• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Oak Hill, Uruguayan Naval Officers Team Up in Montevideo

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090713-06
Release Date: 7/13/2009 4:00:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Hendrick L. Dickson, Navy Public Affairs Support Element East

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (NNS) -- Sailors from USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) and embarked naval officers from Uruguay teamed up July 6-7 to volunteer at Hospital Hogar Pineyro Senior Citizens Center in Montevideo, Uruguay.

More than 50 Oak Hill Sailors and Uruguayan officers united to give the dining area at the center a facelift. They removed peeling paint from the walls and ceilings and replaced it with a new two-toned look.

"We are all excited about being there," said Lt. Robert Bailey, Oak Hill chaplain. "Until we were complete, it was kind of like a child anticipating a Christmas gift. Many people kept coming by and looking in on us."

Bailey explained the original plan was for the crew to rehab a much smaller room and adjacent corridor. The dining area proved to be much more challenging, but the crew was determined to finish the job.

The crew did complete the job on time and residents sang songs to show their gratitude. Commander, Destroyer Squadron 2, Capt. Brad Williamson; Oak Hill Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Daniel Blackburn; and Alfred Schandlbauer, deputy chief of mission for the U.S. embassy attended a cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completed project.

Bailey praised the crew for their efforts and noted the crew could have been on liberty but chose to give back to the community.

"They were there for the right reasons," said Bailey. "They wanted to make an impact for other people, not just go out on liberty. We had fun doing this, and we got the job done."

"It's something everybody doesn't get a chance to do," said Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Justin Robinson. "It makes you appreciate the Navy and the job we have."

Since deploying June 3 for Southern Partnership Station 2009, the Oak Hill crew delivered more than 50 pallets of Project Handclasp materials in St. Lucia and Uruguay and opened its brows to more than 75 orphans and troubled teens as well. Williamson said reaching out to the communities they visit is just something that comes with being a Sailor.

"It doesn't matter how many community relations project we do," said Williamson, "the feeling never changes. I can't think of another occupation where you can travel the world and make the impact these Sailors made here today and what they have done in the other ports we've visited during this deployment. It is a truly special feeling."

Oak Hill is currently deployed for the combined multinational exercise Southern Partnership Station (SPS) '09. SPS '09 is a combined naval and amphibious operation with Oak Hill and maritime forces from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. Oak Hill is also supporting the U.S. Marine Corps Forces South multinational amphibious exercise known as Southern Exchange 2009.

For more news from USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), visit www.navy.mil/local/lsd51/.