U.S. Navy photo by Doug Davant Sgt. Greenhow has worked at NSF Indian Head for 25 years, 16 years as a police officer. A life-long Charles County native, he is a graduate of the Prince George's Municipal Police Academy and attended Prince George's Community College (major in law enforcement). Greenhow serves also as a police instructor to both civilian and military in all phases of law enforcement and weaponry for the 18 precincts that make up the greater region naval bases.

Such is the philosophy of Naval Support Facility Indian Head Police Sgt. Terrence Greenhow because pitching in to help others is at the heart of his core values.

He, as well as other volunteers mainly from the Charles County Sheriff’s Department, proved it recently to an elderly woman who was the victim of an attempted burglary, approximately 500 yards from the base’s front gate.

‘‘What had happened was her yard had become so overgrown with shrubs and bushes that it was ripe for crime,” Greenhow explained. ‘‘In fact, you couldn’t even see the front of her house because of the growth and a break-in attempt was made on her home.”

The victim, Francis J. Cullen of 4715 Strauss Ave. in Indian Head, called 9-1-1 during the attempt and police were summoned to her residence which scared the would-be burglar away. But Cullen was so frightened by the experience that responding Charles County Sheriff Deputies, Sgt. Chris Bean and Cpl. Rick Boggs, immediately recognized her need for help.

Bean met with Cullen on several occasions and learned that she did not have the means to keep up with the long-needed yard projects around her overgrown home. He, along with family members Kimberly and Donnielle Bean, put out the call for a volunteer working party for a day-long battle of hard labor against the jungle that years of growth and nature had left. And Bean also knew he could rely on a friend at NSF Indian Head.

‘‘We have a good working relationship with Charles County,” Greenhow said. ‘‘It is very important to maintain this relationship because we count on each other so much, especially in these (post-9⁄11) times...Chris is a friend of mine as well as a colleague so he knew that I would be glad to help him.”

The work on Cullen’s property was dubbed ‘‘Extreme Makeover” and began on the cold Thanksgiving holiday weekend (Saturday, Nov. 28). Along with Bean and Greenhow, it involved 30 other members including Indian Head Mayor Ed Rice and Charles County Sheriff Rex Coffey.

‘‘It was a long back-breaking day,” Greenhow described. ‘‘We began early that morning and worked until dark; there was a lot to do. It took more than an hour just to find her sidewalk with a power edger! Fortunately, I brought a lot of yard equipment and so did others.”

Greenhow said the law enforcement officers cut down trees and trimmed bushes and painted the front of the home. It would no longer be so inviting for thieves to try and burglarize a vulnerable elderly woman of her precious few treasures after the work was completed.

‘‘She was so happy when we finished,” he said. ‘‘We got a lot of thanks and she wrote a Christmas card to everyone involved.”

Charles County Sheriff’s Dept. Lt. Jeff Holter pointed out the results in a letter of appreciation:

‘‘At the end of the day, Mrs. Cullens’ residence was transformed and what seemed like an overwhelming task was now complete,” he wrote. ‘‘The residence now had a renewed look and was visible once again. Some parts of the house had fresh paint and two Christmas wreaths were hung on the front windows. The fence was no longer overgrown with vines and the front sidewalk was passable to her new mailbox along Strauss Ave. A new screen door secured the back porch and landscaping once lost to vegetation was rediscovered.”

‘‘This project showed how the giving spirit of some can make a difference. Each of the volunteers gave all they could this day to help an elderly woman they did not know who was in need.”