PORT KLANG, Malaysia (NNS) - USS Carl Vinson (CVN) and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 Sailors visited the Wesley Senior Citizen Home as part of a community service (COMSERV) project, Jan. 24.

The Wesley Senior Citizen Home is sponsored by a local congregation in Kuala Lumpur, said Lt. Cmdr. James E. West, USS Carl Vinson command chaplain.

"Today's community service project had more to do with telling stories about what it's like to be a Sailor, and what it is like to be Malaysian," said West. "We both shared and learned more about each other."

West said COMSERVs have changed during the past 15 years. He said they are much different, compared to the days of yard work and cleaning.

"Community service is more about outreach and telling the Navy's story," he said.

Since Wesley opened in 1994, the Navy has visited many times to paint the home.

For this visit, Sailors did not come to paint, but to have fellowship and sing together, said Yap Wai Kheong, Wesley caretaker and supervisor.

For Sailors who participated in the event, it was a chance to see that people from all over the world may be more connected than they had realized.

"People can be so far apart, and yet have so much in common," said Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Tara E. Smolka. "It was really neat seeing firsthand how (Malaysians) live."

It was also an opportunity to escape the common tourist traps where many Sailors find themselves. Smolka said it was nice to see the culture of the country and not just the major attractions.

Carl Vinson and CVW 17 are currently on deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

For more news from USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn70/.