Photo By Grady Fontana | PATTAYA, Thailand — Civilian mariner Johnisha Scales, yeoman storekeeper, assigned...... read more read more
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A team of sailors and civilian mariners (CIVMARs) joined together for a community outreach event at the Learning Center of the Human Help Network Foundation in Pattaya Thailand, Jan. 27, 2026.
Sailors and CIVMARs from Military Sealift Command (MSC) Far East, expeditionary fast transport ships USNS Puerto Rico (T-EPF 11) and USNS City of Bismarck (T-EPF 9) spent the day connecting with local children at the center during a routine visit to Pattaya.
Civilian mariner, Breahna Jones, a junior supply officer on Puerto Rico, the experience stood out as a reminder of why service matters beyond the mission.
“We’re here just giving back,” Jones said. “These kids are wonderful; they have so much life in them and they just brighten up my day. You can also tell that they uplift each other and thrive off each other’s energy—such an inspiration for us.”
Throughout the day, Sailors and CIVMARs, engaged in cultural exchange with the children sharing games, music, and informal English lessons.
“It’s so important for these kids to meet visitors from the U.S. Navy,” said Caecilia Lana Cheajangchin, a volunteer English teacher at the center. “They are so excited to play with them and learn from them.”
Cheajangchin emphasized that simple conversation with foreign visitors plays an important role in building the children’s vocabulary and confidence—skills that can shape their future opportunities.
The visit, coordinated with support from Navy League Siam in Pattaya, allowed the Sailors and CIVMARs to step outside their daily routines and serve as ambassadors of goodwill to the local community.
Lt. Gregory O. Willocks, chaplain for MSC Far East, community outreach also strengthens the Navy and host nation relationship.
“When our Sailors and CIVMARs serve local communities in Thailand, it broadens their scope of our mission within the region and strengthens their faith in each other,” Willocks said. “They discard their differences and unite their thoughts and feelings, and strengthen to build a life changing relationship with others from a different culture.”
MSC Far East supports the U.S. 7th Fleet and ensures approximately 50 ships in the Indo-Pacific Region are manned, trained, and equipped to deliver essential supplies, fuel, cargo, and equipment to warfighters, both at sea and on shore. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
| Date Taken: | 01.27.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.10.2026 03:32 |
| Story ID: | 557801 |
| Location: | PATTAYA, TH |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Sailors and Civilian Mariners Interact with Kids During Community Outreach, by Grady Fontana, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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