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KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (5/6/2012) - Several Navy Seabees are
assigned to Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction team in Kandahar
Afghanistan.
Many people may have never heard of the U.S.
Navy's Seabees. The simple, but to the point motto of “We build, We
fight” is all one would need to know to understand the basics of
what Seabees do, but there is much more to their story. The Seabees
have over 70 year of history and accomplishments both in combat and
humanitarian missions around the world. From storming the beaches at
Normandy during World War II, to assisting with relief efforts in
the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquakes, the Seabees are more
than qualified to handle any situation or challenge placed before
them.
Navy SeaBees assigned to the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team
pose for a picture April 13, 2012 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Kandahar
PRT is a joint team of U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy service members
and civilians deployed to the Kandahar province of Afghanistan to
assist in the effort to rebuild and stabilize the local government
and infrastructure. Photo by USAF Staff Sgt. Timothy Chacon |
The eight Seabees assigned to the Kandahar Provincial
Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan find themselves tasked
with a mission that is somewhere in between a combat and
humanitarian mission. The mission of KPRT is to assist with
improving governance and rebuilding the infrastructure of
the Kandahar province. The Seabees play a major role in the
infrastructure rebuilding as well as logistical support for
all missions conducted by the PRT.
There are three
types of Seabees assigned to KPRT: Construction Mechanic,
Builder and Construction Electrician. All three titles are
self-explanatory as to what duties they perform, but what
might not be so evident is what actually goes into
performing those duties.
KPRT currently assists of
local Afghan construction contractors with several projects
in the Kandahar province. The Seabees are not the ones
swinging hammers or pouring concrete, but they are providing
valuable oversight and expertise for those projects. They
monitor the projects and work hand in hand with local
engineers ensuring they are meeting certain building
standards and safety regulations.
“What we do is
very important, we try to teach the locals safer ways to do
the projects and help them establish a standard for building
codes.” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Michelle Bernales.
Along with the oversight, the Seabees also spend
time trying to educate the Afghans on building methods and
techniques.
“We don't just tell them what they need
to be doing, but also the reasons for it,” said Bernales.
“It's important they understand why they are doing things a
certain way. This will not only make their structures safer,
but prolong the life of the buildings.”
The building
sites are in the local community and not within the safety
of a secure compound. The Seabees venture to these
construction sites to keep track of the building process,
often times putting themselves in dangerous situations.
“There are some inherent dangers in what we do, but we
are well trained and prepared for them,” said Lt. J.G. Sean
Wilder, Engineering Operations officer. “We do everything we
can to mitigate the risks, but we wouldn't shy away from a
mission we deem important just because it's dangerous.”
In order for the construction site supervision to take
place, as well as any other movements by the PRT, the
convoys must have reliable transportation. This seemingly
never-ending task of vehicle maintenance falls on the
construction mechanics. The CMs spends most of their days
working on the PRT's Mine Resistant Armor Protected vehicles
ensuring they are always up and running. The CM's goal is to
have 100 percent of the vehicles operational 100 percent of
the time.
“The conditions in Afghanistan can be hard
on the vehicles, but without the vehicles we can't run
missions,” said CM2 Andrew Baumann, vehicle maintenance
supervisor. “It is all about combat availability and we do
everything we can to keep the vehicles running.”
Seabees can come across as arrogant and difficult, but when
the KPRT Seabees where asked about their best experience as
a Seabee they replied with experiences that involved helping
others. From assisting flood victims in Sicily, constructing
a school for children with Autism in Mississippi, to
building wells in the Philippines. The hard exterior Seabees
took the most pride in doing things for others.
“To
me, being a Seabee means helping people out and always put
them before yourself no matter what,” said CM Kirby Rush.
The inscription on the Seabee memorial at Arlington
National Cemetery reads, “The difficult we do at once, the
impossible takes a big longer. With compassion for others we
build, we fight for peace with freedom.”
By USAF Staff Sgt. Timothy Chacon
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2012
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