Bob Hope Christmas Show, Diego Garcia, December 1972

— Paul Simon

“Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away.” “Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away.”
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 

5

DEPARTMENTS

6 Foreword

Greetings from one of the newest top dogs in the Navy — the same one we had before.Our MCPOS is now the Force Master Chief of the Seabees, the return of a title (and

influence) not seen in the Seabees since the 1980s. In this issue’s column, Forcediscusses the several new methods the Navy is deploying to make you smarter, moreeffective — and thus more promotable.

7 F.O.B.

A new department: “Front Of the Book.” This issue, we lead off with a fascinating newCEC/Seabee museum plan in development that seeks to memorialize our history and ourheroes. With a modern facility and exciting exhibits, Seabee history will move out of aQuonset hut and into the 21st century.

8 Reporter’s Notebook

The selfless good works of Seabees in the United Kingdom are brought to bear on aHabitat for Humanity project, plus a Seabee Reservist runs his annual bowl-a-rama for“Toys for Tots.” He raises big money, big hope and many toys.

10 Newsbreak

Small-town California welcomes home its Seabees in a big way; The Desert Bees namea camp for their fallen shipmate; NMCB 40 celebrates Thanksgiving Okinawa style;1NCD restructures the NCF Reserve billets; NMCB 74 honors the Original Fearless;SECDEF drops in on Okinawa Bees; Seabee Reserve unit fends off the U.S. Army (andpolice snipers); RADM Kubic honors Seabee Betty; “King Bee” and “Road Dogs”honor Seabees on Veterans Day at the Seabee Memorial; NAVFAC changes command;OIF Bees earn Presidential Unit Citation; RADM Kubic awards medals to Reserve Beesin Times Square — with an assist from ABC News; “Seabee MCs” are not rappers, butthey met at the Seabee Memorial.

58 Afterword

You can enter the SEABEE Magazine Photo Contest. In fact, you really should enter it.Right away. Here’s how. No, seriously, right away. That’s us sitting by the mail room.

60 Outtake

A new department: Patriotism is solid as a rock in America’s heartland.

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MILITARY RECIPIENTS

Units or organizations with Seabees assignedare authorized no-cost distribution of SEABEEMagazine. Send requests on official letterheadsigned by the commanding officer or officerin charge, and citing number of unit personnel,to the editor at the magazine’s postal addressor fax number shown below.

CIVILIAN SUBSCRIPTIONS

Paid subscriptions to the official magazine ofthe U.S. Navy Seabees, SEABEE Magazine(ISSN 1546-8429), are available from theSuperintendant of Documents, P.O. Box371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954, or call(202) 512-1800 and ask for the publicationsorder desk. The best method, however, forobtaining a paid subscription is to point yourWeb browser to http://bookstore.gpo.gov andenter the Search term SEABEE. This returns ameans to enter your subscription via a securecredit card transaction. Subscription prices are$25/year $7/issue FPO/APO/domestic and $36/year $9.80/issue foreign.

POSTMASTER

Send address corrections to the editor at themagazine address shown below.

AUTHORIZATION

The Secretary of the Navy has determined thispublication is necessary in the transaction ofbusiness required by law of the Department ofthe Navy. Funds for printing this publication havebeen approved by the Navy Publications andPrinting Committee.

EDITORIAL

SEABEE Magazine (formerly Beeline) ispublished quarterly by the Naval FacilitiesEngineering Command public affairs office fromthe historic Washington Navy Yard, “theQuarterdeck of the Navy.” Letters and electronicmail are welcome on all Seabee-related topicsand, if published, are subject to editing for lengthand clarity. Written and photographicsubmissions that show active duty and reserveSeabees safely at work and at play are stronglyencouraged. We prefer to receive all written andphotographic submissions by e-mail toseabeemagazine@navy.mil. Film or digitalimages should include captions, be unmodified,and digital files should measure at least 300 dpiat 5x7 inches. All submissions must include theauthor’s full name, rank/rate, postal address,duty contact telephone number(s) and e-mailaddress. Submissions by regular postal mail arestrongly discouraged due to securityprecautions that may damage fragile contents.If necessary, send all postal mail to:

NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND

Attn: Editor, SEABEE Magazine (Code PA)

1322 Patterson Avenue SE Suite 1000

Washington Navy Yard DC 20374-5065

Contents do not necessarily reflect the officialviews of the Department of Defense, the Navy,NAVFAC, the Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) or theU.S. Navy Seabees. Inclusions of or referencesto any product or service in our editorial contentdo not constitute an endorsement by the U.S.Navy, NAVFAC, the CEC or the Seabees. Alltrademarks, service marks or other symbols,names, images or logos are and remain the soleproperty of their respective owners. Militaryaddress corrections, story and photosubmissions and requests for writer’s guidelinesmay be sent to the magazine’s postal or e-mailaddresses. Paid-subscriber address corrections

must be sent to the GPO address above.

CONTACTS

E-mail: seabeemagazine@navy.milVoice: (202) 685-9024 or DSN 325-9024Fax: (202) 685-1484 or DSN 325-1484

To learn more about the Seabees and Seabeeopportunities, discover us on the Internet atwww.seabee.navy.mil. For information onNavy jobs, see www.navy.com. To learn moreabout the technical Civil Engineer Corps andthe global activity of the Naval FacilitiesEngineering Command, we invite you to visitthe NAVFAC website at www.navfac.navy.mil.

Stay Navy. Stay Seabee.

VOLUME 2, N

O. 3

SEABEE

42 Seabee Engineer Reconnaissance TeamsCOVER STORY

Since their inception in World War II, Seabees have been dependent on other units and services forengineer and construction intelligence. Those days are effectively over. SERT reconnaissance of thebattlespace brings engineers and construction specialists where they can put stealthy eyes — and evenhands — on Seabee objectives. And just wait until you see the cool ATVs! Part I of two parts.

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S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 

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THE CEC/SEABEE MUSEUM began almostby accident, when CEC officers and Seabeesreturned from the Pacific at the end of WorldWar II. Bees brought home with themthousands of artifacts, journals, photographsand other records of their experiences.

Now museum officials and the CEC/Seabee

Historical Foundation have undertaken a $12-million capital campaign to build thearchitecture and exhibits for a contemporarynew CEC/Seabee Museum on Naval BaseVentura County in Port Hueneme, Calif. Withhelp from sponsors and support from Seabeeseverywhere, the new museum could open tothe public within the next three years.

In history, much of the Seabees’ original

historical material naturally accumulated atPort Hueneme, where farsighted officialsstored these irreplaceable treasures andestablished the Seabee Museum in 1947. In1956, the collection was moved to two hugeQuonset huts where the items werecatalogued and put on display. In the yearssince, additions to the buildings haveexpanded the display areas.

The museum has since become a Seabee

landmark and a great success, attractingmore than 15,000 visitors per year. Butunsuitable storage facilities and lack ofclimate control in the aging structures haveput the museum’s exceptional collection ofartifacts and documents at risk. The exhibits,many of which developed more than 20 yearsago, are now outdated.

In response to the deteriorating situation,

a new facility and exhibition will update theCEC/Seabee legend to offer previously untoldchapters of the story. With unimpededaccessibility to the general public, the newmuseum is designed to reach a much largeraudience than before.

The museum concept design shown here

represents preliminary concepts for the newCEC/Seabee Museum. The next stages of theproject will expand upon these concepts andprovide detailed designs for each componentof the museum.

The design team and museum staff

considered many factors while developing adesign that is unique, exciting, cohesive andengaging. There were three goals for thevisitor’s personal experience — discovery,adventure and appreciation. These themesare woven throughout the museumexperience, from arrival, through theexhibitions and out into the exteriorenvironments.

Visitors will explore the museum at their

own pace and following their own particularstyle of learning. Information is expressedthrough many levels, from simple to detailedand in many forms.

The aging Quonset huts that house the

current museum pale in comparison to thespectacular new architectural design for theCEC/Seabee Museum. Based upon itsarchitectural presence alone, the newstructure will enjoy a new level of credibility,

not only among militarymuseums, but within theinternational museumcommunity.

The goal of the design

was to create a structuretypical of those built bySeabees, for Seabees, withrepresentative CEC andSeabee technologies. Gutsytilt-up concrete walls willbe emphasized and abettedby towering pontoonmasses, reinforcing themuseum’s themes, whilehonoring the heroic designand construction efforts ofWWII. Also, piercing thepowerful anchor of the

main building is a shaft of light, creating anopen space and reflecting the transcendentmission of the CEC and the Seabees asprotectors of American freedom.

Victory Plaza heralds the visitor’s arrival

with a feeling of celebration and grandeur.The American flag stands proudly over theplaza, whose surface arcs around the “Roadsto Victory Circle” in a wave-like patterncrafted from thousands of commemorativebricks. Tall masts support sheets ofweathered steel, each bearing a symbolcreated of punched metal. The emblemsinclude the Navy’s Core Values of Honor,Courage, and Commitment, and the sevenSeabee ratings.

A subtle “V” shape draws visitors toward

the museum entrance. As they approach,visitors discover more CEC and Seabeeconstruction techniques incorporated withinthe architecture — exposed concrete pier“foundations,” a stylized Quonset hut(framing the conference room), raw concretewalls imprinted with form marks and screedlines and a galvanized corrugated steel roof.

The entrance doors are supported within a

massive weathered frame. To the right are thebold emblems of the CEC and Seabees, as wellas the logo of the new museum, set off from thebuilding’s surface by dramatic cove lighting.Through a tall glazed wall, visitors are affordeda peak into the Grand Hall. All told, animpressive and memorable presentation.

Visitors may spend as little as one hour or

as much as a day at the museum. On theirway out, visitors are encouraged to addthemselves to the museum mailing list, whichwill inform them of upcoming special eventsand short-term exhibitions. Young adults canalso learn more about how to join the CEC orSeabees. 



New CEC/Seabee MuseumMemorializes History and Heroes

VAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND

Michael K. Loose

Rear Admiral, CEC, USN

COMMANDER

Chief of Civil Engineers

John E. Roark, Jr.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Harrell T. Richardson

FORCM (SCW)

FORCE MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER

OF THE SEABEES

Virginia Bueno

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER

RST NAVAL CONSTRUCTION DIVISION

Charles R. Kubic

Rear Admiral, CEC, USN

COMMANDER

Raymond K. Alexander

Rear Admiral, CEC, USNR

DEPUTY COMMANDER

Kevin C. Timmons

CMDCM (SCW)

COMMAND MASTER CHIEF

Daryl C. Smith

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER

STAFF

Daniel Charles Ross

Chief Journalist, USNR (Active)

EDITOR IN CHIEF

aval Facilities Engineering Command Public Affairs

Senior Contributors

PH1(SW) Arlo K. Abrahamson

PH1(SW) Aaron Ansarov

PHAN Lamel J. Hinton

Bob Hope Bureau Chief

ABH2 Carl “Vig” Villenueva, Diego Garcia

CONTRIBUTORS

COL Michael C. Howard, USMCR

CAPT Jim Cowell, CAPT T. K. Jones, USN (Ret.)

CDR William Sheedy, CDR Clifford M. Maurer

CDR Dave Cozier, LCDR Meg Reed, USNR

LT Lila J. Bakke, LT Brandon Harding

JOC Kevin Elliott, JOC Robert Palomares

JO1(SS) Dave Kaylor, JO1(SW) Scott Sutherland

MF) Lisa Keding, JO1 Kate Roberts, EO1Sandi L. Grove

EO2 Rocco Umbro, Jr., JO2 Jacob Johnson

PH1(AW) Arlo Abrahamson

PH2 Jacob Johnson, PH2(AW) Philip Forrest

JO3 Pat Magliaccio, JO3 Corey Weber

JO3 Shawnee McKain, JOSN Jacqueline Ward

N John B. Curtis, Howard Heinze, Karl “Fuzzy” Manzer

Patrick Peterson, John Delso, Linda Wadley

Andrew G. Wright/Engineering News-Record

Phil Reisman/The Journal News

Jeff Parker/Florida Today

Naval Historical Center

and every Seabee everywhere, everyday.

SEABEE

SEABEE Magazine is the publication of the 

nited States Navy Seabees, active duty and reserve,

celebrating 61 years of proud Seabee service.

