Photo By Russ Stewart | Petty Officer 3rd Class Oscar Delarosa and Petty Officer 2nd Class Luis Esparza of...... read more read more
PATROL BASE ALCATRAZ, Helmand Afghanistan - On a dry and dusty hill overlooking a green river valley, the Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4’s Water Well Team battle the elements, austere conditions, a round-the-clock schedule and even their own equipment, to be able to bring potable water and a higher quality of life to the Marines at Patrol Base Alcatraz. With the odds seemingly stacked against them, the team’s officer in charge easily identified their key to success:
“The professionalism of the crews,,” said Ensign Richard Forney.
Since completing a well at Forward Operating Base Robinson three weeks ago, the team loaded up their equipment and supplies, convoyed to PB Alcatraz, constructed their own compound in Alcatraz where the well is being drilled – including unloading and setting up the equipment – drilled their own construction well, needed to build the permanent one, and put up barriers around the perimeter, all while in full “battle rattle.”
The team has already drilled to a depth of 900 feet and, with 600 feet to go, they look forward to completing the well and returning to Camp Leatherneck for refit.
“When we get to Camp Leatherneck, the drilling rig is going to get a complete overhaul; the rig needs a lot of ‘TLC,’” said Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Allison.
When asked what the single greatest obstacle the team overcame, it was “The drilling rig itself,” said Forney. “It is an old rig in need of maintenance. Our mechanics are doing an excellent job keeping it running, keeping it alive.”
In the two and a half months since beginning deployment, the Water Well Team has had only one day off. They work 12 hour shifts, seven days a week; they cannot stop drilling once the well has begun. Drilling the well is extreme work. The first six “steels” (the pipes that make up the shaft of the drill) are 1,100 pounds. Each steel after those are almost 300 pounds, and they have to be lifted into place and attached to the steels already in the hole by the derrick handler and the driller. All the while, the WORMMs (worker, oiler, racker, mud and maintenance) monitor and adjust the condition of the “mud” pumped down the shaft to cool the drill bit, carry away the cuttings and seal the walls of the hole.
When a drill bit gets worn down, it all has to come back up out of the hole, the steels racked, the bit replaced and it all goes back down; an exhausting process.
The WORMMs also keep the rig running, muck out the settling tanks, assist in lifting the steels into place and run the mud lab. None of the work can stop or be put off, as each job is necessary for the other tasks to be completed. With the non-stop schedule and arduous labor, the team chooses to dwell on the positive aspects of their roles.
“[The best part of being on Water Well is] learning new things; I’ve never done stuff like this before,” said Seaman Tomas Gonzalez.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Susanne Salerno spends much of her shift running the mud labs. “I stay busy on my own program working the mud labs constantly,” said Salerno.
The Water Well Team is divided into two crews called “towers.” Each tower has a tower leader. When the two leaders were asked about the best part of being a tower leader, Petty Officer 1st Class Jeremy Cabanilla said, “Working with my troops and passing down knowledge to my replacements.”
“I can make sure to spread the work evenly to take care of my guys,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Luis Esparza.
Having a well on site frees the base from depending on water shipments, saves lives - because fewer convoys are on the road - and is estimated to save $490,000 per month in bottled water costs. It makes it possible to supply running water to showers, bathroom facilities and food preparation areas. Time spent in a camp using bottled water to brush teeth, shower, shave, wash and cook makes one grateful for the simple gift of running water.
Said Petty Officer 1st Class David Cobbel, “I love being able to bring a higher quality of life and health to our military members.”
| Date Taken: | 08.14.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.19.2011 06:08 |
| Story ID: | 75612 |
| Location: | PATROL BASE ALCATRAZ, AF |
| Web Views: | 410 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Water well marathon, by Russ Stewart, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
