Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan Wilber

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - As Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 prepares to move to their new location in the Camp Leatherneck expansion area, Alfa Company Seabees are out in force preparing the ground. The rough, desert land must be brought up to elevation, compacted and made suitable for wood structures, command tents and pedestrian traffic.

The process of transforming more than 21 acres of uninhabited desert into an area where Seabees can work and live at Camp Leatherneck is no small task for the equipment operators. The project requires numerous pieces of equipment, running simultaneously to work each section of the expansion area.

"We have 21 ½ acres of rough land that we need to bring up to elevation. It needs to come up roughly a foot and a half over the entire area. To do that, we are using scrapers, bulldozers, graders, water trucks, vibratory rollers, back hoes and dump trucks, and we're getting one inch minus select fill brought in for the top cap," said Equipment Operator 1st Class Joseph Peters, Project Supervisor.

According to Sgt. Seth Toomey, Crew Leader, the project is a formidable task that requires various levels of precision and experience.

"I've got some less experienced people out here that are learning the equipment, but at each section of work I've got going on I have experienced operators passing on their knowledge and teaching their trade. I've got a good mix. I've got people who've been operating for six years and I've got people who have been doing it for a few months. The longer I keep these people on the equipment, the better off they'll be in the long run, for the battalion, for themselves and for this project," said Peters.

The crew, made up of NMCB 74 Seabees and Soldiers from the 655th Concrete Team and 502nd Multi-Role Bridge Company, 19th Engineer Battalion, carries a positive attitude when talking about the work they are doing on the project and a feeling of pride can be sensed as well. For some it is the legacy they are leaving behind at Camp Leatherneck, while for others it is a love for the job that shines through.

"It's pretty neat being the people helping out with this, because in a couple years it will be the main spot for the battalions to come to for their deployment," said Equipment Operator Constructionman Clint Colquitt, Crew Member.

"It has definitely been a good experience. We're making this and it will be our lasting footprint, until they tear it down at least. It's kind of neat to see it grow," added Equipment Operator Constructionman Apprentice Travis Love, Crew Member.

"This is a dream project of mine ever since I've been an EO. There is nothing but pushing dirt and lots of it," said Peters.

Pushing dirt, however simple it may sound, requires focus and skill. The Afghanistan desert demands the operators' constant attention in order to leave it smooth and flat. Situational awareness is also an important requirement of the job.

"You have to think about what you are doing before you do it. You have to look ahead to see what the land is doing to adjust your blade and make sure you stay on level ground," said Colquitt.

"Sixteen pieces of equipment working in about a seven acre area is a lot of equipment moving around. They have to have their heads on a swivel and know what's going on around them," added Peters.

Every day the operators gain more experience through what they call "stick time," and the land is noticeably different than when they began. Once the foundation pad for the battalion's tactical operations center is complete, the builders will start construction. Soon the Seabees of NMCB 74 will be working at their new camp, Camp Natasha, thanks to the initial quality work put in by Seabees and Soldiers.

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