NORFOLK, VA. — Ever since Brett Dumas was a boy, he's wanted to serve in the military.
"I wanted to do something more for my country," said Dumas, a sailor from Tampa.
The H.B. Plant High School graduate said the best part of serving in the U.S. Navy is all the people he gets to meet.
"You meet people from every single different background you can imagine, and working with them is a challenge and it’s also one of the greatest experiences you can have," said Dumas.
The ship he serves on is Gunston Hall. It’s about the length of two football fields and is unique because it has a cavity that fills with water so they can bring other boats on board. Its main purpose is to transport thousands of marines.
But not all sailors serve on ships.
Sailors in the U.S. Fleet Forces Band are full-time musicians.
They have to audition and must know how to play at least three instruments each.
These 45 navy musicians in the Norfolk bases band travel the world, building relationships through music by playing hundreds of concerts a year.
Whether it’s in a band or on a ship, these sailors have found a way to serve our country.
"I think everybody has an obligation to give back in some way," said Dumas.
