Keesler’s Sailors claim Navy Flagship Award

Published Feb. 3, 2011
By Susan Griggs
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Keesler News editor The Navy has honored the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit at Keesler with its 2010 Personal Excellence Partnership Flagship Award in the medium shore category.

"My Sailors and Marines have worked very hard and volunteered many hours toward local community service," Cmdr. Angie Walker, CNATTU commander, pointed out.

The unit's community service efforts have been coordinated by Petty Officer 1st Class Darius Sayers, winner of last year's Thomas V. Fredian Community Leadership Award
from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce. In recognition of this honor, Petty Officer Sayers attended President Barack Obama's State of the Union address,
Jan. 25 in Washington, D.C., as a guest of Mississippi Rep. Steven Palazzo.

CNATTU'S 60 staff members and 250 students performed more than 1,049 hours of community service in 90 separate events during 2010.

The unit's primary community service focus during the 2009-2010 school was mentoring
and counseling underprivileged children at Nichols Elementary School in Biloxi. When the school closed at the end of the school year and merged with nearby Gorenflo
Elementary School, CNATTU continued its commitment to Biloxi's children at the new location.

The Sailors spent about 2 1/2 hours every non-training Friday during the school year
serving as role models to 215 students, individual tutoring in mathematics and science and teaching life and social skills through teamwork in sports.

In CNATTU's award package, Commander Walker noted that her unit's involvement in volunteer efforts with Biloxi children highlighted the Navy core values of honor, courage and commitment.

"Honor is exhibited by the quality of our Sailors who value community service and volunteerism," the nomination package explained. "Courage is demonstrated through the physical and emotional demands placed on our volunteers who led and mentored classes of 22 children per event. Commitment is demonstrated by the high number of 'repeat volunteers' who are dedicated to our local community and the lives of others."

CNATTU's other projects benefited the American Heart Association, Girl Scouts of America and the DeSoto National Forest's river cleanup