Runnin' Roos Raise Morale with Field Showers

GULFPORT, Miss. (NNS) -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133's Echo Company assembled a field shower tent during its 2012 field training exercise (FTX) at Camp Shelby May 14-25.

The project enabled the camp to raise morale, and additionally helped the battalion's culinary specialists and food service assistants maintain a sanitary working environment.

Culinary Specialist 1st Class Kylie Hall, the galley leading petty officer, said that in addition to the morale boost, the showers helped to maintain sanitary conditions.

"Because it was so hot out at FTX, food-borne illnesses are at a higher risk to get personnel sick," Hall said,

To combat the potential for sickness, six utilitiesmen constructed a Military General Purpose Tent System (MGPTS) for privacy; then dug and assembled a leach field behind the tent to strain the waste water. The group then installed, stabilized, and leveled flooring and floor pallets to maximize traction when walking within the shower tent. Finally, they put together the 3,000 gallon onion-skin water bladder, field boiler, water pump, and hoses, so the showers would be available for any personnel who utilized the nine-headed shower system.

Once it was functional, the crew maintained the system as more than 360 personnel used 12,000 gallons of potable water during eight days of use.

"The shower tent was extremely successful and boosted morale of the personnel at the Main Body site and the detachments that came in during unit level training," said Utilitiesman 3rd Class Samuel Kellogg, a crew leader on the project.

The users agreed that the project was a success.

"The showers were great and sky-rocketed my morale," said Builder 2nd Class Christopher Dutra.

NMCB 133 is currently finishing a homeport training period following the conclusion of the FTX certification process and preparing for their next deployment.

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