Seabees Bring More Support to Surge in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Two additional battalions of U.S. Navy Seabees are being deployed to Afghanistan in support of the 30,000 troop surge ordered by President Barack Obama in December 2009.

During a DoDLive bloggers roundtable on Feb. 11, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Mark A. Handley, commander of the First Naval Construction Division, said extra engineering expertise is needed to build forward operating bases, pave roads and construct airfields for the increased numbers of U.S. and coalition forces.

Aside from being critical to the success of the mission in Afghanistan, he said the infrastructure Seabees provide, improves the quality of life for troops. "We are the ones who build them a wood floor under their tent, build them a galley [and] build them a command and control facility," Handley said.

Seabees were among the first U.S. troops to enter Afghanistan at the start of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001 to upgrade and repair airfields. For the past year, they have had two battalions on the ground, mostly assisting the Marines in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. The new additions will also be concentrated in the south, and will bring the total number of Seabees to about 3,800.

Handley said the toughest part of their mission is transporting construction equipment and getting raw building materials into position due to the remote and rugged terrain. "We're moving all of our equipment with a combination of air and sealift. Sealift will go into Karachi [Pakistan] and then over the passes into Afghanistan."

He said it's unusual to deliver the heaviest construction equipment by air, but it's sometimes necessary in Afghanistan because some gear doesn't fit through the passes.

Handley said that the Seabees have enjoyed a great deal of success resourcing materials so far thanks to careful planning. "We have reached very far into the future [as] to what we believe our requirements are going to be and we've anticipated fairly well," he said. He added that the Seabees are getting support from the 30th Naval Construction Regiment with procurement for parts coming from the Defense Logistics Agency and the Army.

The two biggest problem areas, he said, have been getting electrical materials and water well completion kits. Those kits contain valves and other technical components needed to finish water wells after they've drilled and installed pipes.

In addition to the mission in Afghanistan, Handley said Seabees are operating in 20 countries around the world to support a variety of humanitarian, security and community-building operations. In Haiti, he said they have been instrumental in getting materials across the beach for distribution into population centers and they continue to repair port facilities.

For the Afghanistan mission, Handley said he has received universally strong support from the troops to the notice of additional deployments, which require some schedule adjustments. Once the buildup is complete Handley said there will be two active Seabee battalions and two reserve battalions serving in Afghanistan. Handley noted the reduction in times between the mobilizations of Reservists, from five years to 3.5 years, and he said he recognizes the sacrifice they are making. "They are true heroes for leaving a civilian job and career."

He noted that when NMCB 74's current deployment to Afghanistan was extended from six months to eight months, some members of the battalion were due to complete their six-month assignments and have new orders executed. But Handley said, "Every one of them has gone ahead and extended to do the full deployment. There's a great sense of camaraderie, a great understanding of the importance of the mission and the importance that they have."

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