Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Underwater Construction Team 1, Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 202, and Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 participated in the Bayside District 2016 Spring Camporee, May 13-15.

More than 200 participants, including Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, explorers, and Cub Scouts, took part in a variety of military-related activities and demonstrations while visiting the Little Creek base.

"The Boy Scouts' Bayside District 2016 Spring Camporee turned out to be a great event to support on base," stated Capt. Frank Hughlett, commander, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. "This was a unique opportunity to share our military heritage with a group of youth who will be the future leaders of our country."

"The core values of scouting - of building character, being responsible citizens, and personal fitness - lend itself to the Navy's core values of honor, courage and commitment," stated Hughlett. "Having the opportunity to influence youth in a positive manner, helping them to be their best, is greatly rewarding."

Chief Equipment Operator Gary Tyler, from UCT 1's Training Department, reflected on the importance of working with the next generation of possible Sailors, Seabees, and Seabee divers.

"Mentoring junior leaders on diving, underwater construction, tools, Seabees and the Navy's opportunities and capabilities, provides us an opportunity to bring awareness to our technical skills and capabilities we provide worldwide," said Tyler, who added this is the fifth year UCT 1 has participated in the Camporee event.

During the Camporee event, UCT 1 Sailors provided the scouts a closer look at what types of construction Seabees perform below the seas.

The scouts will see the dive gear underwater in action, said Tyler. We will let them try on the dive helmets, see how underwater construction tools are used underwater, and perhaps challenge them to a game of tic-tac-toe. They will learn about diving theories, Navy heritage, and Seabee history by highlighting the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Naval Construction Force, he said.

NECC is an enduring warfighting force providing sea-to-shore and inland operating environment capabilities across the full range of military operations that is focused on delivering combat effective expeditionary forces ready for worldwide operations now and into the future.

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