Photo By Oscar Garcia | ANCHORAGE, AK (Jun 19, 2025) Lieutenant Leray holds a conversation with a newly...... read more read more
ANCHORAGE, AK (Jun 19, 2025) Lt. Paul Leray, a Civil Engineer Corps officer in the U.S. Navy and native of Eagle River, returned to his hometown during Navy Week Anchorage 2025 as part of the Navy’s Fleet Outreach Ambassador Team (FLOAT). Representing the Seabees and the Naval Construction Training Center (NCTC). Leray brought a deeply personal connection to the week’s outreach efforts—sharing his journey from enlisted electrician to officer and encouraging youth to consider careers in service and skilled trades.
“It is such an honor and a privilege. I love Alaska,” said Leray. “To be able to return home and represent the Navy in the same spaces that helped shape me—it’s incredibly meaningful. I can’t wait to come back here when I finish my service.”
Navy Week, a national outreach initiative, aims to connect the Navy with communities that do not typically see a strong Navy presence. During Anchorage’s Navy Week, Leray participated in hands-on events across the city, including service projects with local youth, speaking engagements with civic organizations, and informal mentorship with teens and young adults.
Leray grew up in Eagle River, the son of two Army veterans. “I had no intention of joining the military at first,” he admitted. But as college costs mounted, he found the Navy offered both financial support and a higher purpose. “I didn’t want to take out loans, and I wanted to do something that mattered. The Navy helped me pursue my education while proving to my peers that good people in uniform make a difference.”
As an enlisted electrician in the Seabees, Leray quickly found a sense of purpose and community in his work. “I knew nothing about construction when I joined. I barely knew how to use a screwdriver,” he said with a laugh. “Now I can maintain my own home and vehicle—and I have a career filled with meaningful, global work.”
One of Leray’s most impactful deployments took him to Timor-Leste, where his team restored power to remote clinics—critical for preserving life-saving vaccines. “We fixed a solar system on a clinic that served people hiking four days through mountains just to get a shot. It was simple work for us, but it changed lives,” he recalled.
Now serving as Training and Operations Officer at the Naval Construction Training Center, Leray helps shape the next generation of Seabees. His journey through the Limited Duty Officer (LDO) program, which transitions enlisted leaders to commissioned officers, gives him a unique perspective on leadership.
“As an officer, I’ve had to learn to focus on long-term problems, anticipate challenges, and let my Sailors execute the day-to-day,” he explained.
His time in Alaska, he said, helped shape his approach. “Alaskans are the most welcoming, resilient people I’ve ever met. That openness and empathy influences how I lead today.”
Returning as a FLOAT participant gave Leray the opportunity to visit childhood landmarks like the Boys and Girls Club of Eagle River and Camp Fire, where he once played—and now returned to inspire. “It’s surreal to stand in front of the air hockey table I played on as a kid and tell these young people about seeing the world with the Navy.”
To young Alaskans, Leray offered heartfelt advice: “The Navy isn’t for everyone, but it’s a good job. If you feel stuck, this is a way. And trades like electrical work—those are skills you’ll always use.”
Throughout the week, Leray worked side-by-side with fellow Seabees in local community service projects, from building picnic tables with teens in treatment to assisting food distribution efforts and engaging with youth in park restoration programs. In every effort, Leray’s story stood as a reminder that service can start anywhere—and sometimes, it brings you full circle.
“The Seabees are a family. No matter where I go, I run into people I served with. It’s the only time in my life I’ve felt that kind of community. And to share that with the people of Alaska—my people—that’s something I’ll carry with me forever.”
Navy Week is a nationwide outreach program organized by the United States Navy to connect with communities that do not typically have a significant Navy presence. Held in cities across the country, Navy Week brings in Sailors from multiple commands to participate in public events, educational activities, and community service projects. The goal is to educate the public about the Navy’s mission, capabilities, and the critical role it plays in national defense and global maritime security. Through demonstrations, ship visits, school engagements, and media outreach, Navy Week fosters a greater understanding and appreciation of the Navy’s contributions while strengthening the bond between the Navy and the American people.
Naval Construction Group One (NCG 1) is homeported in Pt. Hueneme, California, and leads and manages the overall capability and readiness of its Naval Construction Regiments (NCRs), Naval Mobile Construction Battalions (NMCBs), Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU), and Underwater Construction Team (UCT). NCG 1 provides the required engineering support that the Navy and Nation need to construct and maintain base facilities, repair battle-damaged facilities, conduct defensive operations as required, and to meet disaster preparedness and recovery missions.
| Date Taken: | 06.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.21.2025 16:34 |
| Story ID: | 501173 |
| Location: | ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, US |
| Hometown: | EAGLE RIVER, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 84 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Homegrown Leadership: Seabee Officer Returns to Inspire Anchorage Youth During Navy Week, by Oscar Garcia, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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