Rear Adm. Phillips Visits Seabees During Al Anbar Trip
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS070220-25
Release Date: 2/20/2007 7:09:00 PM
By Lt. j.g. Christopher Wolpert, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 18 Public Affairs
AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq (NNS) -- Rear Adm. Robert Phillips, commander, 1st Naval Construction Division, visited Seabees deployed to Southwest Asia on Feb. 15-16, providing the chance for deployed service members to express their thoughts about the successes and challenges of operating in a contingency environment, now and in the future.
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 18 hosted Phillips' visit to Al Asad Air Base while conducting tours of Seabee operations there.
Seabee units have maintained a high operational tempo of contingency construction operations throughout the length of their deployments, and Phillips wants to be certain the Seabees have the means to carry out support in the war on terrorism.
“My job is to take care of 17,000-plus Seabees globally,” Phillips said adding that he has been meeting with the Seabees and making sure they have the most up-to-date tools and equipment with which to apply their technical skills.
The Class IV construction materials yard provided Phillips a close-up view of the flow of construction materials to the field.
“It’s reassuring to have someone at that level express their concerns about the importance of getting construction materials to the project sites,” said Builder 1st Class Robert Devet, the Al Asad Class IV assistant officer in charge of yard operations.
Many Sailors said Phillips’ visit made a positive impact on Seabees stationed here, giving all an opportunity to take their questions and ideas straight to the top.
“In my 17 years in the Navy, it was the first time I shook the hand of an admiral,” said Steelworker 1st Class Dagoberto Chavez.
“It was definitely one of the high points of the deployment,” Devet said.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
