Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit Two Receives the Project Good Neighbor Award
Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command
Courtesy Story
Date: 01.29.2019
Posted: 01.29.2019 14:46
News ID: 308663
NORFOLK, Va. – Each year the Navy recognizes shore, sea and overseas commands for the Project Good Neighbor Community Service Flag Award. NEPMU-2 was recently selected as the Navy-Wide proud recipients of the 2018 Project Good Neighbor Award in the “small shore command” category. This is the first time NEPMU-2 has received this award.
The Project Good Neighbor Award recognizes the best year-round volunteer-supported program or special project, which promotes outreach activities throughout the year to establish and restore hope to the community by encouraging humanitarian assistance to the less fortunate. This award is separated into three categories: shore commands, sea commands and overseas commands. Furthermore, these areas are divided into three size categories which include small commands with 199 personnel or less, medium commands that range between 200 and 499 personnel and large commands with 500 plus personnel.
Community service is a longstanding tradition within NEPMU-2, as it serves as the basis for developing a good relationships with the surrounding community. In return, it helps Sailors understand the Navy’s mission and provides them opportunities for leadership skills, personal growth and career development.
NEPMU-2 is a command of 87 personnel, and from June 2017 through July 2018, NEPMU-2 staff contributed 492 volunteer hours to serve 8,554 youth in the Hampton Roads area. Over the past year, NEPMU-2 has been actively involved in supporting activities for the homeless and impoverished, assisting in the fight against breast cancer, restoring and promoting Naval history, preserving the environment and encouraging tomorrow’s generation to consider pursuing a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) just to name a few.
NEPMU-2’s volunteer coordinator Petty Officer 2nd Class Jermaine English said, “I have been to five commands in the Navy and I have never seen a command that is as involved with the community as NEPMU-2. This comes from the top down. Our officer in charge is a genuinely caring person who emphasizes community involvement and the staff just runs with it. I am so grateful to have played a role. Everyone truly does this from the goodness of their hearts without expecting awards or recognition. That's what makes this so special for me. Our command deserves this.”
NEPMU-2’s community service program fosters a culture that emphasizes the importance of outreach among Sailors and staff by encouraging and fully supporting individual and group volunteers and humanitarian and charitable efforts in order to make a true difference in the lives of our fellow citizens within the Hamptons Roads area and surrounding communities.