Sihanoukville, Kingdom of Cambodia (Nov. 29, 2007) - Culinary Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) Rosco Cohen, and assigned to Amphibious Squadron Eleven, plays soccer with the students from the Chamka Kaosu school during a community relations project, Nov. 29. Essex and the embarked 31st MEU arrived in Sihanoukville, Kingdom of Cambodia, Nov. 26, for a scheduled port visit that gives Sailors and Marines the opportunity to participate in friendship-building community relations events, medical and dental projects and professional exchanges. These friendship-building events are being conducted with the cooperation of the Cambodian military and the Kingdom of Cambodia. The visit also provides Sailors and Marines the opportunity to meet local citizens and experience the customs and traditions of the Cambodian people. Essex is the lead ship of the only forward-deployed U.S. Expeditionary Strike Group and serves as the flagship for CTF 76, the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious force commander. Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with a detachment in Sasebo, Japan. (Photo by: Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey Ballge, Marine Forces Pacific)
Sihanoukville, Kingdom of Cambodia (Nov. 27, 2007) - Electronics Technician 3rd Class Rosemary Colbert and Lt. jg. Constancia Schlemmer draw pictures on the black board of the Hun Sen Krong primary school, during a community relations project Nov 27. Essex and the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in Sihanoukville, Kingdom of Cambodia, Nov 26, for a scheduled port visit that gives Sailors and Marines the opportunity to participate in friendship-building community relations events, medical and dental projects and professional exchanges. These friendship-building events are being conducted with the cooperation of the Cambodian military and the Kingdom of Cambodia. The visit also provides Sailors and Marines the opportunity to meet local citizens and experience the customs and traditions of the Cambodian people. Essex is the lead ship of the only forward-deployed U.S. Expeditionary Strike Group and serves as the flagship for CTF 76, the Navy’s only forward-deployed amphibious force commander. Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with a detachment in Sasebo, Japan. (Photo by: Petty Officer 2nd Class Drae Parker, Marine Forces Pacific)US Marine Forces Pacific
SIHANOUKVILLE, Kingdom of Cambodia (Nov. 30, 2007) -- Nearly 300 Sailors and Marines assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit lent a helping hand to local schools Nov. 27 - 29 during a scheduled port visit to Sihanoukville, Kingdom of Cambodia.
Sailors and Marines visited the Hun Sen Krong Primary School, Hun Sen Mittapheap Primary School and Chamka Kaosu Primary School to help clean and paint the schoolhouses, as well as teach English, play games and interact with the students.
"Projects like these are so important because they produce long lasting benefits," said Capt. Brian T. Donegan, USS Essex commanding officer. "By enriching the lives of children and promoting their education we can provide a contribution to the people of Cambodia that literally lasts a generation."
The smiling faces and visible happiness of the children also provides the Sailors and Marines participating in these exchanges an experience they will remember forever.
“The children are such a joy”, said Electronics Technician 3rd Class Rosemary Colbert. “I had a blast teaching and playing with the children.”
Sailors, Marines and students played athletic games such as soccer, duck-duck goose, hop scotch, relay races and marbles throughout the day. “The children are pretty fast runners and I had a hard time keeping up with them,” said Rosemary.
It wasn’t all play and no work. The Sailors and Marines spent much of their time painting and improving the schools' appearance.
“I like being over here. It feels good to help out the school,” said Marine Corps Cpl. Brandon Turner. “I feel that this was really a rewarding experience and I am glad that I was able to participate.”
The visit also gave students an opportunity to interact with Americans and experience a foreign culture for themselves. Both children and Sailors were able to experience another culture through conversation and interaction.
“I had the best time in my life playing with the kids and teaching. They are really smart,” said Yeoman Seaman Saquan Sutton. “It was a whole new experience for me that makes you appreciate where you are from.”
Essex’s Command Chaplain, Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Sweeney was pleased the Sailors and Marine’s visit brought happiness to the children.
