Photo By Chief Petty Officer Gabriel Kotico | TAMPA, Fla. (March 22, 2022) The commanding officer of the Ohio-class guided-missile...... read more read more
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KINGS BAY, Ga. — Sailors from the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) recently participated in Tampa Navy Week.
The six Sailors from Florida’s Blue Crew, homeported at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, participated in various events throughout the week which included a bay cleanup at Gandy Beach and a food-packing event at Feeding Tampa Bay. This is the first Navy Week held in Tampa since 2018.
Machinist’s Mate (Auxiliary) 3rd Class Yesenia Garcia said showing communities the opportunities the military provides is an important part of Navy Week.
“It’s good to let young men and women know that the military is an option, and show them how successful they can be if they decide to join,” said Garcia.
Electrician’s Mate (Nuclear) 1st Class Richard Cabral said interactions the crew had at the various events were positive and receptive.
“We received many questions and exchanged a lot of stories with people about submarines,” said Cabral. “It was very cool to see how much interest and pride the community had when we spoke.”
Cabral said he would welcome the opportunity to participate in the program again in the future.
“Volunteering and making a difference in the community is its own reward,” said Cabral. “But I also enjoyed speaking with people about the Navy and what I do on a submarine.”
Electrician’s Mate (Nuclear) 3rd Class Turner Catlin, from San Antonio, Texas, said an important part of the week was showing the public the Navy’s diversity.
“I think it’s important to show not only the different aspects of the Navy,” said Catlin. “We are able to truly show the diversity in not only race and gender but also mentalities.”
The Sailors also visited different schools and spoke to students ranging from elementary to high school age.
“I had the pleasure of being a part of Navy Week during Women’s History Month and was recognized by teachers and other young women as a woman in uniform,” said Garcia. “It was a good feeling,”
Navy Week is coordinated by Navy Office of Community Outreach, and brings Sailors, equipment and displays to up to 15 American cities each year. The program’s purpose is to reach areas without a significant Navy presence, and allow Sailors to communicate the importance of the Navy through various community partnership events and volunteering.
Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is homeport to all East Coast Ohio-class submarines. Florida is the sixth ship of the U.S. Navy to be named for the 27th state.
For more news from Commander, Submarine Group 10, visit https://www.facebook.com/submarinegroupten/ and https://twitter.com/SUBGRU10.
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2022 11:35 |
| Story ID: | 417636 |
| Location: | TAMPA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 239 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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