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Underwood Sailors Conduct COMREL in Honduras

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060510-08
Release Date: 5/10/2006 10:35:00 AM

By Journalist Seaman Charles A. Ordoqui, George Washington Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs

ROATAN, Honduras (NNS) -- USS Underwood (FFG 36) Sailors helped refurbish the Sandy Bay School and Community Hospital in Roatan, Honduras, May 7 during a goodwill port visit for “Partnership of the Americas.”

More than 15 Sailors visited Sandy Bay School, a local elementary schoolhouse, to paint its interior walls and replace its old door frames with newer, stronger door frames.

"It is a very important part of our mission to help our neighbors here in Central and South America," said Cmdr. Roderick Fraser, commanding officer of Underwood. “Helping the local community repair this elementary school is a very rewarding endeavor. Education is the only real ticket to a better life for these children, and anything we can do to help, we are ready to assist.”

The Sailors painted the walls, chairs and decks in the schoolhouse, which is a learning place for more than 300 students.

"It makes me feel proud that we, as United States Sailors, can enter a foreign country and leave a lasting effect upon the men, women, and children," said Yeoman 1st Class (SW/AW) John W. Grant Jr. "It is truly a humbling experience. I only wish we had more time to do all the things that were needed. In the end, I know that we made a positive difference.”

Sailors also painted walls at a local hospital in Roatan.

"It was fulfilling for me to be able to make a big difference by completing a simple task like painting," said Cryptologic Technician (Technical) 2nd Class Clayton S. Reyes.

“Originally, we had planned on working at the Community Hospital, but we had so many volunteers that we completed that project the first day,” said Fraser. “When Rosa Hendrix, one of the school teachers here, asked if we could do some work at her school, we were happy to volunteer. I am very proud of the overwhelming volunteerism that my crew embraces.”

Underwood is operating in the Caribbean Sea as part of the USS George Washington (CVN 73) Carrier Strike Group conducting “Partnership of the Americas,” a training and readiness deployment of U.S. Naval forces with countries from the Caribbean and Latin America in support of U.S. Southern Command objectives for enhanced maritime security.