“Participating in these community relations activities allows our service members the opportunity to meet people in the local community and interact in activities like sports or something like painting at a local school,” said Sweeney.
Essex’s visit to Cambodia marks the first time an amphibious assault ship has visited the country and marks the second U.S. Navy ship visit in 2007. USS Gary’s (FFG 51) visit in April was the first U.S. ship to visit the Kingdom of Cambodia in more than 30 years.
Essex is currently conducting its semi-seasonal fall patrol throughout East and Southeast Asia.
Essex is the lead ship of the only forward-deployed U.S. Expeditionary Strike Group and serves as the flagship for Commander, Task Force 76, the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious force commander. Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with a detachment in Sasebo, Japan.
Sailors and Marines visited the Hun Sen Krong Primary School, Hun Sen Mittapheap Primary School and Chamka Kaosu Primary School to help clean and paint the schoolhouses, as well as teach English, play games and interact with the students.
"Projects like these are so important because they produce long lasting benefits," said Capt. Brian T. Donegan, USS Essex commanding officer. "By enriching the lives of children and promoting their education we can provide a contribution to the people of Cambodia that literally lasts a generation."
The smiling faces and visible happiness of the children also provides the Sailors and Marines participating in these exchanges an experience they will remember forever.
“The children are such a joy”, said Electronics Technician 3rd Class Rosemary Colbert. “I had a blast teaching and playing with the children.”
Sailors, Marines and students played athletic games such as soccer, duck-duck goose, hop scotch, relay races and marbles throughout the day. “The children are pretty fast runners and I had a hard time keeping up with them,” said Rosemary.
It wasn’t all play and no work. The Sailors and Marines spent much of their time painting and improving the schools' appearance.
“I like being over here. It feels good to help out the school,” said Marine Corps Cpl. Brandon Turner. “I feel that this was really a rewarding experience and I am glad that I was able to participate.”
The visit also gave students an opportunity to interact with Americans and experience a foreign culture for themselves. Both children and Sailors were able to experience another culture through conversation and interaction.
“I had the best time in my life playing with the kids and teaching. They are really smart,” said Yeoman Seaman Saquan Sutton. “It was a whole new experience for me that makes you appreciate where you are from.”
Essex’s Command Chaplain, Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Sweeney was pleased the Sailors and Marine’s visit brought happiness to the children.
“Participating in these community relations activities allows our service members the opportunity to meet people in the local community and interact in activities like sports or something like painting at a local school,” said Sweeney.
Essex’s visit to Cambodia marks the first time an amphibious assault ship has visited the country and marks the second U.S. Navy ship visit in 2007. USS Gary’s (FFG 51) visit in April was the first U.S. ship to visit the Kingdom of Cambodia in more than 30 years.
Essex is currently conducting its semi-seasonal fall patrol throughout East and Southeast Asia.
Essex is the lead ship of the only forward-deployed U.S. Expeditionary Strike Group and serves as the flagship for Commander, Task Force 76, the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious force commander. Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with a detachment in Sasebo, Japan.
5 comments:
Love to see this happen in the whole Cambodia,please uncle SAM send more marine to Cambodia ,we hate to see Viet dog eaters around us ,please come and help us to send them back to Hanoi
Uncle SAM can make more friends if he is willing to donate some advance weapon system to Cambodia! Ahahahh
No way, jose (3:33), the US will never send Yuons to Hanoi because no one here know how to cook their favorite meal (dog) for them.
This picture does not make the Chinese happy at all.
Yes! this kind of projects are so important to real coambodia children,The real cambodia children don't understand much about life outside their homeland this is good opportunity that happend to our children.
I think we need lots more U.S. SHIP to visit our country so the real cambodia people feel more comfortable than yuons.
Anonymous said "If Uncle Sam want to make more friends is he willing to donate some advance weapon system to cambodia"
I say don't you wish, May be its happen .
And we all send Yuons back to Hanoi and all cambodia people will live in peace again.
Oh! the chinese people don't care about you (youns),That's the reason China throw your ass out the firt place.
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