NORFOLK
The youth and staff of the Franklin Summer Super Jam program spent a day in the Navy as they attended a field trip to the Norfolk Naval Station on July 10.

After arriving on the base the group was given a guided tour of the base, which is the world’s largest naval station. It occupies 4 miles of waterfront space and 7 miles of pier and wharf space of the Hampton Roads area.

After the tour the group headed to the base galley, where they enjoyed lunch and a host of a delightful menu of all types of food.

Next it was off to a guided tour of the USS Kearsarge (LHD3). The Kearsarge is the third of the WASP-Class multipurpose Amphibious Assault Ship. Its mission is to embark, deploy, land and support a Marine Landing Force.

The group was able to see the back end of the ship, which opens and allows landing crafts to enter and deploy from a well that is about 10 -12 feet deep. Traveling up many ramps inside the ship, the group viewed the flight deck and next climbed many flights of steps to see the operation center of the ship.

In all, the group enjoyed the day with the Navy, and all personal they encountered on the trip rolled out the red carpet to make it a very special and rewarding trip.