there and because the locals made her feel at home for the first time in her life.
“It was a blessing that my ship, USS Iwo Jima, was selected to come down and help out after Hurricane Irma hit Key West,” said Young. “One of the main reasons I joined the Navy was because of all the amazing people that I met while I lived in Key West, so it really means a lot to me to have been able to give back to the people and community that helped me as I was growing up in Key West. I get to use all the skills the Navy has taught me and deliver the much-needed supplies my ship was able to bring down.”
Since arriving in Key West, Sailors from Iwo Jima have been delivering water, food, and supplies to the community as well as repairing generators, clearing debris, and restoring NASKW’s port operations pier to make it available for use.
“On my first day here, I was able to go to port operations, and I helped put buoys into the water and restore the pier,” said Young. “By doing this, it opened up the pier so that military personnel could be brought in from the ships to deliver supplies and aid in various relief efforts around the base and community.”
As the Iwo Jima prepared to head back to sea, Young stated she looks forward to a time when she’ll be able to return to Key West restored and do simple things like going fishing and spending time with her loved ones, carrying with her the pride of having been part of getting her hometown on the path to recovery after the hurricane.
“It has truly been a blessing that I was able to come back to my home and give back to the town that changed my life,” said Young. “Helping out after Hurricane Irma and seeing all the people working hard to help out a community filled me with a sense of accomplishment and joy. It is definitely an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.”
Relief efforts are still in effect in the Key West area, where military members and civilian volunteers are handing out food, water, ice, and supplies at several distribution centers around the community and are also supporting in the plans to continue to help the community in any way they can.
The Department of Defense is supporting FEMA, the lead federal agency, in helping those affected by Hurricane Irma to minimize suffering and is one component of the overall whole-of-government response effort.
| Date Taken: | 09.17.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.17.2017 17:49 |
| Story ID: | 248580 |
| Location: | KEY WEST, FL, US |
| Hometown: | KEY WEST, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 666 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Iwo Jima Sailor provides relief to hometown Key West after Hurricane Irma, by PO2 Kelsey Adams, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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