• Military Menu                       

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

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

USS Jarrett, HSV Swift Paint Success for Guatemalan School Children

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110207-09
2/7/2011

By Ens. William Boyd, USS Jarrett (FFG 33) Public Affairs

SAN JOSE, Guatemala (NNS) -- USS Jarrett (FFG 33) Sailors painted a Southeast Asia (SEA) Hut at Escuela Justo Rufino Morales Mackarty in San Jose, Guatemala, as part of a community relations (COMREL) project, Feb. 4.

The SEA Hut had recently been built by a detachment of Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 28. The building will be used as an all-weather classroom to help facilitate the Guatemalan children's studies.

This COMREL project comes as Jarrett winds down a six-month deployment.

"Our Sailors work hard during these operations, and to be able to go ashore and conduct a goodwill mission is very satisfying," said Chief Hospital Corpsman (SW/FMF) Stephen Royall. "All the Sailors really enjoy this work. They enjoy promoting the Navy, but most of all they enjoy seeing the children's smiling faces. There is an instant satisfaction that comes from these projects. I don't think people realize what the Navy does, not only for our nation, but for other nations as well."

"It's awesome that we get to do projects like this," said Ens. Ben Winston, USS Jarrett. "It presents a great reflection of what our nation values and shows how we really care and reach to other countries."

The group of 15 Sailors from Jarrett spent five hours painting the SEA Hut along with the Seabees and an MCAST team, both of which are deployed aboard High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift, as part of Southern Partnership Station 2011. They have spent 15 days in Puerto Quetzal, adjacent to San Jose, performing community relation projects and conducting subject matter expert exchanges with the local military, school, and the surrounding community.

The COMREL concluded for the Jarrett Sailors with an impromptu soccer competition with the local school children.

"I would have come down here just to do this," said Lt. j.g. Nathan Ferree, Helicpoter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 49, Det. 3. "It totally makes what we are doing down here feel worth while."

USS Jarrett is currently on a six-month deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility in Central America, conducting counter-illicit trafficking operations.

COMUSNAVSO is the naval component command for U.S. Southern Command and is responsible for all naval personnel and assets in the area of responsibility. COMUSNAVSO conducts a variety of missions in support of the U.S. maritime strategy, including theater security cooperation, relationship building, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, community relations, and counter-illicit trafficking operations.