Reserve Seabees Participate in Operation Greenstinger '03
2/13/2003
By Journalist 1st Class Brigette A. Barnes, NMCB-23 Public Affairs
Story Number: NNS030213-15
FORT BELVOIR, Va. (NNS) -- The wheels on the C-5 Galaxy had barely lifted off the ground when Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 23's Air Detachment settled into their seats on the airlifter's upper deck. Some read, most would sleep. There would be no inflight movie during this four-hour airborne bus ride to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico. Operation Greenstinger '03 was under way.
Greenstinger is designed to hone the Seabees' skills for a fast and efficient battalion move-out. If the Reserve unit is recalled for an active-duty contingency, the Seabees must be as good at moving out as they are at building or fighting when they arrive.
The exercise allows the battalion to learn new techniques and improve established deployment skills.
"Every time we do something, we get better at it," said Chief Construction Electrician William Collingsworth, NMCB-23's embarkation chief.
During the complex annual joint-service exercise, the Seabees train to load and move their personnel and machines to a simulated hot spot. Air Force personnel worked side by side with the Seabees, training them on aircraft loading procedures and pallet building while loading 60 Bees and support personnel, along with tons of support equipment, into the cavernous cargo hold the C-5 cargo airlifter.
Before going wheels-up, however, the Seabees were divided into pallet and load teams. The Air Force support crew taught the pallet team how to build a pallet according to approved loading specs. Then, seabags and non-construction equipment were secured to the pallets and loaded. The load team was responsible for carefully weighing vehicles and learning load tie-down methods.
Equipment Operator 1st Class Milton Artis learned how to weigh equipment.
"We have to know how much the equipment weighs in order to know what can go and what can't," Artis explained. Just as important, he continued, "Air Force personnel showed us how to distribute the weight of the equipment so the plane would be balanced."
A key lesson learned from an earlier exercise was how to load a 15-ton tractor and trailer loaded with a bulldozer onto the C-5. Seabees and their Air Force trainers first loaded other vehicles and pallets onto the aircraft. Then, using a clever ramp and blocks built by NMCB-23 with schematics provided by the Air Force, the angle of the ramps was lowered so that the tractor-trailer unit could be loaded whole into the aircraft with relative ease.
Once on the ground in Puerto Rico, the Seabees trained in communications, convoy planning, execution and security, load planning, heavy-cargo tie-down procedures and more. They were joined by Seabees of NMCB-74 stationed in Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.
With a highly successful training mission accomplished, the departure exercise was repeated, and the plane returned to Andrews Air Force Base. Capt. Barbara Sisson, commander 3rd naval construction regiment, greeted the plane after touch-down.
"It was a thing of beauty to see how well coordinated our Seabees were with the Air Force," Sisson said. "This exercise was a huge success. It was easy to see that from the attitudes of the people. They were ready to get back on the plane and do it again."
The help of the Air Force was acknowledged with praise from many Greenstingers.
"There was good camaraderie between the Seabees and the Air Force people," said Equipment Operator 3rd Class Brian Hedrick. "We received great training from the Air Force."
Collingsworth, who witnessed every aspect of the mission, was pleased with the outcome of the exercise.
"We had 100 percent accountability and mission success without a single mishap," Collingsworth said. "This is the first time we used a designated load team to place equipment in the aircraft -- and we cut our loading and unloading time by 50 percent. Most of all, we sharpened our skills on moving people and machines fast and efficiently.
"We know now we can move our people, supplies and equipment by aircraft anywhere and anytime," Collingsworth continued. "We knew that in our hearts before the exercise, but once you've successfully done it, it gives you a higher level of confidence."
The exercise also had an additional benefit -- increasing retention for the battalion.
"We've gotten everyone excited about their jobs," Artis said. "It gave them something to look forward to and made them even more proud to be in the Seabees and the Navy."
Collingsworth added that the exercise spurred a lot of interest in the battalion for the next Greenstinger.
"I have members from all the battalion's detachments asking me if they can be in the air detachment for mobilization or deployment," he grinned.
Plans for the next Greenstinger are already in motion.
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