Chiefs and Phase II Sailors Volunteer at Kitsap Fairgrounds

BREMERTON, Wash. (Aug. 16, 2013) Chief Machinist’s Mate Curtis Martin, assigned to Intermediate Maintenance Facility, directs chief petty officer (CPO) selectees during a community service project at Kitsap County Fairgrounds. The CPO selectees helped the fairgrounds with washing buildings, brush clean up of the campgrounds, and setting up the sheep barn in preparation for the Kitsap County Fair and Stampede.

BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) — Chief petty officers (CPO) and CPO selects from commands in Navy Region Northwest volunteered to participate in a community relations project at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds and Event Center, Aug. 16.

The selectees, Sailors participating in Phase II of CPO 365, helped the fairgrounds staff with washing the buildings on the fairgrounds, clean up of the community campgrounds, and preparation for the Kitsap County Fair and Stampede, Aug. 21-25. “It’s teaching them to be a good CPO at more than their command,” said Senior Chief Musician (SW) Dereck Werner, assigned to Navy Band Northwest. “Team is more than the command and it’s important to reach out to the community.”

Preparation of the fairgrounds for the fair and stampede began a few months ago, and without Navy volunteers the event would be a lot harder to accomplish. “I appreciate them coming out,” said Iain Peterson, fairgrounds maintenance supervisor at Kitsap County Fairgrounds and Event Center. “They’re willing to do what we ask and we rely on our volunteers.”

CPOs and CPO selects have gone to the fairgrounds and volunteered for the past three years. Chief (select) Personnel Specialist (SW/AW) Marianogerard Zamora, assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), said that a team or group has the ability to make a difference when one person might not be necessarily able to. “You don’t have to be in a group to make a change, but it can make a bigger difference if you are,” said Zamora.

This fair and stampede was first held in Port Orchard, Wash. in 1923.

Navy News article