“Shipmates helping shipmates” is a common saying in the Navy. It describes the sense of obligation one has to their fellow Sailor and their future success. It’s a phrase that holds as much power on land as it does at sea, and in some cases, bridges nations.
At Camp Ghazi, Afghanistan, history is being made. A new force within the Afghan National Army has been formed and is being trained by some of the best engineers the U.S. military has to offer: Navy Seabees.
On a desolate stretch of road in northeastern Afghanistan, Chief Steelworker (SCW) Kevin Cassidy and Builder 1st Class (SCW) Craig Lawrence contemplate a problem: how do you get a village full of civilians across a flooded ravine? A few hundred yards away, Chief Utilitiesman (SCW) Samuel Beauchamp is assessing where a brigade of engineers and refugees are going to stay once the area is evacuated.
A flurry of activity is occurring in the heart of Kabul. At the New Kabul Compound (NKC), specially trained operators work around the clock to ensure mission accomplishment in a delicate operation for the future of Afghanistan. Their target: hiding underground; their mission: locate and obtain the target.
These individuals are not SEALs or Green Berets. They are the “Roughnecks” of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Two Five (NMCB 25),...
