Chief Selectees Volunteer in Local Community, Develop 'Chief Pride'

From Navy Recruiting Command Public Affairs

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- More than 100 Sailors from Naval Support Activity (NSA) Mid-South volunteered to perform grounds maintenance and facility upkeep at the Tipton County Museum, Veterans Memorial Nature Center Aug. 25.

Sailors, chief petty officer selectees, performed the community service project as part of their training process designed to prepare them for the increased duties and responsibilities as a Navy chief petty officer.

This is the 11th year that Naval Support Activity Mid-South has volunteered to help the non-profit organization.

During the process of transitioning from petty officers to chief petty officers, each selectee is assigned an experienced sponsor to assist and guide them to becoming leaders. Together, the sponsor and selectee perform a variety of mental and physical exercises in addition to performing community service projects.

"The ability to give back to our community by helping to maintain a museum that remembers those who have served before us is an honor in itself," said Chief Engineman Stephen R. Lynn, one of the volunteers.

"Thank you to the citizens of Tipton County for building the Veterans Memorial, Nature Center and museum and for allowing the NSA chief petty officers and chief petty officer selects the opportunity to spend a day making it a better place."

The Covington Parks and Recreation Department as well as the city of Covington, Tenn. and Tipton County officials were thankful for the continued support of the chief petty officers and chief petty officer selects.

"Maintaining such a large facility is an expensive and time consuming endeavor," said Alice Fisher, Tipton County Museum director. "We feel very fortunate to have adopted such a wonderful group of people. As always, this group of Sailors performed much needed ground and building maintenance, saving the City of Covington and Tipton County large amounts of maintenance funds. We cannot get volunteer help like this anywhere else. They do a wonderful job, and we are thankful to have been chosen as one of their annual community projects."

The museum, a part of Covington's Parks and Recreation Department, sits on 20 acres of land, most of which is a wooded wildlife sanctuary with a half-mile walking trail.

"Maintaining the trail, the wetland and pond areas, the landscaped museum grounds, and the building itself is just a tremendous job for museum officials and the Covington Parks and Recreation Department," said Fisher. "The NSA chief petty officers and chief selects have indeed played a major role in making this a beautiful area."

The selectees will be promoted to chief petty officers in a pinning ceremony Sept. 16 at NSA Mid-South.

Navy Recruiting Command (NRC) consists of a command headquarters, two Navy recruiting regions and 26 Navy recruiting districts which serve hundreds of recruiting stations across the country. NRC's mission is to recruit the best men and women for America's Navy to accomplish today's missions and meet tomorrow's challenges.