EAST LYME, Conn. – A sailor assigned to Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Vermont was recognized as Service Person of the Month by the Lions Club and the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, Feb. 6.
Yeoman (Submarine) 2nd Class Jahlaani Campbell, a native of Los Angeles, was honored with a fish dinner for himself and members of his chain of command, as well as prizes from the Lions Club and the Chamber.“Petty Officer Campbell definitely punches above his weight class,” said Lt. Cmdr. David Beam, executive officer of Vermont. “For ship’s admin, he has taken on a role usually filled by a senior chief. It has all happened seamlessly. He’s definitely made my life easier! Campbell has really helped the morale of the crew. He was an easy choice for Service Person of the Month.”
In addition to SPOM, Campbell has previously been awarded Sailor of the Year for his excellent performance on duty as well as his numerous volunteer activities off duty helping the surrounding community.
“Petty Officer Campbell exemplifies the truest meaning of leadership and service to sailors onboard PCU Vermont and the Groton waterfront,” said Angie Clay, a representative of the Chamber. “He has volunteered to represent the command by judging the 2017 and 2018 Connecticut SeaPerch Championship, and was one of my ambassador’s and speakers for the Veterans Appreciation Day celebration for West Side Middle School. He also volunteered to participate in a namesake visit and march in the state of Vermont’s Independence Day Parade.”
Another of Campbell’s leadership attested to his superior performance. Master Chief Electronics Technician (Navigation) James Brownson spoke to the members of the Lions Club at the dinner and emphasized the many tasks yeomen have to juggle aboard a pre-commissioning unit.
“PCU Vermont has been a command for about two years now and Campbell has been there from the beginning,” said Brownson. “Normally PCU life is pretty easy for sailors, at least for the first few years. Not necessarily for the yeomens because they have all the crewmembers who are coming in, all the travel to send people to school, all the people who come and go. He is humble, but it is so important what [Campbell] does for sailors on PCU Vermont. I’m really impressed with this young man’s character, his work ethic. If I need something or if the XO or captain need something, he is the go-to guy and he will make it happen. That is the kind of spirit that he has and makes him stand out among the rest of the sailors, and because of that he was selected for PCU Vermont’s Sailor of the Year last year and that’s why he deserves this award. He’s humble about it, but he deserves this award.”
Campbell expressed his gratitude to everyone involved for the appreciation he has been show. A humble man, he avoided talking about himself and his achievements, instead thanking the Lions Club and the Chamber for supporting local military personnel.
“Thank you guys for having me here,” said Campbell. “It feels good to be recognized for the work you do. It’s really nice and the food is great. I just want to thank each and every one of you for allowing service members to do this. It means a lot to the guys on the waterfront. It gives them that little boost because it always comes when they’re having the worst times, thank you!”
SPOM is a year-long program put on by the Chamber and various service organizations in the Eastern Connecticut area who recognize a military member who has demonstrated outstanding performance of both their official duties and voluntary contributions to the surrounding community.