GW Completes COMREL in Antigua
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS060519-14
Release Date: 5/19/2006 3:42:00 PM
By Chief Journalist (SW/AW/IUSS) Henry W. Rice, USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs
ST. JOHNS, Antigua (NNS) -- USS George Washington (CVN 73) (GW) Sailors completed more than 1,200 hours of volunteer service during community relations (COMREL) projects in Antigua May 17.
More than 250 Sailors worked on more than 20 projects located at 11 sites, including the St. Johns Anglican Cathedral, the Salvation Army Preschool, Antigua Girls High School, Antigua Grammar School, T.N. Kirnon School and various local Roman Catholic schools and agencies.
Sailors completed a variety of tasks, including a general cleanup of outside areas, landscaping, painting, repairing windows, repairing lunch benches, and playing with students. At the St. Johns Cathedral, Sailors cleaned and painted handrails on the stairwells, and stained a huge wooden balcony.
“We wanted to get out to as many locations as we could,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jim Edwards, a chaplain assigned to GW and the COMREL coordinator. “GW Sailors enjoy the opportunity to help and interact with people during these projects, and the community was grateful for their assistance.”
Airman Luis Isassi from GW’s air department painted a wall at St. Joseph’s Academy, a local boy’s school. He said volunteer projects like this are great for the community and for the Sailors.
“Being involved in the COMREL overseas and accomplishing so much during the projects really makes me feel good about myself,” he said.
The GW Sailors were also able to interact with the children at the schools. At St. Joseph’s Academy, the children sang to the Sailors.
“The children were really good singers,” said Isassi. “They were singing songs that I used to sing in Sunday school when I was younger.”
At the Antigua Girls School, Sailors rebuilt benches in the schoolyard, cleaned out a storeroom, painted a bathroom, did yard maintenance and provided a GW’s fitness enhancement program instructor to teach girls how the Navy does physical readiness training.
“We had a great time with the girls,” said the instructor, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SW/AW) Monique Rodriquez. “It was a special opportunity to take our experience and share it with these students. It was fun for everyone involved.”
Other Sailors worked at the St. Vincent de Paul Daycare Center for the Elderly, changing out window openers, cleaning out rain gutters, reattaching kitchen tiles and providing maintenance in bathrooms. Sailors also cleaned up at the Good Shepherd Home, a home for abused children.
“GW Sailors recognize the contributions that can be provided to local communities,” said Edwards. “Sailors time and time again volunteer to do whatever it takes to make a difference in the lives of people. This is where our core values are played out, and in so doing, we further positive relationships with people of other nations.”
GW arrived in Antigua May 15 for a scheduled “Partnership of the Americas” goodwill port visit to the island. “Partnership of the Americas” is a U.S. Southern Command sponsored deployment designed to enhance maritime security through exercises and operations with Caribbean and Latin American countries and goodwill port visits throughout the region.
Antigua is the second port visit for GW during their current deployment. The ship visited St. Maarten, Netherland Antilles, April 15-18 and volunteered 1,246 hours at various schools, an orphanage and other facilities on the Caribbean Island.
GW left Norfolk, Va., April 4 for “Partnership of Americas.” During the deployment the crew has conducted unit-level training, exercises and operations with the militaries of other countries in the Caribbean Sea focusing on preventing narco-terrorism, human trafficking and providing humanitarian relief. The aircraft carrier is scheduled to homeport later next week.
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