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Naval Base Kitsap Seabees Prepare For USS Abraham Lincoln Arrival

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060818-06
8/18/2006

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Mary Popejoy, Northwest Region Fleet Public Affairs Center

BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) -- Seabees attached to Naval Base Kitsap (NBK) Bremerton's Self-Help Department poured 588 cubic yards of concrete Aug. 16 to make a parking lot, for USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Sailors while the ship undergoes a regularly scheduled maintenance period in Bremerton for six months.

The parking lot will not be striped for individual places, but Ecology blocks, dividers that are placed throughout, will help Sailors better orient their parking so they can avoid fender benders when pulling into a space. The parking lot should be able to fit 200 vehicles comfortably.

The project has taken approximately three weeks and cost less than hiring a contractor.

"The contractor wanted to do this for $70,000, but we're doing it for $14,000, so we definitely saved the Navy some money by keeping it in house," said Steel Worker 2nd Class (SCW) Corey Schneider, a native of Port Angeles, Wash. "It may have taken us less time as well, but we're happy to do it because we like working outside and doing projects like this where we get to use the skills we've learned in the Navy."

Not only was the project inexpensive, but it will also help improve the quality of life of those who use the parking lot in the future.

"I was here when we had two carriers in and it was a parking nightmare, so this is going to help out a lot," said Electronics Technician 3rd Class (Submarines) (SS) Carl Degen, temporarily assigned to NBK Self Help and a native of Houston.

According to Utilitiesman 1st Class (SCW) Tom Wilhorn, a native of Inyokern, Calif., the most rewarding part of each job is seeing the end result and seeing it put to good use.

"The Lincoln Sailors are probably not going to come up to me and thank me for building this parking lot, but just being able to step back and look at the finished product makes me feel really good," said Wilhorn.