Photo By Melvin J Gonzalvo | During a brief break from an organized effort to remove graffiti from the walls and...... read more read more
Sometimes a passion for volunteering spans generations and transcends different military service branches.
That was the case for Casey Kobayashi, a 16-year-old Scout and U.S. Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) cadet who organized a community service project that included volunteers from his troop, family members and more than 20 Navy Sailors and civilians.
On the recent Sunday, the volunteers repainted “No Parking” curbs and covered up graffiti at the Ke’ehi Lagoon Beach Park to improve the park’s appearance and enhance safety by alerting drivers to avoid parking in certain areas. Organizing a significant community service project was one of the requirements that Kobayashi needed to fulfill to earn the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest level of achievement in the Scouting America program.
Among the volunteers were two former Eagle Scouts — Casey’s father and retired Chief Gunner’s Mate Jon Williams Reese.
Kobayashi, a sophomore at Moanalua High School, was grateful that Reese could be part of his Eagle Scout journey.
“For him to come back and help me out as an older Scout, an adult, and also as a Navy veteran, kind of shows how the Scouts live by the Scout Law and continue to live it after attaining their Eagle Scout in their daily life,” Kobayashi said.
Reese was excited to be a part of Kobayashi’s service project and to volunteer alongside Sailors and Troop 75 scouts to help the community.
“To me, it's pretty much having the whole day to achieve one job,” he said. “Getting everybody together to make something better for everybody else, something better than yourself.”
Teamwork and unity are core components of the Navy mission. They also serve as the foundation of Laulima Navy, a year-long initiative launched in 2024 to highlight the many ways that Navy personnel in Hawaii support the community.
Although he retired from active duty, Reese is still guided by warfighter values. He currently works for Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) as a vertical launching system (VLS) technician. He repairs the technical components of a ship, typically working on about nine ships a day. Reese also trains crews on ship operating systems so they can better maintain them.
Reese reflected on how laulima, a Hawaiian value that means many hands working together, is essential for his job.
“I work in a place where laulima is an absolute necessity to get the job done,” he said. “I'm working at PHNSY over in N-code 210 where we work on ships. Every day, we have to depend on every code to come forth and do the job, to get what we need to get done: get the submarines and the ships underway, get them fixed.”
Growing up, Reese heard stories of travel, adventure, and service from his grandfather who was a Sailor. He felt compelled to join the Navy even though both of his parents and all of his uncles served in the U.S. Army and his other grandparent served in the Air Force. Reese enlisted in the Navy in 2000 and served for more than 23 years.
Reese recalled his time in Scouting America fondly, staying in the program until he turned 18. He was part of Troop 176 and Troop 182 in Oklahoma and participated in community service projects like rebuilding nature trails and recreational activities like hiking and camping in backyards or out on the plains. For his Eagle Scout project, Reese and his troop helped a Christian academy by installing wheels on cabinets to make them more portable when transporting supplies for sporting events.
Kobayashi’s father, Todd Kobayashi, was part of Troop 99 in Yorba Linda, California, and completed his Eagle Service project in June 1994. His project involved replacing steps at Oak Canyon Nature Center in Anaheim, California, to improve safety for users.
Todd Kobayashi said volunteering alongside his son was special for both of them.
“Casey learned a lot about leadership and gained valuable experience that will serve him for the rest of his life. It also brought back memories of my project and made me happy to be able to share this experience,” he said.
For Casey Kobayashi, this Eagle Scout project is just one part of his commitment to the community.
As a JROTC cadet and sophomore at Moanalua High School, Kobayashi volunteers frequently in a variety of roles including serving as the JROTC color guard or ushering during school assemblies, participating in campus cleanups, and serving concessions at football games.
Kobayashi plans to make community service his lifelong mission as he considers a career as an Air Force pilot or as a police officer.
For Reese, participating in Kobayashi’s Eagle Scout project reinforced the value and necessity of community service.
“To get involved in volunteer work is something that is a calling that's higher than yourself,” Reese explained. “And it really needs to be out there to say, hey, you need to come here. And the impact of it is that it makes you a better person. It helps the community. You build friends through it. You build networks through it. It's definitely one of those things that has a positive impact in that regard. And yes, everybody should be involved.”
About Laulima Navy
Laulima Navy is a year-long initiative to celebrate the Navy’s 250th birthday by highlighting 250 acts of volunteerism. Sponsored by Commander, Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) and managed by Commander, Navy Region Hawaii (CNRH) Public Affairs, Laulima Navy underscores the Navy’s responsibility to the community and the myriad ways service members work alongside partners to give back to the community.
| Date Taken: | 03.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 03.26.2025 20:49 |
| Story ID: | 493817 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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