NMCB 133 Completes Hurricane Ida Relief Efforts

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Jahmai Stokes | Equipment Operator 2nd Class Victoria Witherspoon assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 serves as a ground guide to an operator to assist with road clearing operations during Hurricane Ida disaster relief efforts in Grand Isle, La. NMCB 133 is operating under the Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) to support the Louisiana National Guard as well as working alongside its other sister services as the only Navy element in support of disaster relief efforts. NMCB 133’s mission is to provide an adaptive and scalable Naval Construction Force as a vital component of the U.S. Maritime strategy in executing quality construction in combat, humanitarian assistance, or disaster recovery operations.  

GRAND ISLE, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES

09.20.2021

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jahmai Stokes 

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133

GULFPORT Mississippi – Seabees assigned to U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 completes Hurricane Ida relief efforts mission in Grand Isle, La. Sept 20.

More than 70 Seabees took part in Joint Task Force-Louisiana (JTF-LA), supporting ground transportation and route clearance efforts in response to Hurricane Ida damage. JTF-LA was formed in response to the enaction of Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) following the August 29 storm.

DSCA is support provided by U.S. Federal military forces, Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, DoD contract personnel, and DoD Component assets in response to requests for assistance from civil authorities for domestic emergencies, law enforcement support, and other domestic activities, or from qualifying entities for special events.

“NMCB 133 was tasked with providing a detachment to support troop and cargo movement, in and around potential high water areas in search of JTF and civil authorities,” said LT Jasmine Andino, NMCB 133’s Hurricane Ida Detachment officer-in-charge. “At the John Alario Center, we worked alongside the 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to assist with commodity deliveries to multiple points of distribution and conducted supply runs to deliver water and Meals-Ready-to Eat (MREs) to various locations within Jefferson Parish."

According to Andino, NMCB 133 sent a small element of roughly 20 Seabees to assist with recovery efforts in Grand Isle, Louisiana, which was where the eye of the storm hit.

“Our mission in Grand Isle was road clearing operations alongside the Louisiana National Guard and the 46th Engineering Battalion, 687th Engineering Construction Company,” said Utilitiesman 1st Class Jedediah Jones, NMCB 133 Grand Isle element officer-in-charge. “We removed 13,219 cubic yards of debris from the road and strategically placed them at different drop-off points."

According to Jones, the amount of debris his team removed from the roads in Grand Isle could fill up 4.5 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

“I am tremendously proud of the work that our Sailors accomplished alongside our sister units in southeast Louisiana,” said NMCB 133 Executive Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Bryan Beyer. “Our Seabees showed genuine resolve and ‘Can Do’ spirit! We remain humbled by the resiliency of the residents in the affected areas, and we were honored to be able to play a small role in helping state and local authorities.”’

Seabees are the only asset in the Navy inventory capable of constructing, improving, operating, and recovering the infrastructure needed to support fixed and non-fixed forward site expeditionary operations.

NMCB 133 is homeported in Gulfport, Mississippi. Its mission is to provide an adaptive and scalable Naval Construction Force as a vital component of the U.S. Maritime strategy in executing quality construction in combat, humanitarian assistance, or disaster recovery operations.

• Date Taken: 09.20.2021
• Date Posted: 09.29.2021 15:40
• Story ID: 406228
• Location: GRAND ISLE, LOUISIANA, US
• Hometown: GRAND ISLE, LOUISIANA, US
• Hometown: GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI, US