F.O.B.
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 

9

ALTOONA, Pa. — SW1 DaveBehe is a Seabee with NavalMobile Construction Battalion23, Detachment 0523, based inEbensburg, Pa., and once againhe proves that the Can Do! attitude isn’t limited to the activeduty realm. On Nov. 29, at the F.A. Gerhart Lanes, located insidethe Bavarian Aid Society here, heheld his 6th Annual No-TapBowling Tournament for the U.S.Marine Corps Reserve Toys forTots. About 250 bowlers competed in three shifts to raise$5,000 in cash and more than1,000 toys for the Marine CorpsReserve program.

The toys and cash donations

benefited more than 1,200 children in the local Cambria Countyarea, explained Marine SgtKittenger, Assistant Toys for TotsCoordinator. The county area hadbeen especially hard hit in therecent economic downturn; 475families signed up for the 2003Tots program when the norm forthis area is 100 families.

More than 80 local businesses

also supported the effort, makingcash gifts and donating raffleprizes. This year, a special drawing for a Pittsburgh Steelers’helmet and football, signed byNo. 97, Kendell Ball, anddonated by the team, raisednearly $500 by itself.

“Without Dave, we’d have

nothing,” Kittenger said. Behevisited more than 150 businessesto generate donations for theevent. “He’s outstanding,” saidMarine SSgt Shearer, Toys forTots Coordinator. “He goes above

and beyond the call of duty tomake this work. He’s our secondbiggest donator.”

“I look forward to this event all

year long,” Behe said. He and hisbrother John, a former UT1 andVietnam veteran, brainstormedthe idea in 1998.

“When I was overseas during

Desert Storm/Desert Shield, I sawthe other side, kids that had nothing,” explained Behe. That’swhen he decided to try to make adifference in children’s’ lives.Behe and his brother are thesecond generation in his familyto serve in three wars. His fatherwas a German prisoner of warduring World War II, and hisfather-in-law also served incombat then.

The U.S. Marine Corps

Reserve Toys for Tots Programbegan in 1948 and has since thencollected and distributed over285 million toys to children ofdisadvantaged families. The cashdonations and toys raised in anarea are, in turn, distributed tochildren of families in the samearea. You can help by donating atoy to your local U.S. Marine CorpReserve unit or by making a taxdeductible donation to theMarine Toys for Tots Foundation,P.O. Box 1947, Marine CorpsBase Quantico, Va. 22134. 



SEABEE SANTA RAISES$5000 FOR ‘TOYS FOR TOTS’STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LT LILA J. BAKKE

SW1 Behe (left,below) and theCambria County‘Tots’ Marines raised$5,000 and morethan 1,000 toys from250 charity bowlersand generous localbusinesses.

With the Seabees in place

that day, the experiencedconstruction manager’s mostdifficult task was slaving overthe barbecue for an hour.

While the Seabees poured the

slab, an eager family excitedlywatched the foundation of theirnew home take shape. LizzieColbert, Brett Farram and their1-year-old son Travis had beennotified of their selection onlythree days earlier.

“It still hasn’t sunk in,”

Colbert said, as she mingledwith the bustling volunteers.“If it wasn’t for this, we wouldnever have the opportunity toown a home here. They said tocome out on Friday and see theU.S. Navy work. We were veryexcited. We can’t wait to getstarted ourselves.”

New homeowners are

required to contribute aminimum of 500 hours of laboror “sweat equity” to thebuilding process. The housesare then sold to the families atcost and with no-interestmortgages usually repaid over20 years.

“People have their misfortunes and it’s just nice that people are looking out for each other,” a volunteer said. “We all have problems, but when you come out and you see and hear about some of the problems these people have, it just makes yours seem so small.” “It’s a ‘win-win’ situation for everybody,” said Wellington. “We watch the lives of the owners change. “In turn, the Sailors who are helping are actually seeing a part of that change and it changes their lives, too. It’s about as good a feeling as you can get,” Wellington said. Thanks to that volunteer spirit, 11 Southwark families experienced the dream of owning a home. Four more families will share that dream in November. 



Seabees and Sailorsvolunteered in large numbersfor the Habitat for Humanityproject outside of London,England, one of only threesuch sites in the U.K.Habitat for Humanity is an international charity founded in 1976 and isdedicated to building affordablehousing for low-income families. Todate, more than 125,000 homes havebeen constructed worldwide. For moreinformation on Habitat for HumanityInternational, visit www.habitat.org.

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when I started,” said ShirleyWalters at the time, volunteercoordinator for the Southwarksite. “When the American Navycame on board last year, it wasfirst in small groups, but afterword got around they arecoming in much larger groupsand more often.”

The volunteer spirit among

the Sailors was persistent andcontagious. As additionalvolunteers signed up for eachsession, they sought openings ina schedule already clogged withveterans returning for more.Except for the Seabees, ofcourse, many volunteers at theproject site had more enthusiasm than construction skills,performing at their own paceunder the guidance of anexperienced site manager. Manyhave never held a hammer.

The highly skilled Seabee

labor force was an unexpectedbonus for the charity andaccelerated the estimatedcompletion date of the finalbuilding.

They framed and poured the

cement slab for the third andfinal building on the Habitatsite — a feat accomplished inonly one day. Prior to the slab,the Seabees erected theperimeter fence undeterred by asteady rain.

“Seabees are known worldwide

for helping people,” said BUCSJim Bracken from NAVACTSPWD. “This kind of work is funfor Seabees. As long as you keepthem busy, they’re happy.”

The skills the Seabees bring to

these projects are quite apparentto Alan Wellington, Southwarksite construction manager.

“They’ve set a benchmark

we’re not like likely to break.Without them we would havepersevered, but it would havebeen a mammoth task.”

According to Wellington,

without Seabees, the slab wouldhave been poured in fivesections over a six-week period.Most likely, he would haveprovided the only skilled labor.

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S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 11

GULFPORT — When he left for Iraq, — Builder 3rd Class Doyle “Wayne”Bollinger had plans to install new carpetin his mother’s home, where he practicedthe building skills he learned during twoyears as a Seabee.

But on June 6, the 21-year-old from

Poteau, Okla., became the first Seabee todie in a combat zone since the war inVietnam.

“He’d put a floor in the dining room

for me. He had other projects he wantedto do,” said Bollinger’s mother, Wyvonne,who Nov. 24 received the Navy andMarine Corps Commendation Medalpresented posthumously to her son, whowas killed when a piece of ordnanceaccidentally detonated in the area wherehe was working near Al Kut.

Bollinger’s Gulfport-based unit, Naval

Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB)133, built a prisoner of war camp,repaired highways and repaired a bridgeover the Tigris River before the accident.An investigation determined the weaponthat killed Bollinger and injured threeother Seabees was not a booby trap.

During the memorial service,

Bollinger’s mother told the members ofNMCB 133 that she was proud of theunit’s work in Iraq.

“I’m very proud of my son and just as

proud of the people who came backhome,” she said.

At 6 feet 2 inches and 170 pounds, the

young Seabee was remembered by his

mother as “all arms and legs” and goodintentions.

During his last last visit home, he spent

hours working on a water heater andfinally fixed it. His mechanical talent wasput to good use as a Seabee.

“He wanted to know how things

worked,” she said. “He took things apart,but he always put them back together.”

Bollinger’s fellow Seabees found him

likable, competent and heroic inunderstated ways. After an earlierdeployment to Guam, he requestedpermission to take a civilian course infirefighting so he could become avolunteer firefighter.

“He wanted to serve more and do

more,” said CAPT Mark Handley,commander of the Twenty-Second NavalConstruction Regiment, based inGulfport.

“His commitment was unwavering,”

Handley said. “We’ll forever be proud tocall him one of our shipmates.”

Gulfport HonorsFallen Shipmate

— Patrick Peterson

Biloxi Sun-Herald

Above, BUCN Brian Morvant (left) and BU3 Vincent Planetta complete a sign last Augustrenaming their desert worksite. Below. Mrs. Bollinger is presented with her son’s NavyCommendation Medal by CDR Jeffrey T. Borowy (left), commanding officer of NMCB133, and CAPT Mark Handley, commanding officer of 22 NCR.

U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY JO2 JACOB JOHNSON U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY JO3 COREY WEBER

one of the biggest patriotic 

hting forces in modern times.

es during OIF and the global war

 terrorism, thanked the crowd, city and

olitical leaders for the “outpouring of

ism and good fellowship.”

way saluted Sailors and Marines in the

 from a reviewing stand. Later, he told

d gathered in an amphitheater in the

rk that there are two questions service

rs ask themselves when they are called

erve in a war like the one in Iraq.

st, will my family be provided for? And

, will my countrymen back home sup

?” said Conway. “I can honestly reply

both questions.”

way added, “The Sailors and Marines

EF will go wherever we’re needed, and

ake you proud.”

ddition to the troops and fly-overs, the

 featured military and high school

ng bands, tanks and other military

s, dignitaries and speeches, and post

 entertainment at the amphitheater

e city pier. It might have been the big

tpouring of red, white and blue in the

 many deserving Seabees and Marines,

and old alike. 



Naval Mobile Construction Battalion(NMCB) 74 wasnamed by the Societyof American MilitaryEngineers (SAME) toreceive its prestigiousPeltier Award. Separately, NMCB 21 was the recipient of the Chiefof Civil Engineers’ Perry Award. Criteria for bothawards include excellence in command leadership, readiness, construction, safety, equipmentmanagement, logistics, retention and human resource programs.

NMCB 74 performed superbly in the preparation and execution of Operation Iraqi Freedom,

including a massive 21-acre, F/A-18 parkingapron at Kuwait’s Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base inless than 90 days. This critical project allowedthe 3rd Marine Air Wing to deploy to southwestAsia on time in support of OIF.

As hostilities began, NMCB 74 led the way as

part of Task Force Mike, providing critical combat service support of I MEF forces moving towards Baghdad, including construction of two54-meter Mabey-Johnson bridges and completion of major upgrades to the I MEF major supply route to Baghdad.

Homeported in Lakehurst, N.J., Reserve

Seabee battalion NMCB 21 demonstrated outstanding dedication and skill in a challengingyear in which it mobilized and deployed twoheavy air detachments in support of the globalwar on terrorism while successfully executing avariety of diverse training and support missions.

Deploying an air det in support of OIF as part

of the I MEF Engineer Group (I MEG), NMCB21 provided crucial combat service support andcivil military operations for the I MEF. Evenbefore the port of Umm Qasr was secured, theSeabees of NMCB 21 supported the opening ofthe port and provided humanitarian assistanceto the Iraqi people.

The remainder of the battalion completed over

1,300 mandays of construction readiness training projects and 2,400 mandays of formal training while supporting forward-deployed elements.NMCB 21’s performance this year was been amodel for reserve battalions.

“NMCBs 74 and 21 exhibited unparalleled

teamwork, the utmost dedication, absolute professionalism — and “Can Do!” esprit de corpsthroughout the past year,” said RADM MichaelK. Loose, Commander Naval Facilities Engineering Command and Chief of Civil Engineers. 



Bee Battalions TakePeltier and PerryAwards for 2003
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 13

NORFOLK, Va. — The First NavalConstruction Division (1NCD) announceda series of actions that will transformthe reserve component of the NavalConstruction Force (NCF). These actionswill enable the Seabees to improvemission readinesss in the years aheadand help the NCF achieve a requiredreduction of more than 2,000 billets.The sweeping transformation,representing one of the largest sets ofchanges in the NCF ever undertaken atone time, went into effect Oct. 1, 2003.

Since the mid-1990s — despite

aggressive and creative recruitingprograms — the NCF (and the entireNaval Reserve) have regularlyexperienced difficulty filling juniorenlisted vacancies in the ranks. Part ofthe NCF transformation recognizes thisissue by authorizing more senior billetsin lieu of junior billets in the units.

The resulting manning levels after this

adjustment is fully implemented willstrengthen both the readiness andcapability of Reserve NCF units.

During the recent war in Iraq, Seabees

reinforced their Can Do! legacy whileagain redefining their role on thebattlefield. Every type of Seabee unitwas represented in the war, performingtraditional missions and embracing newones that emerged in the battlespace.

Reserve units and personnel

represented almost a third of theSeabees deployed to the Middle East andcomprise just under half of the Seabeesdeployed across the globe. SinceFebruary 2003, more than 1,800 Seabeeshave been mobilized in support of theglobal requirements of the NCF.

