A USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Sailor traded his military boots for hiking boots for one week of permissive TDY to backpack through the Blue Ridge Mountains at the Goshen Scout Reservation.

Lt. Jonathan Kindel kicked off his backpacking adventure on Father's Day, a day normally set aside to honor everything dads do for their children.

Kindel, who has had a lifetime of experience participating and volunteering with the Boy Scouts, believes that each day provides an opportunity to build tomorrow's leaders.

"Every day is an opportunity to invest in your children, forever molding them," said Kindel, whose wisdom was taught to him by his own father whose life was cut too short by cancer. "He was the kind of man to show his love by passing his knowledge and skills to his children. While I dearly miss him, he instilled in me the realization that every day is Father's Day."

Kindel began his career as a Cub Scout at the age of nine and has since volunteered with the Boy Scouts and currently serves as a Scoutmaster of Troop 95 in Suffolk.

"I instantly loved the sense of community, education, and skills development. I stuck with the program all the way until I enlisted in the Navy in 2001," said Kindel.

Kindel's latest adventure to the Blue Ridge Mountains requires the Scouts to hike some 25 miles with only the gear on their backs. Kindel added that the participants in the backpacking adventure take part in a variety of camping outposts that allow them to experience everything from the days of the folk hero Robin Hood to the Civil War to exploring caves.

"It is really a little bit of everything," said Kindel. "This particular high adventure has outposts we hike to and setup camp. The goal is for the troop to work as a team while being led by youth leaders and supervised by adults."

Kindel's son, Nathen, has followed in his father's footsteps and has participated in scouting from a young age, and is expected to receive his Eagle award.

Nathen, who graduated high school in June, is headed to the University of Oklahoma to pursue a degree in petroleum engineering.

"I'm proud of my son and who he has become," said Kindel, who added that while Father's Day is celebrated just one day of the year, "that day should be set aside to reflect on how well we did as dads the previous 364 days."

Lincoln is currently undergoing a refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News, Virginia.

Lincoln is the fifth Nimitz-class ship to undergo RCOH, a major life-cycle milestone. Once RCOH is complete, Lincoln will be one of the most modern and technologically advanced Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the fleet and will continue to be a vital part of the nation's defense.

For more news from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), visit www.navy.mil/.