Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) Lemoore staff and students participated in three community relations projects throughout the California Central Valley Dec. 9.

More than 30 CNATTU Lemoore service members gathered, sorted and distributed toys for an Operation Homefront toy drive, spearheaded by CNATTU instructors Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class Colin Nicome and Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Kimber Dominguez.

"Any chance of giving back to the community, as well as assisting military families is something in which we will always participate," said Nicome. "CNATTU knows this is a great opportunity during the holiday season to help the families of other service members."

During the holidays, Operation Homefront volunteers collect toys and school supplies for the children of junior and mid-grade service members. The donations are distributed at the non-profit organization's holiday events nationwide and through on-base family readiness groups. Throughout the San Diego area, nearly 14,000 toys were collected, and CNATTU Lemoore Executive Officer Cmdr. Ronnie Harper said he is particularly proud that his Sailors helped.

"Today was just another example of the sense of community that our Sailors have here in Lemoore," said Harper. "The amount of volunteer hours that our staff puts into our community on a regular basis is unbelievable. They care about what happens on their base, they care about what happens in their community, and they care about every person in their community."

Other CNATT service members took part in the organization's monthly highway clean-up project. The three-hour event, organized by CNATTU Lemoore instructor Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class Sean Watkins, took place along a three-mile stretch of California U.S. Highway 41.

"This allows students and instructors to do something impactful while coming together," said Watkins. "Every month we are walking along the highway cleaning it up, and the civilians of the town and surrounding areas honk their horns in appreciation of what we are doing. There is no better feeling than that."

CNATTU Lemoore Sailors also volunteered to participate with Naval Air Station Lemoore service members during the Central Valley High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) drill meet hosted by Lemoore High School.

Chief Aviation Machinist's Mate Alvin Zuilan, a CNATTU Lemoore leading chief petty officer and the command's volunteer outreach program coordinator, served as one of the 48 area Sailors judging the day-long competition where more than 350 cadets from nine area high schools participated.

"It was a great experience to be part of this competition," said Zuilan. "These young men and women displayed great pride and sportsmanship in all events."

NJROTC participants competed in eight events during the drill meet, including academics, color guard, unarmed and armed basic drill and exhibitions.

"Today's Navy asks a lot of our Sailors, and it's more than just being a good jet mechanic or a good pilot," said Harper. "It's also about being a good person, a good citizen, and a fully engaged member of society. Our Sailors at CNATTU Lemoore exemplify those traits more than I could have ever imagined, and I am truly humbled to be a part of this amazing team."

CNATTU Lemoore is a training unit specific to the F/A-18 Hornet platform, and is part of Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), headquartered at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. CNATT develops, delivers and supports aviation technical training at 27 sites located throughout the continental United States and Japan.

CNATT is a technical training agent for the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) an organization designed to advance and sustain Naval Aviation warfighting capabilities at an affordable cost, and is a training center under Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, visit www.navy.mil/.