USS Ronald Reagan Chiefs Help Out at Presidential Ranch

By Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Dean Lohmeyer, USS Ronald Reagan Public Affairs

SANTA YNEZ, Calif. (NNS) -- USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) chief petty officers participated in a community service project Dec. 10-12, at Rancho Del Cielo, the ranch once owned by the ship's namesake, former President Ronald Reagan.

More than 25 chief petty officers completed several maintenance projects to help the upkeep of the land. Ronald Reagan's chiefs have been helping out at the ranch since August 2006.

Event coordinator, Master Chief Electronics Technician Jim Ritch, said the event strengthened the already strong tie between the Ronald Reagan Ranch and the Ronald Reagan chief's mess.

"We did anything they asked us to do while we were there," said Ritch. "It's a huge property and there is so much to be done that we were just privileged to be there to help."

The chiefs cleared a fallen tree, trimmed low-hanging branches, split nearly 10 cords of firewood, built walking paths, cleared riding trails, raked algae and weeds from a lake, as well as numerous other projects.

"There was a lot of teamwork and camaraderie going on," said Chief Logistics Specialist Mario Moreno. "We saw what had to be done and we attacked it. We got the job done."

According to Andrew Coffin, vice president and director of the Reagan Ranch, the property is managed by the Young America's Foundation (YAF), a non-profit organization funded entirely by private donations from around the country by those who are committed to preserving Rancho Del Cielo and sharing the lessons of Ronald Reagan's life and ideas with today's youth. He said the assistance provided by the ship's chiefs was greater than any dollar value that could be associated with their labor.

"The work that the chiefs do is incredibly important." said Coffin. "When Ronald Reagan was president, countless government personnel worked on the ranch, including a battalion of Navy Seabees, who built roads and cleared trails. Today, we just have a single ranch manager on site. We work hard to be good stewards of the generous gifts that YAF supporters provide for the preservation of the ranch, and the work the chiefs from the USS Ronald Reagan do at the ranch helps us do exactly that."

Beyond the sheer amount of work done, Coffin said he was more impressed by the quality of the work.

"The work that the chiefs do is in a class by itself," said Coffin. "From the very first work weekend in 2006, they were committed to working hard and getting the job done. I can say without hesitation that these are the most productive days that we have at the ranch all year.

"I'm confident that President Reagan would be both humbled and proud by the work that these American heroes do to help preserve and protect his beloved ranch home," said Coffin.

Coffin's sentiments were shared by Ronald Reagan Ranch Manager George Thompson.

"Working with the chiefs this weekend was fantastic," said Thompson. "I always enjoy having the chiefs here. They always work hard, and they do a lot of work to help us out with our projects."

USS Ronald Reagan Command Master Chief Mark Rudes was proud yet humbled by the work done by the chiefs in his mess.

"It was humbling to see the chief's mess come together and do such a huge amount of work for no other reason than to leave our mark on our namesake's ranch," said Rudes. "Listening to the stories of the men who worked with Ronald Reagan was especially humbling. Knowing that these gentlemen actually worked with the president put everything in perspective."

The chiefs mess hopes to continue working with the Ranch and carry on this tradition in the years to come.

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