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JEFFERSON PARISH, La. (NNS) -- Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40, deployed to the Gulf Coast region in support of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita relief efforts, are helping a private school here to recover from damage caused by the hurricanes. Students at Saint Louis King of France Catholic School are on schedule to meet their self-imposed Oct. 10 deadline to be back in the classroom, thanks to the Seabees. “The hurricane affected everybody, and that includes the [repair] contractors,” said Pam Schott, Saint Louis King of France’s principal. “So there’s no one here to help us get...

PLAQUEMINE PARISH, La. (NNS) -- Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40 and local Plaquemines Parish residents teamed up in September to help the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) expedite establishing housing for hundreds of Hurricane Katrina evacuees. One of FEMA’s plans for relocating evacuees involved Plaquemines Parish landowners like Ray Tolar, who volunteered his land to host trailers for local families to stay in. In Tolar’s case, FEMA placed 19 trailers in his front yard, and Seabees are installing water, sewage and electrical connections for the trailers. “The faster and better we can install these lines,” said Construction...

GULFPORT, Miss. (NNS) -- Reserve Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 18 are supporting their active-duty counterparts here during hurricane relief efforts. A twelve-member detachment from NMCB 18, headquartered in Washington, is augmenting NMCB 1, an active-duty battalion homeported at the construction battalion center here. "Our heart goes out to the people affected by this horrific event, and our unit is proud that we can be part of the first responders to help those in desperate times,” said Cmdr. Bradley Posadas, NMCB 18’s commanding officer. “I'm very happy our personnel from both Helena, Mont., and Central Point, Ore., detachments...

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (NNS) -- Seabees from Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 202 based in Little Creek, Va., are clearing debris and performing repairs in local areas here affected by Hurricane Katrina. Water moccasins, metal rods, giant wood beams and mounds of debris were some of the challenges faced by CBMU 202 when they arrived on board Naval Station (NS) Pascagoula to help clear and repair damage caused by the hurricane. The Seabees involved in the Pascagoula operation include members of CBMU-202 from Little Creek, Va. and members of the CBMU-202 Detachment from Kings Bay, Ga. One of the priority projects...

GULFPORT, Miss. (NNS) -- Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) Gulfport opened its doors Sept. 17 to Kelly, Toni, Jackie and Noah, four of eight Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins displaced when a reported 40-foot storm surge caused by Hurricane Katrina destroyed their home at Marine Life Oceanarium Aug. 29. The dolphins' temporary home includes three portable saltwater above-ground pools, filters, pumps and monitoring equipment set up by U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program personnel from San Diego at an NCBC facility. One 22,000-gallon pool and two 10,000-gallon pools will be used to provide a temporary home for eight dolphins while they recover from...

GULFPORT, Miss. (NNS) -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1, based in Gulfport, Miss., launched Seabees from Construction Battalion Center (CBC) Gulfport Sept. 9 to neighboring communities throughout Harrison and Stone counties in Mississippi to assist its citizens with disaster recovery in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. When CBC Gulfport officials offered Seabee assistance to the community at large, Malcolm Jones, acting mayor of Pass Christian, stepped forward with his town’s need for improvements to an aid distribution station including a large tent to store donated food and supplies. Also with no water and sewer service, the citizens needed a...

D'IBERVILLE, Miss. (NNS) -- Seabees stationed at Gulfport, Miss. received aid Sept. 8 from U.S. and international forces in support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts here. U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif., Mexican marines from ARM Papaloapan (A 411), Sailors on board USS Bataan (LPD 5) and Dutch sailors on board HMS Van Amstel (F 831), participated in one of the first international humanitarian efforts here, repairing D'Iberville Elementary School just outside of Biloxi. The elementary school is currently being used as both a shelter and a food and water distribution center. The 75 Mexican marines arrived Sept. 8 via...

Sen Hillary Clinton visits the front line, as seen here talking to a Seabee.

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy Seabees are currently deploying additional personnel to the Gulf Coast to help with Hurricane Katrina recovery operations. Two active-duty Seabee battalions from Port Hueneme, Calif., Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) detachments from both coasts, and Reserve Seabee volunteers from various areas will join those already in Gulfport, Miss., for a total Seabee force of up to 3,000. As currently envisioned, their initial mission will be to clear roads so that civil organizations can reach hurricane victims and to set up logistics centers to distribute food and water as well as to provide emergency...