Defining the shape of this force

structure reduction was a considerablechallenge. In the final plan approved bythe Chief of Naval Operations, theReserve component of the NCF willinclude four Regiments, 12 Naval MobileConstruction Battalions (NMCB), twoConstruction Battalion MaintenanceUnits (CBMU), one Naval ConstructionForce Support Unit (NCFSU) andaugment units for the active regiments,1NCD Restructures NCF Reserve Units

DETACHMENT REALIGNMENTS FROM TOProvidence, R.I. CBMU 202 NMCB 27New Haven, Conn. CBMU 202 NMCB 27Albany, N.Y. CBMU 202 NMCB 27Harrisburg, Penn. NMCB 21 NMCB 23Wilmington, Del. NMCB 21 NMCB 23Vienna (Youngstown), Ohio NMCB 23 NMCB 26Akron, Ohio NMCB 23 NMCB 26Wilmington, N.C. 20 SRG CBMU 202Raleigh, N.C. 20 SRG CBMU 202Greensboro, N.C. 20 SRG & NMCB 24 CBMU 202Asheville, N.C. NMCB 24 CBMU 202Charlotte, N.C. NMCB 24 CBMU 202Columbia, S.C. 20 SRG CBMU 202N Charleston, S.C. NMCB 14 CBMU 202Columbus, Ga. NCFSU 3 20 SRGBessemer, Ala. NCFSU 3 NMCB 24Tuscaloosa, Ala. NCFSU 3 NMCB 24Gulfport, Miss. NCFSU 3 NMCB 28Evansville, Ind. NMCB 26 NMCB 24Decatur7, Ill. NMCB 26 NMCB 25Peoria, Ill. NMCB 26 NMCB 25Cape Girardeau, Mo. NMCB 28 NMCB 15Albuquerque, N.M. NMCB 22 NMCB 17

Seabee Readiness Groups andConstruction Battalion Centers.

The only planned unit losses in the

NCF include the decommissioning ofNCFSU 3 and elimination of designatedaugment units for active NMCBs. Seabeesbelonging to these units will bereassigned within the NCF.

In addition, the reserve component of

the NCF will consolidate multipletraining detachments into single NCFunits at most of the reserve centers.

This will improve the ability to train

NCF personnel, enhancing the overallreadiness of Reserve Seabee units andmaintaining a Seabee presence at nearlyevery reserve center across the country.

These changes created a demographic

imbalance across the force. To address

the mismatch, some reserve trainingdetachments and/or unit locations willbe realigned to balance unit strengths,improve command and control andminimize driving distances to unitheadquarters locations. The approvedplan realigns 23 detachments to newunits and relocates CBMU 202 from NewLondon, Conn., to Camp LeJeuene, N.C.

The relocation of CBMU 202

headquarters better aligns more than300 billets with available personnel, butalso enhances the Seabees’ strategicalignment with the Marine Corps — arelationship critical to reinforcingSeabees’ role on the 21st centurybattlefield.

Below is the summary of realignments.

— CDR William Sheedy, 1NCD

Reserve Seabees from Naval MobileConstruction Battalion 26 use a crane tolift a Douglas EA-3B “Skywarrior”reconnaisance plane from a trailer infront of the Naval Station Rota, SpainBachelor Officer Quarters. The planewas a static display moved from itsoriginal location to make room forparking lot expansion.

U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY JOC ROBERT PALOMARES, USNR

Campus also performed. One

mance was called Tinikling.

was very impressive,” said Builder

uctionman Jerry Bennett of Charlie

ny.

Filipino dancers also performed

an, which consists of dancing with

s in a glass in each hand and on top

r heads.

the end of the festivities and

enting Native American Heritage

, CECN Eli Bishop and other Seabees

med a Cherokee War Dance.

hey prepared to head home, the Bees

the remainder of their turkey day

g and relaxing in preparation for the

ber turnover of Camp Shields to

5 and the completion of their 2003

 deployment.

Seabees of NMCB 40 had been on

ment since June and returned to

homeport in early December. 



. E. “Dwyn” Taylor (above right in black

commanding officer NMCB 40, and

rey Plummer (far right in green shirt),

and chaplain, serve Seabees at

sgiving.

rs perform a Polynesian Island

m called the Tahiti Apariva Himene

 of members of the battalion during

 40’s multi-cultural Thanksgiving

ation on Okinawa.
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 15

Francisco); next it was to Camp Rousseau,Port Hueneme, California, where theymarched, drilled and were assigned theirfirst equipment. From here they embarkedon troop transports, with the equipmentloaded onto LSTs, and sailed to PearlHarbor. It was time for CB74 to enter thefight in the Pacific.

In short order, they were back aboard

LSTs heading south to the Gilbert Islands.The unit landed on Tarawa’s Betio Islandon Nov. 23, 1943, only three days after the2nd Marine Division’s D-Day. Undermonths of regular Japanese aerial attacks,CB74 produced fantastic feats ofconstruction accomplishments on Tarawa,the “unsinkable carrier.” CB74 laterfollowed the Marines onto Kwajalein Islandin the Marshall Islands and then ultimatelyended the war on Okinawa, Japan. That iswhere the battalion was deactivated onOct. 31, 1945.

On the weekend of Sept. 27-28, 2003,

my wife and I had the opportunity to meetwith Brownie and Fred at Rick and spouseGerry Brown’s home in NorthernPhiladelphia. Unfortunately, Joe Lynchcouldn’t be there, being too ill to travelfrom his home near Baltimore. When wearrived at the Brown’s home (whereBrownie and his wife, Jean, also reside),we were impressed to see in the front yardstood a flagpole with our national ensignwaving from the mast; on the starboardyardarm were the Navy and Marine Corpsflags and from the port yardarm flew thePOW/MIA and Seabee flags.

Brownie and Fred are your classic World

War II vets; they didn’t have too much tosay about what they did. The cannedanswers often were, “Oh, we didn’t doanything special.” Today, of course, we allknow that to be false. Brownie, forexample, had been the recipient of aPurple Heart, awarded after he was injuredwhen a land mine destroyed the bulldozerhe was operating.

What these heroes were eager to talk

about were their shipmates. For elderly

men who may have difficulty recallingwhat they had for dinner the night before,their recollection of buddies’ names,families and fate through life was amazing.

They described each man with whom they

shared a tent, where his cot was located andeven his hobbies. Both men rattled offshipmates, their families, where they lived,what they did and when they passed awayas if they were reading through a ledger.You could see the glow on their faces asthey recalled, with deep fondness andadmiration, their fellow Seabees.

In the mid 1960s, many of the CB74

plankowners started to gather every year ortwo. But by the late 1980s, the robustgroup that started out with more than 100had declined to only a few. That’s whenthey decided to stop gathering. Eachmeeting was just too sad. Of that originalgroup, there are only these three left.

If Fred and Brownie are fair examples of

their fellow WW II veterans, as we’re surethey are, their contributions to our greatnation far exceed their individual efforts.Fred’s brother landed on the beaches ofNormandy on June 6, 1944. Two days laterhe lost his life to a German mortar round.Marvin and Jean Brown had four childrenand their two sons both went into publicservice. One, a Philadelphia policeman,now retired, and Rick, the Philadelphiafirefighter.

Fred and Kathleen VonBraunsberg had

seven children, most of whom enteredsome form of public service. Their son Danis a recently retired New York Cityfirefighter from Queens Ladder Co. 160.He was at Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001.

I had the honor of presenting these

historic Seabee heroes with PlankownerCertificates, NMCB 74 plaques, hats, unitcoins — and heartfelt letters of gratitudefor their being the Original Fearless. AsFred cleared the tears from his eyes, Iasked him if he had any words for theSeabees of today.

“Take care of your buddies,” he replied.

“They will be your friends for life.” 



Left: Joe Lynch, Marvin Brown and FredVonBraunsberg as they appeared in WWII as three of the “Original Fearless.” Topleft: The original CB74 battalion crest,sent home to an aunt by Marvin in 1943and returned to him about 1958. Top:Fred and Marvin today. Middle: CDRMaurer presents NMCN 74commemoratives to the “OriginalFearless.” Bottom: Sons USAFR TSGTRick Brown (left rear) and retiredfirefighter Dan VonBraunsberg join theirfathers for the Seabee presentations.

n

rs” of

 saved

rld and

ent on to

he greatest

the world has ever known. That’s

was more than a little excited when I

ed an e-mail from Rick Brown, son

er MM2 Marvin “Brownie” Brown,

ting my help to honor his father and

his shipmates, surviving

wners from CB74 — the “Original

ss.”

 Brown, an Air Force Reserve

cal Sergeant and a Philadelphia

hter by profession, had been

ed for Operation Enduring Freedom

en later for Operation Iraqi

om. While at the Willow Grove,

, reserve center, he happened upon

May issue of All Hands magazine. An

e about NMCB 74’s

mplishments in desert operations

vated him and he wondered if there

 connection between NMCB 74 and

 his father’s old WW II unit about

he had heard countless stories.

ourse, the two are one in the same.

gh the Internet, Rick was soon in

t with me and planning was

way to recognize what remaining

ers of CB74 we could locate.

with many WW II veterans, MM2

 Brown, SF3 Fred VonBraunsberg

OMM3 Joe Lynch found the

ence left an indelible mark on their

All three, each an original CB74

owner, enlisted in March of 1943.

were at Camp Peary, Williamsburg,

when CB74 was commissioned on

 28, 1943, under the leadership of

R Fremont Elliot, CEC, USNR.

the next six months, the battalion

d to Camp Endicott, Rhode Island;

onto Camp Parks (near San
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 17

‘King Bee’ and ‘Road Dogs’ Honor Seabees on Veterans Day 2003RADM Michael K. Loose, Commander NAVFAC, Chief of Civil Engineers — and KingBee of the Seabees worldwide — made the annual Veteran’s Day pilgrimage to theSeabee Memorial near Arlington National Cemetery to lay a commemorative wreathwith Master Chief Petty Officer of the Seabees Harrell T. Richardson. A big contingentof Navy Seabee Veterans of America (NSVA) and Vietnam Era Seabees provided alarge gallery of participants, family members and spectators. Among the latter wasformer EO2 Dutch Van Tassel (center, in “Navy Seabee” ball cap), who served as aSeabee in Vietnam circa 1967-69. Arrayed around him and RADM Loose are hissupportive colleagues from the Road Dogs Motorcycle Club of Southern Maryland.From left, Russell Selig (USN 1976-80; 2001 Harley-Davidson FLH TC1); Brett Willette(USAF, 1984-98; ‘03 H-D FLS); Al Kincaid (USANG 1965-66, USN ‘68-69; ‘86 H-DLiberty); Don Bowen (‘88 H-D Police Special); Chuck Appelle (‘03 H-D FLH-T); andDan Williams (‘03 H-D Super Glide). Below, Dylan D’Andrea displays his Seabee flagduring the ceremonial posting of the colors. U.S. NAVY PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOC DANIEL CHARLES ROSS

“There will never be another Seabee

Betty,” said the commanding officer ofNMCB 4 CDR Jim Worcester. Most whoknew her would agree.

The woman behind the legend was born

Vicenta Chargualaf Peredo, on September10th, 1934, in the village of Yona, Guam.She died June 9, 2003. Seabee Bettyenjoyed throwing large parties for herSeabees, inviting all her friends andrelatives. She offered huge amounts of foodand drink and worked hard to make theBees feel welcome.

She was a woman who opened her heart

and home to Seabees for decades. “She wasan ambassador, possibly the biggestadvocate for us in Guam,” said CDRWorcester with a smile of remembrance.

Seabees enjoyed all that Seabee Betty did

for them, and they never forgot that. She wasinvited to many wardroom dinners andSeabee Balls. Additionally, Seabeespurchased building material out of theirown pockets to restore Seabee Betty’s homeafter a Typhoon damaged it in 1997.

Seabee Betty left big shoes to fill. Many

new Seabees are left saddened because theywill never have the honor of meeting her, orbetter, sharing in one of her famous feasts.

The question left on everyone’s lips

remains, “What will become of her legacy?”CDR Worcester’s eyes sparkled as heanswered.

“It’s up to us to keep her legacy alive. We

will continue to tell her story and she willbecome part of our lore,” he said. “We owethat to her.” 



RADM Kubic lays memorial flowers onSeabee Betty’s grave Aug. 8, 2003.

ate ACB 1’s defense perimeter.

 could hear a lot of movement in the

” said BU2 Robert Rutherford,

r weekend planner of the event. “The

was very active and ‘shot’ a couple of

ople when they captured a listening

ut overall things went very well.”

 sides sustained casualties during

ed exercise, but ACB 1 was declared

nner when the small opposing forces

o break the Seabees’ defense.

B 1 did a great job,” Beier said. “I’m

ally proud of our enlisted folks, who

 majority of the planning for this

e. They did an outstanding job

nating training with two other

ndent agencies and worked well with

We had a very aggressive work

le, got in a lot of good training – and

 up a strong defense. The Army

al Guardsmen and Oak Creek police

accomplished their objective of

ng our flag.” 



ng FEX-03

 — “Thank you Seabee Betty for all

d for so many Seabees for so many

 said RADM Charles Kubic,

ander First Naval Construction

n, as he gently laid flowers upon the

f beloved Seabee Betty (right).

pical breeze stirred the fragrant

t on the ground. Undoubtedly, Seabee

memories were felt in the hearts of the

s present at this solemn occasion.

y Bees, former and current, young and

ve their favorite Seabee Betty story.

it was a party she threw or a favor she

t all Seabees agree on one thing. >>

wers for Seabee Betty

BY JO1 KATE ROBERTS

GRAPH BY LT BRANDON HARDING
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 19

WASHINGTON NAVY YARD — All of theMaster Chief Petty Officers in the Seabeecontinuum met in October with Master ChiefPetty Officer of the Seabees Harrell T.Richardson for their semi-annual conference.In addition to attending the NAVFAC changeof command, the Master Chiefs gathered atthe Seabee Memorial for a class picture.NORFOLK — Seabees who deployed insupport of Operation Iraqi Freedom under theFirst Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF)Engineer Group (I MEG) were awarded thePresidential Unit Citation Nov. 14. The medalis the highest Navy unit award.

“During the 33 days of combat, to the

transition to civil-military operations, I MEFsustained a tempo of operations never beforeseen on the modern battlefield, conductingfour major river crossings, maintaining theinitiative and sustaining forces. The ferocityand duration of the campaign was made possible through the skills and determination ofthe Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines andcoalition partners comprising I MEF at alllevels, all echelons, and in all occupationalfields,” the citation read.

Seabee units that served under I MEG from

March 21 to April 24 are authorized to wearthe ribbon. For the listing of approved units,see CMC MARADMIN 507/03. This listingis currently under administrative review andadditional units may become eligible for theaward in future updates.

U.S. Navy Seabees played a major role in

OIF, constructing ammunition storage areas,aircraft parking areas, a prisoner of war camp,bridges and roads. After major hostilitiesended, they repaired schools, police stations,fire stations and other government buildings,and repaired utility systems to help theIraqi people. They also performed qualityof life improvements for I MEF troops,including beddown, showers and utility improvements. 



Seabees EarnPresidential UnitCitation for OIF

NEW YORK — With a backdrop of two SeabeeHumvees parked on the sidewalk, news mediaand curious New Yorkers gatheredaround the unusual sight in TimesSquare in the early morning of Sept. 5as a group of Seabees received medalsin front of the Navy Recruiting Center.

RADM Charles R. Kubic,

Commander of the First Naval Construction Division and the First MarineExpeditionary Force ( I MEF) EngineerGroup (I MEG), presented medals tofive U.S. Navy Seabee Reservists fromNaval Mobile Construction Battalion(NMCB) 21 who recently returned fromOperation Iraqi Freedom. Two are fromthe New York area and the others arefrom neighboring states.

ABC’s Good Morning America broadcast the

event live. Host Diane Sawyer spoke to theSeabees and thanked them for their work in Iraq.

“These guys moved into Iraq 72 hours after

the combat troops. It was an awesome thing theydid,” Sawyer said.

“I’m extremely proud of this group of

Seabees,” RADM Kubic said. “They not only

had to restart the Iraqi infrastructure, but alsowin the trust and confidence of the Iraqi people.”

Some of the medal recipients have direct ties

to New York City. One works for the SanitationDepartment on Staten Island; one is a New Yorkbus driver; and both were mobilized with theNew York State Militia after the attacks onSept. 11, 2001.

The Meritorious Service Medal and Combat

Action Ribbon were awarded to LCDR CharlesR. (Rick) Sherer, who served as officer in chargeof the NMCB 21 Air Detachment in Iraq.

The Navy and Marine Corps Achievement

Medal was awarded to EO1 Daniel Quinn, CM1

Patrick A. Sabatini, BU1 Ronald Cozza and UT1Daniel P. Hazley. Hazely also received theCombat Action Ribbon.

This was Hazley’s first trip to Times Square.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” saidthe steamfitter from Feasterville, Penn. whoserved as an assistant platoon commander forthe battalion during OIF.

His experience in Iraq is one he would never

forget, especially regarding the Iraqi children,who trusted the Seabees and eventually helpedthem gain the confidence of their parents.

“The Iraqi people really appreciated everything we did, but it all started with the

children,” Hazley said.

NMCB 21 activated and deployed an air

detachment of about 125 Seabees to Kuwait andIraq in support of OIF/OEF on Jan. 29. Theyinitially deployed to Al Jaber Air Base in Kuwait, where they performed quality-of-life improvements for coalition forces based there.

They later crossed the line of departure into

Reserve BeesWow Times Square —Oh, And Diane SawyerRADM Kubic awards medals to NMCB 21

U.S. NAVY PHOTOGRAPH BY EO1 SANDI L. GROVE

STORY AND PHOTOS BY DARYL SMITH

shment of a new First Naval Con

on Division/Naval Construction

 Command structure by merging two

 brigades of 18,000 to provide a

command interface for Seabee

ons worldwide under RADM

s R. Kubic.

son is qualified as a Seabee Combat

e Officer, is registered as a Profes

Engineer in the Commonwealth of

ylvania, and is the current national

ent and Fellow in the Society of

can Military Engineers.

FAC manages the planning, design,

uction and public works support for

acilities for U.S. Navy activities

 the world, providing the Navy’s

with the operating, expeditionary,

t and training bases they need.

AC is a global organization with an

 volume of business in excess of $8

 As a major Navy Systems Command

 integral member of the Navy and

 Corps team, NAVFAC delivers

and effective facilities engineering

ns worldwide. 



 Johnson (L) is congratulated by the

R) upon his retirement, while RADM

opher E. Weaver, Commander Navy

ations, looks on. Below left, Johnson

ashore” for the last time with his wife,

Below, RADM Loose assumed

and of NAVFAC at a Washington Navy

eremony.

U.S. NAVY PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOC DANIEL CHARLES ROSS

Iraq on March 24 and moved to the Iraqi port ofUmm Qasr, where they upgraded living conditions for U.S. Marines and British forces.

They performed major civil infrastructure

repairs in support of the Iraqi people as well ascoalition forces, including a variety of utilitywork on water, sanitation and electrical systemsto get the port operational for the inflow of humanitarian aid as well as military supplies.

Their projects included renovations to the Al

Amead School, Sukeina Girls School and AmarIbn Yasir School, Sawa Boys School and AtfalAl Baraim School.

They also installed lighting at the Samawa

Police Station and Samawah Traffic Police Station and provided electrical, carpentry andpainting work to the Rumaythah Police Station.

NMCB 21, a Seabee reserve battalion, is

based in Lakehurst, N.J., with detachments infour states. 



RADM Kubic awards medals in Times Square.
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 21

f Naval Mobile Construction Battalion

us Construction Battalion (ACB) 2, as

nel, arrived by LST.

dvance party of 160 men from NMCB

truct a temporary Seabee camp with

ion systems, a dining hall, laundry,

ities. Finally, they were to build an

Detachment CHAGOS of NMCB 71

ed and marked the beginning of large

 1 built the transmitter and receiver

course for the permanent runway and

eved NMCB 1 and took over the island

foot permanent runway with adjoining

ldn’t be completed until March 1973.

tly two years after construction began,

n Station, Diego Garcia, would be offi

mber of 1972, long before the Seabees

their complex construction projects, a

nt took place.

he first C-141J “Starlifter” transport

 newly completed 6,000-foot runway

ristmas Show. >>

CENTER ANYWHERE, SEABEES FORGED A

CIA. THAT’S WHEN BOB HOPE’S FAMOUS

D) FOR A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EVENT.
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 23

CAPT T.K. JONES, CEC, USN (RET.): Iremember Bob Hope’s WW II radio shows,including two shows he was bleeped off theair for off-color jokes. They were great jokes,but I don’t think you would want to put themin your tribute.

Well before I saw his shows as a Seabee

officer in Vietnam, though, I actually met BobHope back in my home town of ChattanoogaafterWW II, when his radio group came totown to broadcast the show. In 1948, hewound up broadcasting from my high schoolbecause the acoustics were better than theChattanooga Civic Auditorium. His entourage included Jerry Colona and a newbandleader named Desi Arnaz, who was verytemperamental during rehearsals.

I particularly enjoyed meeting Bob and

Jerry, because they were so down to earth.They came backstage at the school one daywith a bag full of Krystal hamburgers, andJerry was clowning around putting the littleburgers in his mouth one by one, taking onebite of the little burgers and rubbing his belly.Bob was sitting next to him eating and givinga litany of jokes and amens to the Colona act.

I was treated to meeting all these stars

because I was a member of my high schoolstage crew, and I was honored to pull thecurtain for the Hope Show. He brought thehouse down as soon as the curtain parted bycommenting, “Good to be here ...”and,noticing the people in the balcony,”... oh, Ididn’t see you all up there on the shelf, butwelcome!”

I was thrilled to be part of his show after

watching his many WWII newsreels andlistening to his radio shows. Later, inVietnam, I attended several of his shows inSaigon and Danang and loved every minute ofthem. No one can ever replace Bob Hope. 



An incredible and robust subculture seems to have grown up around the people andunits who served on Diego Garcia over the years, particularly in the early ’70s. Anyoneinterested in those days can find more information by clicking in on Vig Villanueva’scommemorative Web site at www.members.tripod.com/carlvillanueva/id22.htm. We’reespecially grateful to the former ABH2 Villanueva, John Delso and many of others forsharing their experiences and treasure trove of photos. Thanks for the memories.

KARL “FUZZY” MANZER: I am a secondgeneration Navy man. My father was a

machinist mate on USS Wharton and hewas present at the Bikini Atoll atomic bombtest. In 1972, I was an aerographer’s mate,my small trailer was located at air ops and Ilived in the same hootch as Vig (the pokergames were a hassle if you didn’t playpoker. This was serious poker. An SK1 wonenough money to buy a bar in Bangkok.).

At any rate, I was there as Bob’s plane

was unloading — the sight of all thosebeautiful women was impressive. One of theshow staffers approached me and asked meif I would like to be in the show. I said sure!

He took my name and told me to come

around before the show to get a script. Hegave me the script (which was pretty loose)and took me to Bob’s dressing room to run

through the lines. I was supposed to singa song to Miss World and they told me toreally go ga-ga over her. I could do this.

They sat me in the front row. When

they cued me, I got up and went onstage (above). It wasn’t very hard to goga-ga over her! I can still feel thatbeautiful body in my arms to this day,

and a woman in a red dress is still thehottest thing I can think of. The wholething was pretty overwhelming.

I had suspected that most of the skits

were pre-planned, but being inside of itwas different. When I was in Bob’sdressing room, I was overwhelmed athow tired he was. His schedule musthave been brutal.

I turned 50 in 2003 and it’s hard to

believe that 30 years have passed. 



COMEDIAN/ACTOR REDD FOXX (L), BOB AND BABES

 and then wrote this. Tried to get

leep before having to be at the

d by 0100 for the 0200 “Bob Hope

camera/advance party plane coming

mas Day, 12/25/72

0200 plane didn’t arrive until 0300

orning! Got secured about 0430.

o the hooch and slept until about

Had to go to the airfield to sweep

way in preparation for Bob Hope’s

 The plane came in about 1300.

ugh this was the first jet to land here,

141 landed with plenty of room to

Lots of nice chicks!

ped at the Crash Barn to get my

a then rode into town in the crash

It rained heavily for about an hour

half before the show could start, but

w did go on as planned.

pite the bad weather, it ended up a

nice day and an equally good show!

were on cranes, roofs, everywhere.

ards, back to the airfield. Emptied

lets] on the plane and put out

e pots.

plane finally departed 1830. By the

wo other aircraft (C-130s) took off, it

00.

g around air ops until 2200 in case

nes had to turn back. Back to town

e (FIRST TIME TODAY!). Then back

hooch and opened up Christmas gifts.

ut on the beach drinking a beer that

ven to me by one of the guys playing

n the hooch. Took a shower and then

 get some sleep.

dn’t sleep because of the poker game

n. Took my pillow and found a

 bunk in “Hilton’s Heroes” hooch. To

y 0130. 


