Seabees Enhance Quality of Life in Afghanistan

MUSA QAL’EH, Afghanistan (NNS) -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 began construction of the Musa Qal'eh low water crossing in September.

During the rainy season, the now-dry wadi becomes a surging river that isolates the district and turns it into an island traversable only by ferry. The crossing will provide a transportation route across the wadi (riverbed) to improve the Afghans' quality of life.

The project at Musa Qal'eh is well underway. Each day Seabees work 10-12 hours while wearing individual body armor - and with extreme precision - place up to 20,000-pound pieces of concrete.

"The amount of water in the ground makes the soil unstable; placing the pieces accurately is very difficult and requires extra effort to get them to all line up properly," said Chief Steelworker Jonathan Swagerty.

Composed primarily of equipment operators to operate heavy equipment and steelworkers to weld all the pieces in place, the 25 Seabees on this detail were hand-selected for this project because they are some of the best NMCB 4 has to offer.

"Being away from the battalion mainbody means there is more to do, and we get more experience," said Equipment Operator 3rd Class Eric Muckey.

The Seabees' hard work is becoming apparent as the first of two spans begins to take shape despite many obstacles to overcome.

"We are rotating through the work of welding, grinding and cutting, so we don't get tired of doing the same thing over and over," said Steelworker Constructionman James McMahan.

The project includes nearly 200 prefabricated reinforced concrete pieces held together by more than 15,000 welds.

"I like working outside the wire, seeing the [Afghans] and knowing I'm making a difference," said Steelworker Constructionman Brittney LeQuia.

For more news from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, visit www.navy.mil/local/nmcb4/.