Benfold and Hopper help local schools during Thailand visit 
From Lt. j.g. Katie Burkhart, USS Hopper Public Affairs and Ensign Jordan Adler, USS Benfold Public Affairs

Posted: October 17, 2009

PHUKET, Thailand – The guided-missile destroyers, USS Benfold (DDG 65) and USS Hopper (DDG 70) conducted community service projects during their Oct. 4-8 visit to Phuket, Thailand.
 

Above, Sailors from the USS Hopper (DDG-70) pose with students from Baan Ao Nam Bor School in Phuket, Thailand. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Mark Haley. Below, Senior Chief Petty Officer Ronaldo Ramos and Chief Petty Officer Steven Genao help chip blue paint off the underside of a stairwell during a Community Relations (COMREL) project at at the school in Phuket, Thailand. U.S. Navy photo by Information Specialists 1st Class Sean Dentrone.

Twenty-eight volunteers from the ships participated in a pair of refurbishing projects at a local school Oct. 7. Benfold’s Sailor restored a gymnasium by painting the interior walls, cleaning a wooden stage, and preparing a stairwell for painting. To help revitalize the cafeteria, Hopper’s volunteers painted the room, benches and tables.

“It is great to have Navy Sailors pull into Phuket, because each ship is more than willing to help Thailand out in some type of community project,” said Brad Kenny, a Phuket Roatian who helped organized the activities. “I would like to personally thank all of the participants for their hard work; they truly made a difference and were great ambassadors of the United States.”

Community service projects are a long standing tradition in the U.S. Navy and are performed to help others in need and build relations in ports of call. Both ships used the opportunity to distribute Project Handclasp material, a program, where private donations, such as hygiene and other materials, are distributed by Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

Students showed their appreciation by putting on a Thai dance and cooking a traditional lunch for the Sailors.

“They were really excited and appreciative of the fact that we were there,” said Ensign Jessica Fitzgerald, Hopper Repair Officer and community service project coordinator. “The entire day we were greeted with smiles and bows.”

Cmdr. Thomas Disy, Benfold’s Commanding Officer, acknowledged the importance of giving back to the community.

“Community projects go beyond the act of physical service,” he said. “They are an opportunity for all participants to learn about each others’ values and customs. It’s truly a win/win.”