S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 25

U.S. NAVY PHOTOGRAPH BY PH1(SW) AARON ANSAROV, FLTCOMBATCAMGRUPAC

Ever wonder what life is like for Seabees out in the field? Sure, letters and photos home and even electronic mail paint a

pretty rosey and exciting picture, don’tthey? But until now, you couldn’t really getthe full Seabee Experience without raisingyour right hand.

Here’s s a chance to get your very own

idea of what field life is like for the menand women of the Desert Bees — c’monalong and let’s play the home game!

b Lock all your friends and family

outside your home. You should onlycommunicate by postal mail. Hold eachletter for four to five weeks and thendiscard at least two out of every five. For email, send it to a bad address to simulatecrashing of seaward or dust storm-hinderedcommunications links.

b Surround yourself with more than

1,000 people you don’t know. Make suremany of them snore like gasoline-poweredlawn trimmers, use free-form “exotic”language and have dip cups or ashtrayseverywhere (for additional fun, just discardall the dip cups and ashtrays).

b Monitor all home appliances hourly,

recording all information however minor.Be sure to use a “tagging system” and tageach appliance with its hourly status.

b Do not flush your toilet for five days to

simulate the aroma of 50 people living inyour home.

b Cut your hair weekly — making it

shorter and shorter each time until youfinally seem bald or look like you lost afight with a mad sheep shearer.

b Work in 19-hour cycles, sleeping only

four hours at a time to ensure your bodydoesn’t care if it’s day or night.

b Listen to your favorite CD six to 10

times a day for three to four weeks or untilyour ears bleed, whichever comes first, andthen listen to your tentmates’ music untilyou’re actually happy to get back to yourfavorite CD.

b Set your alarm to go off at 10-minute

intervals for the first hour of sleep tosimulate the various times that the watchesand work crews bump around in the dark towake you up.

b Place your bed on a pile of sand to

ensure you can’t step onto an actual floor.Use a specialized clock that randomly setsoff your fire alarm, sounds a police siren, orthat sounds like a helicopter taking off.

b Have foodstuffs delivered to your

garage in small, tightly sealed plastic bagsand eat them 4-8 times a day for a month.

b Prepare all your meals blindfolded

using only the spices you can grope for, ornone at all. Remove the blindfold and eateverything in front of you in three minutes!

b Periodically, shut off all the power in

your house (and if you’re playing the ProGame, shut off your neighbors’ power, too!),then run around shouting “missile inbound!missile inbound!” When no missile arrives,restore power no later than 10 hours later.

b At least once a month or more, force

the toilet to overflow to simulate your“shipmates’” bathroom habits.

b Buy a gas mask, smear it with a

commonly available hair prep, then wearthe mask until you fog up the face shieldand can barely see. Wear this continuously

for 14-20 hours every other day for at leasta month.

b Study the owner’s manuals for all your

appliances. Routinely take them apart andput them back together for practice.

b Buy 50 cases of inexpensive grade

triple-Z toilet paper, but securely lock upall but two rolls. Be sure one of the tworemaining rolls is wet at all times.

b Hit your forehead or shins with a

hammer every two days as you walkthrough a door.

b Rig your shower so that the flow rate

randomly varies from a drip to a trickle. Forextra points, arrange for periods of no hotwater followed by water temperature thatrapidly cycles from minus-2 degrees tomore than 120 degrees.

b Repaint the interior of your house

every month, whether it needs it or not.Consider doing the same thing to theexterior, the garage and possibly yourneighbors’ houses.

b Eat bagged food at least twice a day.b Drink at least six 1-liter bottles of

water every day, but never be anywherenear indoor plumbing.

b And of course ... find the loudest, most

irritating person you can locate, especiallyif only a casual acquaintance, and makesure you have a conversation with them atleast 37 times a day.

Rinse and repeat! 
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 27

Somewhere in Southern Iraq, an unknown member of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 gets ready to take over the watchin a bunker for night security while his fellow Seabees work diligently at finishing a Maby-Johnson medium girder bridge, March27, 2003.Band of Brothers: The Lone Seabee

U.S. NAVY PHOTOGRAPH BY PH1(SW) AARON ANSAROV, FLTCOMBATCAMGRUPAC
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 29

the MEG Command Element(CE) began forming up atCamp Commando in Kuwait.It consisted of some 40Marines from the Seabee IMADet. and 4th and 4th CombatEngineer Battalion, not tomention Army augmentationfrom the 265th EngineerGroup and a wide range ofadditional Navy units. Alltold, the 125 personnel ofthe CE represented some 24different commands.

Seabees historically have

been assigned constructiontasking via individualbattalions. For the first timein Naval Construction Force(NCF) history, battalions andunits were task-organized asregiments around separatecapabilities. Task Forceorganization offered moreflexibility to adapt availableresources from each of the

repair and maintenance ofmain supply routes (MSR).Charlie was also tasked withsupporting each task forcewith equipmentdecontamination capabilitiesin case of chemical attack.

TF Echo supported TFs Mike

and Charlie by pushinglogistical assets to them andinitiated civil-militaryconstruction operations in therear while combat forcespressed the attack north. Theywere also responsible fortraining and acclimating MEGunits that flowed into theaterunder the “reception, staging,onward movement andintegration (RSO&I)” system.

The MEG CE provided the

Command and Control toensure that the Task Forceswere poised to executecurrent and future tasking.The I MEG force structure

battalions into smaller groupsthat could move more quicklyand efficiently. With theresponsibility to provideengineer capabilitythroughout the I MEF area ofoperations, the MEGorganized into threeregimental task forces: TaskForce Mobility (TF Mike), TaskForce Construction (TFCharlie) and Task ForceEndurance (TF Echo).

Designed to construct nonstandard bridges and conduct

route maintenance, TF Mikewas designated the maineffort for supporting the 1stMarine Division (1MARDIV)’sforward mobility.

TF Charlie’s missions were

berm reduction andconstruction of I MEF enemyprisoner of war (EPW)Holding Areas (HA), line-haulsupport for all MEG units and

pulled together NMCBs 4, 7,74 and 133; three ReserveSeabee heavy air detachmentsfrom NMCBs 15, 21 and 25; aNaval Construction ForceSupport Unit (NCFSU 2); aConstruction BattalionMaintenance Unit Detachment(CBMU 303); an UnderwaterConstruction Team (UCT 2);the 265th Army EngineerGroup with the Army’s1092nd Engineer Battalion(C) (W) and 478th EngineerBattalion (C) (M); plus and aKorean Engineer Battalion.All this manpower totalednearly 5,000 troops.

These are new combat

concepts for a new kind ofwar. Seabees developed,tested and then proved incombat three new conceptsthat will forever change theway Seabee units operate infuture deployments.

In the past, Seabees were

usually based in a rear areaand were brought forward toreplace assault bridges, repairrunways and build forwardbases well after the attack.With smaller forces going intothe attack on “quick strike”missions where speed andmomentum was essential,the Seabees’ role in OIF was

critical to support maneuverelements not only afterthe attack, but also duringthe attack.

For the first time in Seabee

history, the Bees joined theattack and maneuveredclosely behind the groundcombat elements.

The MEG scheme of

maneuver consisted ofmoving the three task forcesin echelon behind, and insupport of, the 1st MARDIV’sattack. The MEG plan calledfor all units to move forward,establish a base ofoperations, and then pushdetachments out to worksites from base camps.

To support the extensive

maneuver of MEG units,RADM Kubic directed >>

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Al

20-acre C-130 concreteparking ramp that wouldbe used by F/A-18s (see“Weapons of MassConstruction,” DoubleIssue. – Ed.).

This pad included enough

concrete to pave a road fromthe Nation’s Capitol to Dullesairport and was built in alittle over 90 days.Seabee task organization created

“The MEG has come

together as a living,breathing organism. It willprove itself in the upcomingweeks. All of you have beenhand selected for yourunique roles and now makeup this special band ofpirates.” RADM Kubic saidwhile addressing the MEGstaff during an all-handsmeeting in February 2003.

A few months after Seabees

started flowing into theater,
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 31

considering the MEG wasconstantly moving thousandsof troops and civil engineerequipment through dozens oflocations — and advancingnearly 400 miles from Kuwaitto Baghdad in only 22 days.Convoys were hard and alert,and Seabees returned firewith deadly accuracy whenthey were challenged.

Seabees had one of the

biggest U.S. Navy roles inOIF. They were among thefirst troops in-theater to helpprepare the battlespace,continuing on through thefight, and stayingafterwards to help win thepeace via civil-militaryoperations long after otherunits departed the AOR.

Before hostilities had

officially ended, the MEGpursued civil-militaryoperations (CMO) projects bycombining efforts ofcoalition forces and localcitizens with the goal ofimproving the generalwelfare of the Iraqi people.Some of the CMO workincluded Quality of Life(QOL) projects in support ofthe I MEF at its manylocations throughout Iraq.

The MEG approach to civilmilitary construction

implemented for each citywas to identify, prioritizeand assign projects. A costand duration threshold, >>The Desert Bees wereversatile, productive and,above all, highly effective inKuwait and Iraq in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom.

Many of those tasks continuetoday in the phase followingactive combat, includingclassic Seabee humanitarianroles. At right (top to bottom),a Seabee grader helpssmooth the way for a coalitionbase camp; Bees built andmaintained numerousbridges, this one by NMCB40; and members of NMCB 7depart for their final move toCamp Moreell from CampCastle.

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was less Seabee bridgingrequired.

However, TF Mike was still

engaged in keeping roadwaysand airfield infrastructure(known as lines ofcommunication) open for 1stMARDIV movement. Thismeant completing and resurfacing dirt roads alreadyheavily traveled by troopsand performing large-scaledust suppression operations.

Task Force Charlie teams

also maintained lines ofcommunication throughnumerous convoys betweenKuwait and Iraq. Charlieconvoys hauled extensiveearth-moving, line-haul,construction, weight andmaterial handling capabilitieswith a wide assortment ofbridging material,construction items, food andwater deep into Iraqiterritory. During three weeksof hostilities, TF Charlie linehaul personnel conductedmore than 45 convoysproviding units of the MEGover 500 tons of materialsand supplies.

Task Force Charlie

constructed an enemyprisoner of war holding areawith a final capacity of14,400, despite a debilitatingsandstorm that significantlyimpeded progress.

Task Force Endurance’s role

expanded during the openingdays of the ground war inIraq. The task force wasassigned the mission tomaintain an alternate supplyroute (ASR) from Kuwait intoIraq. This route was key tothe resupply of TF Tarawaduring its initial attack toJalibah and An Nasiriyah.

As the war progressed and

MEG forces moved deeper intoIraq, TF Echo was givenadditional missions involvingrear area constructionand security.

Seabee achievements

during the attack werenothing short of miraculous
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 33

can be counted upon to gointo battle alongside Marines.This solid teamwork, positiveinteraction, accomplishments,and speed of executionthroughout the Iraqi War,have made a uniquestatement in U.S. and worldmilitary history.

In under four weeks, the I

MEF covered the samedistance it took Britain fouryears to cover during its WWIMesopotamian campaign. Asan integral part of I MEF, theengineers of the MEG andtheir game-winning, taskorganized, MAGTFconfiguration, played a vitalrole in this historic campaigncalled Operation IraqiFreedom. As such, the MEGconcept is now hardened andcombat-proven as animportant new “arrow in thequiver” of the Marine AirGround Task Force.

As it was on Guadalcanal,

Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima,Okinawa, Inchon and HueCity, so it was in Iraq.Marines and Seabees foughtand built alongside eachother, always moving forwardtogether at remarkable andunheard of velocity.

Can Do! and Semper Fi! are

nearly synonymous for theseamazing Naval warriors. 



