PORTSMOUTH, Virg.  –   PORTSMOUTH, Va. (April 4, 2022) – Navy Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) Chief Petty Officers Association (CPOA) members met at the Fisher House on Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads-Portsmouth Annex to volunteer their time to perform some beautification activities around the building, March 31.

The chiefs, or goats - a nickname earned during the time of wooden boats when senior enlisted shared the same quarters as the ship’s goat – joined together to help.

“We are transitioning from winter into spring and wanted to start the season off right by helping out an organization that has done so much for our service members and veterans,” said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Leonor Jean-Gilles, a senior enlisted advisor at NMCP and one of the organizers of the event.

Fisher House Foundation, Inc. is an international, not-for-profit organization established to improve the quality of life for members of the military, veterans, and their families, according the mission statement found on their website. The foundation builds comfort homes at military and VA medical centers and gifts them to the government.

“We have to lead by example,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman Willie Mercado, NMCP Cardiology leading chief petty officer. “We can talk to our Sailors every day about the things the need to do to succeed, but if we aren’t out here showing them what right looks like then we are ultimately failing them.”

As part of the beautification efforts, the Chiefs raked up leaves and pine straw, trimmed hedges, gathered up fallen branches and picked up any trash found on the grounds.

“We are all really proud to take time to give back in any way we can. Some days it’s with our Sailors,” said Mercado. “Today is with our community.”

As the U.S. Navy's oldest, continuously-operating military hospital since 1830, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth proudly serves past and present military members and their families. The nationally-acclaimed, state-of-the-art medical center, along with the area's 10 branch health and TRICARE Prime Clinics, provide care for the Hampton Roads area. The medical center also supports premier research and teaching programs designed to prepare new doctors, nurses and hospital corpsman for future roles in healing and wellness.