Iwo Jima Cleans Up Fort Lauderdale Beach

By Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Sunday Williams, Navy Region Southeast Public Affairs

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (NNS) -- More than 20 Sailors from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) gathered together on Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fla., April 27, to pick up trash during Fleet Week Port Everglades 2011.

"This is my first fleet week and I am so excited to be able to take part in something like this where I can give back to the civilian communities that support us day in and day out," said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Tiffany McEntyre.

The three-hour community outreach activity collected more than six large trash bags of litter and debris. The U.S. Navy partners with local communities to promote a clean environment through fleet week outreach events across the country.

"We want people to know we care just as much about the environment as we do our other missions," said Chief Religious Program Specialist Michael Music, the Fleet Week Port Everglades community relations coordinator. "The cities that we pull into for these events take such good care of us and are so great about welcoming us. We just want them to know that we care about their community as much as they do."

Fleet Week Port Everglades offers many local opportunities for U.S. sea service members to give back to the South Florida communities that host them. Iwo Jima Sailors cleaning up the beach say they are always "heavily involved" with these projects.

"I enjoy this area," said Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Santee Gipson. "This is my third fleet week here and Port Everglades always does so much to entertain Sailors and other service members that I just feel like getting out in the public and doing things to say thank you to them."

More than 2,500 Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen are in South Florida for Fleet Week Port Everglades 2011. The week-long celebration of the sea services honors the men and women of the military through public events and recognition, and also provides the sea services an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of surface platforms, equipment and the skills of the men and women serving aboard these vessels.

For more information on Fleet Week Port Everglades 2011, visit the Navy Region Southeast Public Affairs Center's Navy NewsStand page at https://navcms.news.navy.mil/local/nrse/.

Media outlets interested in covering Fleet Week events should contact Lt. Cmdr. Jonathon Blyth at 202-270-8136.