COL Mike Howard, USMCR, is

a Reservist who was recalledto OEF/OIF to serve as theMEG G-3 Operations Officer.He is a ranch owner from nearPortland, Ore., and commandsthe 4th Combat EngineerBattalion, 4th MARDIV.

LCDR Meg Reed, USNR, is a

Reserve public affairs officerrecalled to OEF/OIF as theMEG PAO at Camp Commando.Reed, from Burke, Va., is alsothe Reserve PAO for 1NCD.Al Kut — EA2 Ji Lee, fromAlexandria, Va., hands out candyto kids near Al Kut Cemetery.Seabees from NMCB 133restored this resting place ofBritish soldiers who died in WW I.

U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY PH2 JACOB JOHNSON

commenced. A Seabeedetachment was assigned toUmm Qasr to provideengineering assessments andexecute the work necessary toget the port reopened andready to receive humanitarianassistance ships. They assistedin the reinstatement of thecity’s electrical power andhelped with water purificationand distribution. The workexpanded into communityassistance projects, such as thedonation and construction of aplayground and soccer field.

In An Nasiriyah, Seabees

and Army engineers helpedlocal citizens restore utilityservices, provided security,cleared roads of debris andrehabilitated structures suchas hospitals, an orphanage, acivic center and the AnNasiriyah courthouse.

While all of these CMO

projects were underway, thetask forces never divertedfrom their traditional missionof supporting the Marines,and continually assignedteams to construct fieldshowers, latrines, shavingtables, picnic tables andbenches, and other livingnecessities.

The MEG concept,

originally envisioned in 1995,is still valid. OIF clearlydemonstrated that the U.S.Navy Seabees bringtremendous capability to theMAGTF’s fight. There wasvaluable refining of tacticsand doctrine within the MEGboth before and throughoutthe war. Task Organization isan essential facet of forcerelevance; readiness andcapability are just as vital.

The accomplishments of the

MEG are significant and holdtrue to the tags of three taskforces — Mobility,Construction and Endurance.The MEG earned an honoredposition as a majorsubordinate command withinI MEF. Seabees have provenagain in combat that they

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S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 35

Iraq and the people he met andhelped there. The good peoplefar outnumbered the unfriendly,he said.

Umbro also said he was grateful

for the money he received [fromhis company and union].

“I’m very happy about that,” he

said. “It helps a lot, believe me.”

For one thing, he and his wife

are expecting another child. “Wecall it a ‘Freedom Baby,’ “ Umbroquipped. So, when does the doctorsay the baby is due?

July Fourth, of course. 

 UMM QASR, Iraq — Gear inscriptions can reveal as

much about their owner’sallegiances as a tattoo. Theback of Seabee RoccoUmbro’s Kevlar “brain pan”cloth cover sports the UnionJack and the Stars andStripes.

Coalition commanders

ordered their troops not toraise their nations’ flags, tounderscore that this was nota conquest, but a war ofIraqi liberation. Occasionally the banners went upbriefly for a quick battlefieldphoto to e-mail home, butthey were then packed awayin a Humvee or tank. Buthelmet art was permitted.

On the front of 33-year-old

Equipment Operator 2ndClass Umbro’s helmet was aportion Shakespeare’s oftquoted Henry V “Band ofBrothers” speech.Repopularized by the lateStephen Ambrose’s WorldWar II tale and HBO series,the words will resonate aslong as there are comradesin arms:

We brave, we few, we happy

few, We Band of Brothers

But the words on the left

side of Umbro’s headgearoffered a clue to his stateside location, affiliation andloyalties — OperatingEngineers Local 137. Umbrolives in Briarcliff Manor,N.Y. He usually wears adifferent hard hat as a heavyequipment operator forYonkers Construction Co. “Idrive a lot of the sameequipment back there thatI’m driving here — dozers,

loaders, graders, everythingbut a cherry picker. I wasstudying for the test toqualify on that, but it willhave to wait until I getback,” he said back inApril.

Umbro, a Seabee Reservist with Lakehurst, N.J.-

based Naval MobileConstruction Battalion 21,was recalled to active dutylast fall. In Kuwait he waspart of the crew that placeda 12-inch-thick, 20-acreconcrete pad at a U.S.-Kuwaiti military airportbefore Christmas 2002(“Weapons of Mass Construction,” last issue).

Since then, he helped

grade and improve 18 milesof the main supply route andserved in Umm Qasr, Iraq,working on port improvements. On Sunday, April 6,2003, he drew gunner dutyon a truck filled withreporters visiting the port.

The Iraqi liberation

campaign was set in motionby the events of Sept. 11,2001, he says, and as a NewYork-area native, heis happy to do his part. Heis also happy to representLocal 137 and Yonkers.

“My union and my

employer have been reallygreat about me being here.We were all over the WorldTrade Center [site] after 9/11,” he says. 



The HelmetThat LaunchedA Thousand Stories

A week after the war started,

we moved north. The first citywe went to was the port city ofUmm Qsar and we set up campin one of the buildings.

One of our first projects was

to repair a school, which werepainted, fixed all the windowsand got the electric serviceback up. It was nice to see thelocal kids playing and runningaround like kids should be!

We also built them a soccer

field and a playground that theyalso really loved, and werepaired a road to the ferrylanding so trucks could bringfood and water to the people allthrough southern Iraq. Afterthat we installed five watertanks in town and started todistribute water to the tanks.

Seeing people run to get in

line for water would first makeyou feel bad — and then goodthat you were helping them. Itmakes you appreciate Americaand all that we have in ourcountry.

We soon moved north again to

As Samawa, about 260 kmsouth of Baghdad, where wesupported the 2/5 Marines andoccupied a train depot. Ourmission was a lot bigger now.Not only did we support theMarines’ missions, but we alsohad a lot of humanitarian work

Andrew Wright was embeddedwith Seabee units during OIF.When he wrote this story lastspring for the influential tradejournal Engineering NewsRecord, nobody knew RoccoUmbro from page 8 in the phonebook. That quickly changed.

there. We fixed a number ofschools and three policestations, a pontoon bridge andinstalled screens in thewindows of the old Baath Partybuildings that the Marinesoccupied in town.

Me and another buddy of

mine, EO3 Trevor Minor, weretasked to help the Marines withour track excavator in theexcavation of a mass grave site— which revealed an estimated1,400 bodies of people who werebelieved to be Kuwaitis from thefirst war in 1991.

Our unit also helped with the

countless convoys back and forthto Kuwait with supplies to supportthe Marines digging fightingpositions in and around town.

We did more “regular work,”

too, like making a leach fieldfor showers and then settingthem up, leveling some groundso the field hospital could setup and digging burn pits forgarbage. I was “just a Reservist,” had never had any activeduty, didn’t have any priorservice, and this experience hasbeen the time in my life. So far.

I will never forget the things I

saw and the work my Seabeebrothers and I did for the Iraqipeople. That expereince, thosepeople — and those Seabees,we band of brothers— will bewith me forever.

Reprinted with permission.

Copyright The Journal News, 2003

In his own words:

—EO2 Rocco Umbro, Jr.

WELCOME HOME, SEABEE Paul

Hubert (L) and Fred Cardillo(R) of Yonkers Contractingpresented Umbro with threechecks, making up the lostdifference between his civiliansalary and his active dutySeabee pay.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREW G. WRIGHT

Reprinted from Engineering

News-Record, copyright The

McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,

April 8, 2003. All rights reserved.

,

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he had taped to the inside of hishelmet.

Umbro returned safely to his

New Rochelle home in August.If you commute over the TappanZee Bridge, you’ve probablyseen him operating an asphaltspreader on the CrossWestchester Expressway.

Everything was back to

normal, except for one thing.Umbro was a little poorer. Hehad earned a small salary as aSeabee, so small that while hewas overseas he lost a difference of about $12,000 in pay atYonkers Contracting, not tomention thousands of dollarsmore in benefits.

But his company and his

union paid him back for thesacrifice. At a surprise party inElmsford, Yonkers Contractingpresented him a check for thelost wages and Local 137restored his benefits, whichincluded an annuity fund andwelfare coverage.

Signorelli said it was the least

that could be done for a manwho helped build playgroundsand roads.

“I feel this boy went over

there and he did his duty,which was tough for him,”Signorelli said. “But he had agood attitude. I was impressedwith him. I feel it’s my duty todo whatever I can for him.”

He reflected on his service in

Umbro in-country

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY GEORGE DRAPEAU III
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 37

was decided that theSeabees could purchase the ingredientsfor concrete and concoct it themselves.

They used a truck

dubbed with the title“cretemobile” to automatically mix thecomponents of sand,gravel and cement.The truck was designed mostly to laysidewalk-sized portions of concrete —but the Seabees setout to pour more than600 cubic yards of12-inch-thick concrete.

“We’re not used to

pouring concretewith cretemobiles,”said crew leader BU1Scott Bernard, fromAlma, Mich. “We’redealing with extreme

heat temperatures and wind, which causes us to have to work a littlefaster than usual. We’re doing pretty good now that we’ve gotten usedto the pace of the cretemobile.”

The team hustled about the cretemobile, fed by two Seabees at the

top of the machine who scramble to keep it filled with ingrediants.The heat and wind didn’t allow the team to break or slow the flow ofconcrete.

Everyone had his or her own task and everyone worked together to

get the job done.

Two Seabees used rakes to spread the concrete while another followed with a “jitterbug,” a device that submerses the gravel beneath

the surface of the concrete.

Two other Seabees on either side of a screed board level the concrete, all stages of the project happening simultaneously in different

portions of the slab. Others put a finishing surface on with a bull floateven while new concrete was being formed down the line.

After the slab was edged to slightly round the perimeter of the slab

to minimize chipping, it was allowed to set. Before the concrete wascompletely hard, it was finished with a broom that completely evenedthe surface of the pad.

“It feels great to help the people of Iraq,” said BU3 William

McCorkle, from Napoleon, Ohio. “Even if it is just by fixing a runway. Without the runway, we can’t get the supplies we need to doother good things.”

Iraq’s former Al Kut Air Base was dubbed Blair Field in honor of

Marine LCPL Thomas A. Blair, from Broken Arrow, Okla., of the 2ndLow Altitude Air Defense Battalion, Marine Air Control Group 28, 2ndMarine Aircraft Wing, Cherry Point, N.C., who was killed in March2003 during the taking of a bridge in the city of An Nasiriyah. 



JO2 Jacob Johnson was the I MEG Task Force Charlie PAO.

area around the craters was heaved up

explosion, making it necessary to re

ll of the concrete in the entire affected

quipment operators worked in shifts

y could run a hydraulic pavement

r (a huge jackhammer attached to an

tor) 24 hours a day.

8th Engineering Support Battalion at

d to blow a dozen pads with C-4 ex

e, but drilling the holes required to

he explosive turned out being more

nsuming than using the hydraulic con

uster.

e the residual concrete was removed

rectangular area created, it was filled

mpacted to create a level surface for

crete. Wire-reinforced mats were tied

he steel reinforcements in the

nding pads to add strength to the

d product.

n the team ran out of the wire-rein

 mats, they fabricated more using steel

iberated from a nearby Iraqi military

uction site.

e leveled, cleaned up and the mat tied

ms were installed to place concrete. The

ouldn’t buy concrete because it would

een difficult to have delivered and even

ifficult to communicate with the locals.

’t until an interpreter was hired that it

an aid possible

ary construction material

ope to shattered Iraqi lives.

TASK FORCE CHARLIE BUILDS A HOLDING AREA FOR ENEMY PRISONERS O

F WAR — THAT ISN’T USED

CAMP SPARTAN, Iraq — It was Task Force Charlie’s firstconstruction project in Iraq, a 300 by 1,000 meter holding area toaccommodate an expected 14,000 prisoners of war. Before it wascompleted, the Seabees would face challenges and danger, but theywould also emphasize the meaning of Can Do.

In the pre-dawn hours of March 21, the 124-member air

detachment of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 rolledacross the Iraq-Kuwait border. Midway to the site, two of thetractor-trailers hit unexploded ordnance on the road.

“It was a small explosive,” said UTCN Marco DeJulio. “It just

sent some shrapnel into the tires. But, if you’d have been walkingthere, you’d have lost your foot.”

