It’s not unusual for young students to think of members of the U.S. military as heroes. Through their service to the nation, America’s servicemen and –women have earned the respect of us all, and faculty and staff at elementary schools around the nation take great pains to ensure an appropriate degree of appreciation and esteem for the military.

One result of such efforts is that most kids grow up with at least a minimal understanding of the heroism of those men and women who put their lives on the line for the good of the nation.

But a group of those military heroes recently decided to give one Suffolk elementary school a taste of everyday heroism, the kind that relies on rakes, not rocket launchers, the kind that requires pulling weeds and not throwing grenades.

Last week, 41 sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln started what they hope will be a lasting relationship with the students and staff at Creekside Elementary School when they visited the school as volunteers to help with some basic chores. They trimmed weeds, raked leaves, trimmed hedges, cleaned windows and more. And in between the chores, they took time to read to the kids and spent time getting to know them.

“We are trying to build a relationship between the Navy and the community we are currently assigned in,” said James Parrott, speaking on behalf of the sailors from the carrier’s supply department. Building those relationships helps people on both sides of the equation — the kids get some new, valuable role models, and the sailors get increased support from the community, along with some young friends who can help lift them up when military life gets them down.

Further, the kids get an appreciation of the fact that heroes come in all types — men and women, black and white, big and small, officer and enlisted. They also get to see that the everyday heroes who help keep their schools and communities running are as important as the heroes shipping overseas to fight for America.

And in some cases, those heroes are the same people.