Photo By Sgt. Maj. Michael Noggle | Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Hettinger, electrician, checks the breakers to an...... read more read more
Spc. Michael R. Noggle
CFLCC PAO/11th PAD
CAMP VICTORY, Kuwait - In a conversation on the television program The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly, Fox News broadcaster, and Marine Corps Lt. Col. Bill Cowan, Fox News military analysis, analyze possible solutions in the efforts to help rebuild Iraq.
O'Reilly: How can that happen then, do we need to bring more contractors in there? What do we need to do?
Cowan: I tell you what, if you put a United States Navy Seabee (construction) battalion in there â?¦ give them all the resources they need â?¦ you'll see a city with running water, electricity, sewer, clean streets, it will happen within three months if not sooner.
When looking at a Navy Seabee construction battalion deployment time-table, six months for a rotation doesn't seem long to build a tool shed, or even an outhouse for that matter.
Having to cope with the challenges of relocating after four months in Iraq to finish their remaining two months in Kuwait, conducting their own convoy security to each mission and never being attached to the Army until now, the Navy Mobile Construction Battalion-3 encountered many issues.
Over the better portion of two years the Seabee battalion from Port Hueneme, Calif., has deployed anywhere to the islands in Guam, the tropics in South America and now, the deserts of the Middle East, doing what they do: building from the ground up.
"When we went to the other deployments, we were just building," said Lt. Jeffrey Jasiaski, Company D., NMCB-3 commander. "Now they have to be electricians, plumbers, pipe fittersâ?¦ while wearing their flak vest and Kevlar with a weapon by their side."
With many from the unit without a lot of combat experience, the unit not only traveled from camp to camp rebuilding the infrastructure, but conducted their own convoy escort.
"It was an adrenaline rush," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Hettinger, Co. D., NMCB-3 electrician. "We never had a convoy that wasn't important or that didn't carry important materials to help us complete our mission."
Having spent the better part of his deployment convoying back and forth from the battalion headquarters in Fallujah to Camp Rawa in western Iraq, Hettinger felt there was great respect coming from other military services for their helping cause.
"At Rawa it was gratifying once people found out who we were because that was a new camp and they had nothing there," he said. "We were making it better for the people there."
Spending most of their supporting the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, the Seabee team was in charge of going to different camps in Iraq providing electricity, air-conditioning, plumbing, roads and overall improving camp quality of life.
"We're the go-to people," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher George, Co. E., NMCB-3 utilities men. "The Marines have always counted on us and now the other forces are starting to look at us the same way."
As part of their new mission, the battalion picked up where they left off - improving the quality of life throughout the camps in northern Kuwait renovation of a USO tent, resurfacing 16 miles of roads at Udairi Range and setting up tents and shower trailers at different camps, the battalion was depended on heavily during the recent surge.
"These guys have been doing this type for such a long time, we know what we got to do," George said. "We try our hardest and that allows other to get the mission done easier."
"Everything we do impacts the military's mission, nothing we do is because it's something nice to have," Jasiaski said. "We directly support the quality of life and the operation of the base."
| Date Taken: | 01.23.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 01.23.2006 10:29 |
| Story ID: | 5179 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 259 |
| Downloads: | 25 |
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