Five tires were repaired and the convoy continued without

further incident, arriving in late afternoon at Camp Spartan, as itwas dubbed by the 60-man U.S. Marine security detail attached.The Seabees quickly went to work.

“The first thing my team did was set up a yard for all the timber

we were going to use for the towers. Then the engineering aidesstaked out the corners of the cells and we went behind themdriving stakes and laying concertina wire,” said DeJulio.

Other teams working in 12-hour shifts constructed berms and

built the eight 10-ft tall guard towers while Marines stood guard.

On the last day of the project, with approximately 90 percent of

the facility completed, construction was halted when a sandstormwith winds in excess of 70 miles an hour slammed the camp for 18

hours. The Desert Bees huddled in vehicles and the two-man tentsthey had for shelter.

“We stayed in a high-back Humvee,” said ET2 Ignatius Powell.

“IT2 [Martin] Rieger and I were on communications watch and thatvehicle was one of the safest places to be. By the time, it was over,we had been in there for 36 hours.”

The damage was minimal — a four-hole burnout blown over, two

tents lost and one minor injury sustained. Six hours later, theholding area was completed. Then the Seabees got the news: Thefacility would not be needed. All the detainees captured were toofar north of the camp to make its use practical.

Initially disappointed, the Seabees have found something of

value in the experience.

“It’s amazing to see people in absolutely horrendous conditions,

pulling together and still making jokes about the situation,” saidBUCS(SCW) Troy Kellerman, assistant officer in charge of the air det.

“What I’ll remember is the teamwork between us and the

Marines,” said DeJulio. “This is the first time I’ve had exposure toanother branch of the service and working together. That’s what Ijoined the Seabees to do — go build something to the best of myability and then move on to the next thing.”

Upon completion of the project, the Seabees did move on, to

main supply route maintenance in support of the many coalitionconvoys that flowed into Iraq.

— JJ
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 39

U.S. NAVY PHOTOGRAPH BY PH1(SW) AARON ANSAROV

BU3 Kristalyn Kae Nelson from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 offers a smile as she prepares for things to come duringOperation Iraqi Freedom. Her camp location had just been told to prepare for a major sandstorm to hit with winds in excess of 50 knots.Band of Brothers: Sister Seabee
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 41

“I’m really very thankful to the team and we

really enjoyed working with them,” Huseinsaid. “I’m really proud to work more with theNavy. We learned a lot from each other, andthe people of Karak appreciate it very much.”

“We’re just doing what we can to help

them out,” Townsend said. “They’re beautifulpeople, and overall, we had a good timeout here.” 

EO2 Ethan Townsend (above) moves dirt around the helo pad to stabilize the dirt wall andrid the dirt of rocks. CE3 Jared Parr (below left) explains to a Jordanian soldier the size drillhe needs to complete his part of the project. BU3(SCW) Jeremy Hunt (below right) drills ahole in the pavement so lights around the helo pad can be installed.

SW1 Mike Uehara trims excess caulk aroundthe helo pad for the Prince Ali Bin Al HusseinHospital.

WAY IN KARAK

r city about an hour away,” EO2 Ethan

nd said. “That took up a lot of time we

eally have.”

vercome these challenges, the Seabees

d the few Jordanians who spoke

h to help get the supplies they needed.

didn’t understand them and they

understand us, so we had to use a lot of

gnals. Sometimes it got pretty crazy,”

nd said. “We also couldn’t go out in

y ourselves, so we had to try to

 to them what we needed. It was

at times, but we came through and

d the job.”

n though they had a few obstacles, it

 in a day’s work for the Seabees.

 4 would do its part, and other

ng Seabee battalions would finish the

the planned helo pads.

re ecstatic about the project and the

e Seabees have done here,” Haun

They turned the side of a hill into a

eful surface. We’re really pleased.”

to smooth concrete for a Jordanian

pervises.
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 43

U.S. NAVY PHOTOGRAPH BY PHAN LAMEL J. HINTON

AT FORT HUNTER-LIGGETT, MONTEREY, CM3 ROBERT D. HAMMEL OF SACRAMENTO, CALIF., PRACTICES A STEALTHY MOVE TO A BETTER POSITION FOR RETURNING

FIRE ON AN OPPOSING HOSTILE FORCE DURING A SERT TEAM EXERCISE. HAMMEL IS ASSIGNED TO NAVAL MOBILE CONSTRUCTION BATTALION 40.

PHOTOGRAPHS

JOC KEVIN ELLIOTT

BY

PHAN LAMEL HINTON

&
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 45

EA3 Richard Renau, a Seabee Reservist from Orange Park, Fla. patrols a landing site atCamp LeJeune, N.C., during a SERT drill with NMCB 14 at Exercise Sharp Wedge 2003.
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 47

Band of Brothers: The Lone Seabee

a smoothed order for construction projects.

The CE possesses an organic construction

capability by its very nature because a SERTcapability is present in the NCR. The NMCBnormally provides direct support to elementswithin the MAGTF. The NMCB or subordinate command retains construction engineercapabilities and the preponderance of equipment and specialized personnel. The NMCBor subordinate element is the primary sourcefor construction engineer reconnaissance(SERT) support at the forward edge of thebattlefield (FEBA) and at the immediate rearof the FEBA.

The G2/S2, in coordination with the G3/

S3, prepares a detailed Reconnaissance andSurveillance Plan (RSP) that graphicallydepicts where and when reconnaissance missions must be executed to provide requiredengineering information. The RSP mustcontain specific tasks and priorities for all ofits elements. The supported unit’s G2/S2should brief the reconnaissance leader on thedisposition of friendly forces and the unit’sscheme of maneuver.

Once at the designated site(s) the SERT

members should confirm or deny theinformation provided by the G2/S2.The reconnaissance members look forengineer-specific information about the AO(composition, requirements, more). Theinformation obtained during the reconnaissance must be relayed quickly to the LNOand NCR based on the guidelines providedduring the mission briefing.

A tactical reconnaissance is conducted to

gain information forward of friendly lines orto provide current, accurate information aboutterrain, resources, obstacles, and the enemywithin a specified AO. A SERT reconnaissance is conducted to gain engineeringinformation for the NCR or MAGTF. Duringan engineer reconnaissance, engineers mayassist maneuver units in reconning theterrain to determine its effects on maneuverability and the enemy situation. When theenemy is located, the engineers remainundetected and help determine his strengthsand weaknesses with a focus on enemyengineer activities and obstacles.

A SERT provides the information

necessary to allow ground combat forces tomaneuver against the enemy, attackhim where he most vulnerable and applyoverwhelming fire and mass to destroy or otherwise defeat him. Engineer reconnaissancecan provide key additional informationneeded to allow combat forces the freedom tomaneuver and knowledge of enemy obstaclesand their likely impact. >> CM3 Derek Savage, 32, patrols from the top of a Humvee at Camp LeJeune, N.C., during a drill with NMCB 23’s practice SERT for Exercise Sharp Wedge '03. Savage is from Hopewell, Pa.

requirements will be cataloged in aforthcoming Mission Training Plan(MTP). Evaluation of the trainingeffectiveness and deployment availability for SERT units will be set forthin a Fleet Exercise Publication (FXP).

A reconnaissance mission has some

limitations. Complete engineeringdata is time consuming to collect – soreconnaissance activities will requiremore time, unless the size of areas tobe reconnoitered, or the number ordistances of routes to be reconnoitered, is often thereby reduced.

Engineer units must have dedicated

personnel and equipment in order to

ct SERT reconnaissance operations.

eers must train and rehearse exten

with their supported units to ensure

 SERT members and augmented per

 understand the reconnaissance train

tics and procedures to be used during

ssion.

of motor transport reduces travel time

from the area or point to be evaluated.

ed travel time means more time is

le to gather the detailed data required

 SERT missions. This is especially true

te reconnaissance, when movement

n points of concern along the route

 more time to stop and evaluate

ted or known areas of interest.

neer reconnaissance of a route won’t

lly require detailed inspection of

egment. Soil or compaction tests, in

n of battle damage or damage caused

ural occurrences (e.g., flooding) may

quire brief stops along a route.

ent these requirements or concerns,

econnaissance often allows relatively

 transit between points of concern.

collection of data intrinsic to engineer

aissance (such as for bridges) is very

onsuming. Air transportation of the

llows more time on site to collect nec

data.

, air transportation is effective in pre

ry surveys of large areas and aids in

ying locations that may require detailed

er reconnaissance on the ground. It can

rrow down prospective sites suitable

gineer operations, such as bridging,

 emplacement of obstacles, and so on.

Command Element (CE) is the Naval

uction Regiment (NCR), the Naval

 Construction Battalion (NMCB) or the

 Air Det (NMCB AD) and it possesses

c construction engineer capabilities.

CR or the NMCB determines the final

uction engineer solution and provides
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 49

EO3 Richard Coble, 31, from Jacksonville, Fla., simulates firing an M-60 during NMCB 14’s SERT drill.

ending upon how much technical

aissance activity will be performed in

e, commanders should expect that the

er reconnaissance would be more time

ming than a typical non-engineering

aissance of the same size zone.

rm of reconnaissance operations that

rected effort to obtain detailed infor

 concerning the terrain or AO, such as

 ridgeline, woods or other feature criti

operations. An area reconnaissance

be made of a single point, such as a

or installation. A SERT unit normally

ts an area reconnaissance to support

onal plans with specific information

point, localized sites or objectives.

SERT will normally encounter enemy

es during its mission. It isn’t a primary

or reconnaissance units to reduce

ntered obstacles. Reduction activities

mpromise the security of the reconnais

team, are time consuming and may

e additional personnel and equipment

s demolition, shovels, wire cutters

ore that add utility to mission support

ements.

commander should consider

ng obstacle reduction tasks to a recon

nce mission only when the benefits

gh security and logistical concerns.

SERT mission provides data that

ls a commander to conduct a

rate or hasty breach, the engineers

pating in the reconnaissance mission

e an even more valuable asset. They

 primary source for trafficable routes

breach sites. The team can propose

ns for positioning the Breaching Task

elements or the maneuver unit’s hasty

ing assets (dispersal sites, cover and

lment) and determining the specific

 sites. The team may already know the

ns of the enemy on the near and far

have soil and terrain analysis in the

 area; and locate the forward edge of

nefields.

te classification is a tool that helps

ine what loads of vehicles can travel

a route and how fast they may travel.

a route is reconned, the results are

rred to an overlay for display on a map.

 war or military operations other than

OOTW), only the necessary and essen

ts about a route are gathered as quickly

fely as possible. This information is

 on a route-classification overlay and

mented by additional reports.

ng the AO recon, detailed route-clas

on missions are performed to obtain

ation for future use. The route >>

J. HINTON
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 51

abutments. Stringers arethe superstructure’smain load-carryingmembers. They receivethe load from the flooring and the vehicles andtransfer it to the bridgesubstructure.

The FLOORING SYSTEM often consists of

both decking and tread.The decking is laiddirectly over the stringers at right angles to thecenterline of the bridge.The tread is laid parallel to the centerline ofthe bridge and betweenthe curbs.

The CURBS are placed at both edges of the flooring to guide the

vehicles. A vehicle with an axle wider than the traveled way betweenthe curbs cannot cross the bridge. Most bridges, however, >>allow for vehicular overhang beyond the normal traveled area. Thisallowance is called horizontal clearance above the curbs and is asafety factor. Commanders must perform a risk analysis before attempting such a crossing.

RAILINGS along the bridge are built to guide drivers and to protect

vehicular and foot traffic.

TRUSSES are used in some bridge superstructures, either above or

below the traveled way to increase the load carrying. A truss >>

cation may be conducted throughout

O, both in the rear areas and at the

 The first step in understanding the

cal portions of a route reconnaissance

rstanding what information is needed

plete a route-classification overlay.

ute classification overlay depicts a

entire network of roads, bridge sites

her major features or points of concern.

tems have been reconned and the data

ed as support documentation for the

overlay. A route classification gives

 on what obstructions will impact the

ment of personnel, equipment and

es along the route. Engineers possess

 training to conduct route reconnais

and classification.

ridge reconnaissance provides com

rs with the bridge load carrying

lities along a certain route or what ma

are needed to destroy a bridge. Because

 complexity of analyzing bridges,

ers should perform all bridge reconnais

missions.

manual that this story on based upon

view in significant depth an extensive

f bridge load classification and bridge

ction analysis, detail that we have no

or here.

ertheless, know that bridge load

cation allows vehicle operators to avoid

failure (and maybe also avoid a sud

p into the water) by determining what

oss without causing damage.

mon bridges in use today include tim

steel trestle bridge with timber deck;

tringer bridge with concrete deck;

te steel stringer bridge; concrete

m bridge with asphalt surface and

ry arch bridge.

roperly classify a bridge, the SERT

now key information concerning the

s basic components, including:

oaches Approaches may be mined or

trapped, requiring thorough investiga

ring a reconnaissance.

tructure The substructure consists of

tments and intermediate supports that

r the bridge’s load to the ground. It’s

ant to measure all aspects of an abut

ncluding its height, width and length,

tment wings and the intermediate sup

or bridge demolition missions.

ay even be more effective to destroy

ermediate supports or abutments when

red to the rest of the bridge structure.

rstructure (upper part of a bridge) The

tructure consists of several elements.

STRINGERS rest on and span the dis

between the intermediate supports or

RADM Chuck Kubic, Commander 1NCD (center in above-left photo),is shown with SERT 7 during OIF. NMCB 40’s SERT team establishes

a security perimeter (top right) so the rest of the team can bettercomplete its mission during the battalion’s FEX at Fort Hunter-Liggett.SERT 40 sets up communication antennas (below) before headingout on its training recon. BUC(SCW) Richard D. Bucholtz (right),of Port Hope, Mich., documents specifics about the objective bridgelocated by SERT 40 to determine if it can be safely and effectivelyused for troop and convoy movement.
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 53

 (SERT) began to take shape. Since there are

abees are not in some way involved, initial

es that were developing at that time. As the

the organizing, outfitting and training of the

onstruction battalions stationed around the

ed to operate in low or medium-intensity

untains to low deserts with sand dunes plus

 over the topography of the middle latitudes.

 world a current crisis dictates. The capability

 Joint Forces Commander an effective way to

The photograph above shows a 10-man SERT

ion without re-supply. Lots more next issue.

ELEMENT

LNO

LNO

LNO

Recon

Recon

Recon

Recon

Recon

Recon

Recon

 Fun Than A Circus Thrill Show

NMCB 40’s CE2 Chance W. Agnew, of Whittier, CA. keeps an eye out for enemy attack while his convoy moves toward its objective duringa Seabee Engineer Reconnaissance Team exercise. SERTs are extremely mobile, versatile and adaptable across all forms of terrain.

t emerges as doctrine for active duty and,

eserve Seabee battalions.

training scenarios will take care of

lves. It’s the real-world practice, in one

of the planet of another, where the real

ments will occur.

e back next issue to learn more. 
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 55

UTC (SCW) RichardSteffee (left), one of NMCB7’s two contracting teamchiefs, stands to the rightof Majeed Abdul Hameed,one of the two local Iraqicontractors who workedwith the Bee team to repairand reconstruct the AlAzhar Primary Schoolfor Boys. The Seabeecontracting team and bothIraqi contractors attendedthe ceremonial ribboncutting ceremony at theschool. Iraqis are typicallyvery friendly people andoften freely provided chaitea to Seabees rehabbingthe school (near right). Onlythree takers managed tofinish the sweet tea. Sixschools in Ad Diwaniyahhave hosted ribbon-cuttingceremonies to celebratethe reconstructive effortsof Seabees and Iraqicontractors, but during theceremony at the Al AzharPrimary School for Boys,the big draw was a trio ofIraqi musicians. An Iraqiboy (far right) decided totake a turn on the drums tocelebrate the new face ofhis school and the freedomIraqis say they now feel.Among the six schoolsrenovated and reopened bySeabees, every ribboncutting ceremony turnedinto a significant local eventaccompanied by lots ofparticipation by happyparents and children,including these four girls ina school reopened bySeabees from NMCB 4. Atthe Damascus SecondarySchool for Girls, Aqeel(below), 17, a senior Iraqiskilled worker assistedin making and applyingstucco to several of theschool’s rooms prior to theSeabees making muchneeded repairs to theruined electrical systems.

The simple act of going to market is a fulldress affair for Seabees in Iraq. A three orfour-person security team keeps watch at thevehicles while members of the MWRCommittee go shopping. BU3 Darryl Jamesmakes friends (right) with Iraqi children.Hassan’s market, where the committee buyssodas and electronics, is on the left.

their work,” said Steffee.

 But Steffee said the most

interesting occurrence at the AlAzhar school could be seen in theactions and personalities of thechildren who live nearby. Heexplained that some of the childrenused to throw rocks at U.S. forcesas they drove by or when theystopped to visit the school.

“We went from going there and

feeling threatened every day to

 100 percent welcome and appreci

said Steffee. “You see happy faces

nd no one is hiding in the back

 picking up a rock. “

only have the actions of the children

d near the school, but also the ways

abees and Iraqi contractors do

ss have evolved into a more trusting

nship, Steffee said. The contractors

 the Seabees to Iraqi-style lunches

r twice a week, he explained. “We sit

nd break bread together and talk

hings as if we were old friends,”

effee.

lar praise for the Seabees who visited

ped to repair the school could be

n the headmaster’s comments after the

ny. “It was a great assistance for us —

uilding our school — and I feel as if

e my brothers,” said Hussein Shakir,

aster of the Al Azhar Primary School.

e afternoon, Steffee and Lt. Brian

the contracting officer for the team,

several schools in the area to oversee

at was in progress and met with

tors to discuss future projects at many

ed and rundown schools in the town.

r a morning that started with cheerful

tion, it was back to the rubbled

s and classrooms for the Seabee team

fternoon. The efforts of Seabee

ting teams and other U.S. forces

ue to shape the rebuilding efforts in this

wn — and give daily reasons for these

hildren to put down their rocks. 



Teachers and school children atthe Dar Al-Salam school in AdDiwaniyah greet U.S. forces and Iraqitownspeople before a ribbon-cuttingceremony reopening the school.Seabees from NMCB 7 worked withIraqi contractors to repair internaland external structures at the twobuilding school.
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 57

Squadrons. Now that eight of nine shipsare loaded and deployed (USNS Wheatwas completed in March 2003), thisfunctional area addresses the need tomaintain this equipment and the needfor Seabees to practice getting theirgear off the ship and integrated with theMarine Corps.

The LIR is a transformational initiative,

moving Seabees from decades-old standalone systems and bringing them into the21st century. The resulting alignmentwith standard Navy logistics systems willensure that Seabees have full capability,interoperability — and robust support asthey move into the battlefield of today. 

with General Services Administration(GSA) and Defense Supply Center (DSC) touse their construction material vendors todevelop a “Seabee vendor” system. Thevision of this concept is to have a one-stopvendor that has the capability to prepare abill of material, order and ship constructionmaterial to anywhere in the world.

Although we will maintain an organic

capability to perform this function, the“Seabee vendor” will be a new tool forSeabees that will reduce workload andimprove the efficiency of deliveringmaterials to Seabees.

Getting Seabees in the field the logistics

support they need to perform their “WeBuild – We Fight” mission is essential.We’re implementing and enhancingMicroSNAP as the NCF standard for unitlevel inventory, financial management andmaintenance, including deploymenttraining of personnel, inventory/data entry,follow-up reporting and monitoring. TheLWG is also examining the possible use ofMicroSNAP to provide unit-level TOAmanagement.

Next the LWG is adopting standard Navy

Configuration Data Management (CDM)and Ships Configuration and LogisticsInformation System (SCLIS) processes tocontrol the configuration of our Seabee“ship.” This is be accomplished byconverting current TOA data to standardNavy logistics hierarchal structure in theWeapons System File. This will allowThe key to rapid deployment of Seabees and Marinesin contingencies is equipment in pre-positioned stores.Bringing those stocks back home for reuse is equallyimportant, here with Bees loading ships in Kuwait duringOperation Iraqi Freedom.

inventory visibility in conjunction with theimplementation of 3M (Maintenance andMaterial Management) and reliabilitycentered maintenance across the NCF.

Recent history has demonstrated the

Seabees’ need to sustain themselves in ajoint environment. To do this, the LWG isdeveloping plans to maximize compatibilitywith other-service equipment, ensuringsupport and data exchange processes existand function. In addition, the LWG is alsoevaluating adaptation of the Marine CorpsSmall Unit Logistics System to the NCF.

Although much of the Seabee TOA is

pre-purchased and staged around theworld, there are numerous deferred-frombuy items for each TOA that must beobtained as needed — at the time ofmobilizations. Accurate and up-to-dateattainment plans are essential to obtainthese thousands of items of material andequipment. Roles and responsibilities ofcommands involved in TOA mobilizationhave changed considerably in the pastseveral years and are being identified anddocumented in a Mobilization StandardOperating Procedure, after which an updateof the various Local Support Plans can becompleted. These plans include Reservepersonnel processing, training, andoutfitting processes of the various TOAs.

In the 1990s, the NCF enhanced its

capability to support the Navy/MarineCorps Team by adding one battalion andone regiment TOA to each of the MPF

CAPT Jim Cowell is the commanding

officer of the Naval Facilities Expeditionary Logistics Center (NFELC). Hehas served numerous duties with theSeabees, including two deployments toOkinawa and one to Puerto Rico. Hepreviously served as commanding officerof NMCB 4 and made deployments toOkinawa and Puerto Rico.

CDR Dave Cozier is the NFLEC

executive officer. He has four tours withSeabees, including XO at NMCB 3 andOfficer in Charge, ConstructionBattalion Unit 410. He was the publicworks officer in Panama duringOperations Safe Haven and Sea Signal.

Therefore, our logistics improvement

ves are applicable to all NCF units,

duty and Reserves.

ther deployed to one of the forward

ed sites around the world in peace

 deployed in support of a contin

one of the major hurdles is providing

V materials to the Seabees to feed

nstruction machine. It’s the fuel for

uction operations.

e are numerous and well-known

nges associated with getting Bees the

aterials at the right time. The bulky

of construction materials and the

pply lines to remote sites adds to

mplexity. When possible, Seabees

st-nation supplies, but to meet the

ssion requirement we must be able

ply material to any environment,

hird world countries without

economies.

goal of LIR is to provide seamless

al supply to support Seabee projects

ide in both peacetime and wartime.

 the major initiatives is a partnership

oadmap will provide 

projects worldwide.
S E A B E E M A G A Z I N E ISSUE NO. 3, 2003 59

ntest

, if necessary, and send the disk with

ntries in secure packaging to the

 postal address below.

o submit prints o submit prints

t shooting original digital, we strongly

age you to shoot high-quality print film

d of slide or transparency film (though

are OK). Many print films are well

nough to rival many of the slide films.

ny case, even drugstore and storefront

processors will often be happy to scan

egatives to a CD when your film is

sed. You can send the CD itself or

photos to us from the disk.

ts (or CDs) may be sent to: SEABEE

ine, Attn: PHOTO CONTEST CODE PA,

Patterson Avenue SE Ste 1000,

ngton Navy Yard, DC 20374-5065.

le overnight delivery is not required,

ostal “Express Mail” or a delivery

other than routine first-class mail is

ly recommended to avoid possible

e in transit or security handling.

ne

 deadline has been extended in order

pt additional entries. All submissions

e in our hands no later than June 30,

— so get shooting now! 

AROV

Seabee Service Matters — More than ever. Stay Navy. Stay Seabee.Iraq. Kuwait. Liberia. Florida. Okinawa. Indian Head. Bahrain. San Diego. Spain. Portsmouth.Washington DC. Africa. Germany. Brunswick. Guam. Reykjavik. Diego Garcia. Nebraska.Afghanistan. London. Michigan. Around the clock. Around the block. Around the world.
cy Quinn, from NR Navy Information

 813 in suburban Detroit, is the Naval

 Public Affairs Sailor of the Year.

y after people attend services in dif- 

communities and pay their respects at 

s local cemeteries. This year was 

o be the last that Sorensen, who lives 

Moines, would paint the rock. But so 

eople, many veterans, encouraged him 

 a 2004 tribute. 

nsen receives email every day from all 

he world as pictures of the Patriotic 

re shared and posted on websites. 

ether or not Sorensen continues to 

he Patriotic Rock, his message to 

ns and today’s troops will not waiver. 

ant to say thanks for serving our country,” 

 with conviction, “and we’re all behind