Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 14 Det. Horn of Africa (Det. HOA) renovated the only public restrooms at the "Source of the Nile" March 15 as part of Eastern Accord 15, a joint military training exercise focused on humanitarian aid and disaster response in East Africa.

Eight NMCB-14 Seabees joined with members of the U.S. Army 404th Civil Affairs Battalion and the Ugandan People's Defense Force (UPDF) Construction Brigade for the project to support the local population and build relationships with African militaries and local communities.

The "Source of the Nile," where the Nile River flows out of Lake Victoria to begin its 2,299 mile course, is a major local tourist attraction. However, its only public restroom was in poor condition.

The Seabees and soldiers demolished the existing latrine's interior, repaired walls, replaced doors, added lighting, placed new tile and toilets, and painted the inside and outside of the latrine. All of the materials needed to complete the project were purchased from local vendors, supporting the Jinja economy.

The finished project provides modern restroom facilities for male and female visitors to the "Source of the Nile," boosting local tourism.

Originally estimated to be a routine project, the renovation captured the attention of commanding generals from the United States and Uganda and officers from Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, and multiple European nations, along with the local population. The project quickly became the epicenter for relations between the U.S. forces, the UPDF, and the municipality.

U.S. Major General Wayne Grigsby, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), stated, "You may not know what a difference this job means for future relations with our African partners."

The response from the Jinja municipality was overwhelmingly positive. Team members and were stopped out in town by locals who wished to thank them for their work and local reporteders conducted interviews.

Deputy town clerk Jofram Waidhuuba spoke about the partnership during the ribbon cutting ceremony.

"On behalf of the Jinja people, we thank you so much," Waidhuuba said. "In just a few days, you give us a sense of hope, and helped promote tourism in this town."

In typical Seabee fashion, NMCB-14 left an impression of their "Can Do" spirit on everyone they met.

"I love Seabees, I love what you do," said Major General Darryl Williams. "When I get done with this Army gig, I want to be a Seabee."

Eastern Accord 15 is a military exercise that focuses on humanitarian aid and disaster response in East African nations. The 10-day training exercise enhanced participant capabilities to plan and employ forces to effectively counter violent extremist organizations as well as enhancing cooperation and coordination among participating partners. Approximately 320 military personnel from Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and the U.S. participated in the exercise.

NMCB-14 is a reserve Seabee battalion based out of Gulfport, Mississippi, that specializs in contingency construction, disaster response, and humanitarian assistance. NMCB-14 Det. HOA is currently deployed to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti in support of CJTF-HOA, which counters violent extremist organizations in East Africa through theatre security cooperation activities and enables regional access and freedom of movement within East Africa in order to protect and defend United States interests.

For more news from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11, visit www.navy.mil/.