PORT HUENEME, Calif. (NNS) -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40 began deploying a detachment of 125 personnel to Gulfport, Miss., Sept. 1 to provide humanitarian assistance and conduct debris removal in the aftermath of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. The detachment will lend support to the 22nd Seabee Readiness Group in disaster recovery operations. Twenty-seven NMCB 40 Seabees comprised the first group to deploy to the Gulf Coast, with the remaining Seabees scheduled to deploy sometime during the same week. NMCB 40 is currently at its homeport for a 10-month training period.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Aug. 4, 2005) -- They drill, they build, and if need be, they fight — with rounds ready in their M-16A2 rifles. They’re Seabees – Naval construction battalions trained in combat skills to support Leathernecks overseas. “(Our) mobile construction battalions provide aid for Marines in theater (via) the forward operating base,” said Navy Lt. Dude L. Underwood, referring to Marines’ constant presence in Iraq. These hard-hat-wearing sailors not only build bunkers, they also rebuild structures while providing their own security. When they’re not overseas, they’re seen working on home-front projects in various places —...

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (NNS) -- The City of New York honored four Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 21 with the “Freedom Award” in a ceremony at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College June 29. Lt. Douglas Luback, Chief Construction Mechanic Patrick Sabatini, Construction Mechanic 1st Class Daniel Johnson and Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Anthony Carrube were recognized by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg for their active-duty service in the global war on terrorism. The four Reservists are full-time municipal employees with the New York City Department of Sanitation. The City cited the NMCB...

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- For three weeks, my FOX News team has been immersed in little more than what's been happening around us. Memorial Day isn't, as they say over here, on our radar screens. The soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines we've been covering and living with in Al Anbar Province have been focused on chasing terrorists, avoiding IEDs and staying alive. They call it situational awareness -- being alert to only the friendly and enemy situation in the immediate vicinity is an absolute necessity for these young Americans in harm's way in this hot, dusty and dangerous place. And because...

Hey all, The blackout has been lifted..OOORAH!!! My squad is back on base, after 6 lo-o-o-o-ong days!!! Only a couple "hairy" moments....no one (Seabees or Marines) got hurt!! There's power in prayer, that's for sure!!! We had a reporter with the Los Angeles Times (Tony Perry) "embedded" with us today...as we completed our (last)mission. Look for the story to come out in the LA Times tomorrow or Thursday!! Imagine that, a reporter imbedded with the Seabees....(lol) Needless to say, we're worn out.....!!! Hopefully, I'll get a good nights sleep...in "my" rack tonite!!! OOORAH!!! One thing about it, being here really...

President and Mrs. Bush visited the National Archives to view some of our nation's founding documents. In spite of some Senators Behaving Badly (particularly John Kerry and Barbara Boxer), the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted Wednesday to confirm Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state; the nomination now goes to the full Senate for a vote. Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island: one day to go till W2!

BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) -- A Kingston, Wash., family benefited from the generosity and teamwork of Navy volunteers when ABC's hit TV show, "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" built them a new 3,200 square foot custom home Nov. 10-17. In the episode, which airs on ABC Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. eastern, nearly 200 crew members from USS Columbus (SSN 762) and USS Ohio (SSGN 726), together with Seabees from Bangor, Wash., and some crew members' spouses, answered the call to help build a new home for the Dore family. The family, a widow and her three daughters, had been living on...

December 30, 2004 Release Number: 04-12-66 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE US NAVY SEABEES BUILD HARDENED GALLEY FACILITY FOR MARINESFOB KALSU, Iraq -- As news reports depict continuing security concerns for U.S. military camps in Iraq, US Navy Seabees of the I Marine Expeditionary Force Engineer Group recently completed construction on a reinforced dining facility here. "I am extremely proud of the work we've done here, especially in light of what happened in Mosul," said Project Crew Leader Builder 2nd Class Paul Verratti, referencing the recent suicide bombing attack at a Mosul dining facility. Verratti and 20 other Seabees from a Naval...

December 20, 2004 Release Number: 04-12-36 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEABEES EXPAND ROADWAYFOB DUKE, Iraq - Navy Seabees attached to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Najaf completed their part in a major road expansion project in Kufa today. The work was done at the request of Najaf Province's governor, Adnan al-Zurufi, as part of a larger government road expansion project. The project consisted of widening 3 km of a major thoroughfare between Najaf and Kufa, turning the two lane road into a four lane road. Seabees leveled and grated the ground, laid a rock and sand mixture as the road's...

NAVAL BASE VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (NNS) -- Three Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 received Purple Hearts during a ceremony held Nov. 16 at Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme, Calif., in recognition of their wounds sustained in action while serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command and Chief of Civil Engineers Rear Adm. Michael Loose presented the awards to Master Chief Constructionman Martin Yingling, Chief Equipment Operator Darion Williams, and Steelworker 3rd Class Justin Sasser. Assigned to Task Force Echo, they were injured through indirect fire from a rocket attack...

                      Bearing Duel 2004 Seabee Daniel Trammel mans a defensive firing position during Exercise Bearing Duel 2004 at Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman John P. Curtis lllllllllllllll Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 40 rush an "injured" man to medical during a mass casualty drill at Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., Aug. 31, 2004. The battalion participated in Exercise Bearing Duel 2004, which provides an opportunity to train in realistic field environments while preparing for contingency operations and future deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman John P. Curtis lllllllllllllll Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction...