• Military Menu                       

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

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Cowpens Sailors Bring Supplies, Smiles to Thailand

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS101015-01
10/15/2010

By Lt. j.g. Maxwell Schmidt, USS Cowpens Public Affairs

CHONBURI, Thailand (NNS) -- Sailors from USS Cowpens (CG 63) volunteered their liberty time to bring smiles and supplies to the students of Chuck Niau Elementary School during a recent port visit to Pattaya Beach, Thailand Oct. 8.

The community service project was organized by Cowpens Chaplain Lt. Kermit Jones Jr. and coordinated through the Navy League. Sailors worked side-by-side with students from the school to paint an exterior wall. When they weren't painting, the Sailors played soccer and other games with the children to interact with the local children.

The Sailors also held a brief ceremony in which they delivered more than $2,000 worth of educational supplies, which were donated by the recently closed Preschool Cooperative on Yokosuka Naval Base. The supplies included educational toys, crafts and other items that will be useful in teaching the students.

After the ceremony, Cowpens' Sailors were treated to the students' demonstration of their cultural heritage, with singing, dancing and a traditional Thai meal.

"The food was surprisingly good for an event like this," said Operations Specialist 3rd Class Jesse Alfaro. "The children and teachers really made us feel like we were at a home away from home."

In addition to donations to the school, Cowpens also worked with the Navy League and Chantanimit Rotary Club to donate two dozen mattresses to clinics in need. Volunteers from the Rotary Club picked up the mattresses and delivered them to several facilities along the Thailand-Cambodia border.

Cowpens has already surpassed its command goal of 2,000 hours of community service during the 2010 calendar year.

"After every community service project, I am proud of the widespread attitudes of charity and cheerful service demonstrated by Cowpens' Sailors," said Commanding Officer Capt. Robert Marin. "When I established the command goal of 2,000 hours of community service, I had no idea the crew would respond with such vigor."

Cowpens is a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser assigned to the George Washington Carrier Strike Group and is currently deployed for training operations.