Sailors and Coast Guardsmen assigned to the Cyclone-class coastal patrol ship USS Tornado (PC 14) participated in a community relations project in Willemstad, Oct. 5.

The project included refurbishing the school house of Kolegia Santa Famia and the surrounding landscape.

Thirty-two Tornado crew members joined the community relations efforts for approximately five hours.

Sailors and Coast Guardsmen painted, cleaned the classrooms and cleaned the window shutters of the school house. Additionally, they disposed of leaves, weeds and unwanted shrubbery.

“We want to assist the children with integrating into the countries that they currently find themselves,” said Allen Greenberg, the U.S. Consulate General in Curacao. “Here at this school in Curacao we are cleaning up the premises, and bringing books and computers to make it possible for children to start to learn and put their lives back together again.”

“We’re really excited to have Tornado helping out with this communal relations project and doing some really hard work on this building and the landscape,” said Greenberg. “It will help make it possible to reopen this school and get these families back on their feet. You have helped them and Curacao as a whole, to integrate them into society. We just want to thank the U.S. Navy Sailors and the U.S. Coast Guardsmen for what you’re doing today.”

“Sometimes giving back is the greatest thing you can do in the United States military for both the Sailors and for the people in need, said Lieutenant Commander Brian Stueber, the commanding officer of Tornado “It was an honor to have the opportunity to help out the community.”

Tornado is currently deployed in support of Campaign Martillo, a joint operation with the U.S. Coast Guard and partner nations, within the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations.

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