By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach
MINNEAPOLIS - A New Brighton, Minnesota, native volunteers in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, community to help those in neeed during Minneaopolis Navy Week, Sept. 26 - Oct. 2.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Isaiah McGrane is a 2017 St. Anthony Village High School graduate. Today, McGrane serves aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier homeported in Norfolk, Virgina, as a Navy operations specialist responsible for tracking, classifying and evaluating potential contacts using radar equipment.
McGrane's grandfather was a big influence for him joining the Navy three years ago.
"My grandfather served in the Navy," said McGrane. "Growing up, he always told me stories. As I went through high school, I always had a drive to be part of something bigger than myself. Between that drive and my grandfather's stories, there was a natural drive towards joining the Navy."
Navy Weeks are the service’s signature outreach program, designed to give the citizens of Minneapolis the opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people and its importance to national security and prosperity, and to strengthen the service’s ties to the community.
Navy Weeks focus a variety of outreach assets, equipment and personnel on a single city for a week-long series of events with key influencers and organizations across the market. During a Navy Week, 75-100 outreach events are occur in participation with corporate, civic, government, education, media, veterans, community service and diversity organizations throughout the city.
"To me, volunterring for this Navy Week means everything," said McGrane. "Beyond my parents, this area is what raised me. It means the world to me to be able to give back and show my gratitude to Minneapolis. Without this area, I wouldn't be who I am today."
As a member of the U.S. Navy, McGrane, as well as other sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.
"Serving in the Navy has changed my life," added McGrane. "I was at a point in my life where I did not know what was next. I wasn't sure if I was ready for college. The other thing I knew was something bigger was calling me. That's when I found the Navy. They gave me the purpose I was looking for as well as the education I knew I needed. There is nowhere else that I would rather be."