DATE: Thursday, November 20, 1997           TAG: 9711190718
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Military 
SOURCE: BY ALVA CHOPP, CORRESPONDENT 
                                            LENGTH:   83 lines

THE MILITARY'S FINEST FAMILIES FIVE FROM HAMPTON ROADS ARE HONORED FOR THEIR VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES.

Five Hampton Roads military families have been honored for outstanding volunteer work in the community by the Armed Services YMCA. Called Five Star Military Families, these families - one from each branch of the service - represent hundreds of volunteer hours donated to the civilian community by military personnel, according to YMCA Executive Director Cathy Howard.

``Military personnel do so much for the community and often receive so little reward,'' she said. ``This is our way of thanking them for their service.''

This year's recipients are the families of Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Frank Crumpton Jr. of Virginia Beach, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Kerns of Norfolk, Army Sgt. Greg Gallus of Fort Monroe, Air Force Tech. Sgt. John Murray of Hampton and Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer John Rouse of Newport News.

For Kerns, volunteerism has been part of his life since childhood. As the son of a Navy master chief in Jacksonville, Fla., Kerns learned to help others in the community by following his dad on volunteer projects. Today, after 18 years of naval service in Hampton Roads, Kerns has established himself as a person who is quick to volunteer his help.

Kerns and his wife, Julie, are active throughout the year in volunteer activities such as the ``Paint Your Heart Out,'' campaign, which paints and refurbishes houses for the elderly or needy, and Clean the Bay Day. Kerns also helps organize the Norfolk 5K run at Norfolk Naval Air Station.

Kerns, a calibration technician at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Calibration Center at the naval air station, has been active in his Bay View Civic League. He also initiated and coordinated his command's participation in Bay View Elementary School's ``Partnership in Education'' program.

Kerns has helped elderly homeowners in his community by making roof repairs, fixing windows and doing general maintenance.

``I guess I've become the neighborhood handyman,'' he said. ``I feel really good about helping people.''

Kerns said he includes his daughters, 8-year-old Sarah and 6-year-old Mary, in his projects as often as he can. ``It's good for them to make new friends and help others,'' he said. ``I think it really brings the community together, and I want them to grow up to be volunteers, too.''

Crumpton has traveled the world in his 24-year Marine Corps career, and has taken his volunteer spirit with him.

``I've always believed in helping people,'' he said. ``I guess I learned it from my parents and I want to pass it on to my children.'' Both 9-year-old Frank III and 18-year-old Natasha are active in volunteer programs through scouting and sports.

Crumpton and his wife, Belinda, participate in programs to feed and clothe the less fortunate. They are on-call attendants at the Haven Family Assistance Center for the homeless, they mentor children through the Hunton Street YMCA's Young Achiever's program and work each year at the Muscular Dystrophy Association's summer camp.

They have been active in local Boy Scout and Girl Scout programs, as well as Little League baseball and intramural softball teams.

``It's not hard to find time to volunteer,'' Crumpton said. ``The time is there. Just think about how much idle time we sit around the house watching TV when we could be out helping others.''

Both Kerns and Crumpton said the military has always encouraged volunteerism within its ranks. From overseas projects while deployed to coordinating local assistance programs, military personnel actively help the communities around them, they said.

The Armed Services YMCA recognition program has grown over the years, Howard said. This year's recipients were honored at a special luncheon at Breezy Point Officer's Club at Norfolk Naval Air Station. Retired Navy Capt. Kent Ewing, former commanding officer of the aircraft carrier America during Desert Storm, was the master of ceremonies. Maj. Gen. Michael P. DeLong, deputy commander of the Marine Forces, Atlantic, was the guest speaker.

The Five Star Families received commemorative plaques, family portraits and other gifts from local businesses. They also rode in the Virginia Beach Holiday Lights Parade. ILLUSTRATION: IAN MARTIN/The Virginian-Pilot

The family of Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Kerns of

Norfolk: from left, daughters Mary, 6, and Sarah, 8, and wife Julie.

GARY C. KNAPP

The family of Marine Corps Master Sgt. Frank Crumpton Jr. of

Virginia Beach: wife Belinda, daughter Natasha, 18, and son Frank

III, 9.

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