Sea Bees build up from the ground up: Sea Bees swarm Delaram II with construction

Photo By Master Sgt. Dorian Gardner | Petty Officer 3rd Class Charlie Kissam, holds a level against a newly constructed portion of the future 31st Georgian Battalion combat operations center while two sailors hold it steady, April 29. After eight days of work, the Sea Bees have completed the base platform and are building door frames, exterior walls and trust fabrications.  

CAMP DELARAM II, AFGHANISTAN

05.02.2010

Story by Sgt. Dorian Gardner 

II Marine Expeditionary Force   

CAMP DELARAM II, Afghanistan – As Camp Delaram II continues to grow, the sailors of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 continue to build. Nearly twice its size and supporting hundreds of new occupants, the camp's construction team hasn't slowed down yet.

Commonly known as "Sea Bees" throughout the Marine Corps and Navy, the construction battalion has been giving a new face to Camp Delaram II since their arrival in mid March. After completing a series of projects that include grading and leveling specific sites throughout the camp for future construction, they are currently working on a combat operations center for the oncoming 31st Georgian Battalion.

"We have been working on it for eight days, from the ground up," said Senior Chief John D. Cunningham, senior enlisted advisor of NMCB 133.

With the unpredictable environment, to include drastic wind and sand storms, the Sea Bees are taking extra precautions to ensure the structure will withstand the elements.

"Because of the environment and the type of conditions here, we throw a little bit more quality control into the [structure]," said Cunningham.

Cunningham's sailors have applied extra brace supporters underneath the structure and in the roof to ensure the structure lasts through the windy seasons.

While constructing these projects, teams are assembled and broken down into groups to slowly piece together a final product. Petty Officer 3rd Class Justin Koontz, a Lake Butler, Fla., native, is currently working on the Georgian's combat operations center's door frames.

Koontz commented that he loves his job. Along with building structures aboard camps, Koontz has done humanitarian work with other units throughout the Navy.

"We get to help people," said Koontz. "We build things that they can't afford; schools, churches, houses."

Koontz has participated in humanitarian projects in Manila, Okinawa and Indonesia.

Though the work in Afghanistan differs from the humanitarian work he did previous to this deployment, Koontz is happy to lend a hand in support of the war efforts.

While the Sea Bees continue to build up the base for units to come, the Georgian COC is scheduled for completion in early June.

• Date Taken: 05.02.2010
• Date Posted: 05.02.2010 06:12
• Story ID: 48999
• Location: CAMP DELARAM II, AF