{"id":31437,"date":"2014-04-03T12:46:27","date_gmt":"2014-04-03T04:46:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tribune.ctsi-logistics.com\/?p=31437"},"modified":"2014-04-03T12:46:27","modified_gmt":"2014-04-03T04:46:27","slug":"cowpens-sailors-volunteer-guam-school-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/cowpens-sailors-volunteer-guam-school-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Cowpens sailors volunteer at Guam school"},"content":{"rendered":"

AGAT, Guam<\/strong>\u2014Sailors from the forward-deployed guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens participated in a community relations event at Marcial A. Sablan Elementary School in Agat while the ship was in port in Guam on March 28.<\/p>\n

Service members were treated to a Chamorro fiesta-style lunch before they tutored and mingled with students enrolled in the After School Programs In Recreation & Enrichment (ASPIRE).<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally feel like I learn a lot about wherever I go when I do the COMREL events and help volunteer,\u201d said Information Systems Technician 3rd Class (SW) Justin Puckett.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love seeing new stuff so this is always cool. I love food too, so trying local food is always a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

This was the ship\u2019s second community relations project on island in less than a year. In December 2013, Cowpens sailors volunteered at the same school to discuss their careers and experiences with students.<\/p>\n

Information Systems Technician 2nd Class (SW\/IDW) Edward Losongco said the visits were personal for him because he grew up in Guam before moving off-island as a child.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really good being here,\u201d he said. \u201cAnytime you get to come back to your hometown is always fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

School counselor Marie Balbin thanked the sailors for their willingness to lend a helping hand at the school and said these partnerships strengthen the relationships between the Navy and Guam communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something I feel just the military coming out and sharing their skills and all the things that they do for the United States as a whole is really something good to help our students learn more about,\u201d she said. \u201cI think it\u2019s very nice and I think it\u2019s important that they continue to link with us. The community as well is very grateful for them and all that they do.\u201d