Sailors assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) volunteered at Armstrong Elementary School in Hampton during the school's annual career fair May 8.

While there, Lincoln Sailors interacted with children of all ages. Electrician's Mate 1st Class Shaya Smith, petty officer in charge of the group, was glad to come out to support the community.

"I knew we would be educating the kids about the jobs we do while on the ship, the importance of teamwork and what can be accomplished when everyone does their job," Smith said. "It's important for the kids to get a chance to interact with the military because it allows them to ask us questions directly. I believe this type of face time is more important than them seeing it on television."

The first thing that the Sailors did was to explain their individual duties on board. Many of the children were unaware of the career potential available in the Navy. Smith saw this as a good way for the kids to broaden their knowledge about the careers available to them.

Lincoln Sailors also taught the children activities like physical training (PT) exercises, defined navy terminology and even showed them how to tie knots.

Levia Stovall, principal of Armstrong Elementary School, was glad to have Lincoln Sailors support their career fair.

"It's wonderful to have Lincoln Sailors here. We have a lot of military families in our community and we love to have a military presence at our career fairs," Stovall said. "This impacts the students because a lot of them want to be in the military. They see the career potential and they hear about the great things happening and they want to serve our country."

Airman Derek Johnson, assigned to USS Abraham Lincoln, also volunteered and was happy to explain his role in the U.S. Navy.

"I think the kids had a great time. They loved all the things we were doing," Johnson said. "It's awesome to be able to give back to the community in such a personal way."

Armstrong Elementary School is a national blue ribbon institution that offers children in the community more than just a general education. Children have the opportunity to learn arts. This includes visual arts, music and dance in core subject areas. The annual career fair included other branches of the military to allow students with as many career paths as possible.

Lincoln is currently undergoing a Refueling and Complex Overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News, Va.

Lincoln is the fifth ship of the Nimitz-class to undergo an 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/.