Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 12, 1993 TAG: 9308120383
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH J. ZIMMERMAN
DATELINE: ORLANDO, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
Some, such as Grover N. Craft of Roanoke, volunteer their time.
Craft, son of Grover and Mavis Craft, is a tutor at Winter Park Vocational Center in Orlando, Fla.
"A lot of the young kids I tutor take me very seriously and respect me because I'm in the Navy," said Craft, who also is involved with the Meals on Wheels program for the elderly and the Sunshine Foundation for mentally handicapped children.
"It's fun for me to see the look on the faces of the elderly I deliver to. They get a big kick out of seeing a sailor in uniform," he said. "The uniform has the same effect on the mentally handicapped kids that we take to Disneyland."
Craft, an eight-year Navy veteran, is a supervisor in the administration division of the Naval Training Center.
"Each subordinate command attached to NTC is assigned one day of the month to visit a school with underprivileged children in the local area and talk about the Navy and the importance of staying in school," he said. "The kids are receptive and ask a lot of questions about the Navy."
Craft, a 1992 Florida Southern College graduate, is no stranger to the Navy system. His father is a retired senior chief petty officer.
"I was a junior in high school when my father retired from the Navy, so I grew up in a military lifestyle. I came to enjoy it." When he joined the Navy in 1985, Craft wanted to continue his education and see the world.
His first duty assignment was aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt as part of the pre-commissioning crew. The ship didn't go on its first deployment until one month after he was transferred. Craft later became part of another pre-commissioning crew aboard the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. He was transferred to NTC two weeks before the ship was to leave Norfolk.
"In a way, I feel lucky to have spent two sea tours on pre-commission ships. By the same token, I wish I would have gone on a deployment so I could have seen some of the world."
Craft says, however, that if he makes the Navy a career, there will be plenty of sea tours and deployments in his future.
"At this point, I plan to stay in the Navy," said Craft. "I'm eligible for advancement to chief petty officer this year; but with the military cutbacks, it's getting difficult to advance."
Craft, however, is being realistic about his chances and is considering his other options.
"My wife and I have talked about the probability of my finding a job outside the Navy," said Craft, who is married to the former Donna Stegall of the Roanoke area.
"But, because of my nine years in the Navy, I don't know if I would want to compete for an entry-level job. Besides, with the current economy, I'd worry that I couldn't find a position."
Sarah J. Zimmerman is a Navy journalist assigned to the Navy Public Affairs Center in Norfolk.
by CNB