NMCB 1, NMCB 15 Celebrate Getting 'Over the Hump' in Iraq
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS080117-18
Release Date: 1/17/2008 3:59:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Demetrius Kennon, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 Public Affairs
IRAQ (NNS) -- U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 and NMCB 15, Task Force Sierra (TFS), celebrated making it half-way through deployment with an 'over-the-hump' party/sports day in Iraq, Jan. 12.
The day of fun, food and competition started for the Seabees at noon when they gathered for accountability and were dispersed to each event station.
The stations were spread throughout camp, and there was a roster posted displaying the event locations. When one team would finish one event, they would then move to the next.
"There were four people per team, and there were seven events with multiple rounds," said Utilitiesman 3rd Class Mateya Huntley, the event coordinator and NMCB 1 TFS Morale, Welfare and Recreation committee member. "If the team won a game, they received a point for that round."
There was rope-climbing, tug-of-war, a Humvee-pull, football, basketball, sack-racing and arm-wrestling, said Huntley.
The Seabees gave their all in each event while still having fun and enjoying their peers' bloopers.
"My favorite event was sack-racing because it was the funniest," said Huntley. "We and our opponents had tied, so we had to do a three-legged race. We won, and the other team fell over the finish line."
The time and energy put into organizing the day's happenings paid off with not only a boost of morale, but also camaraderie among the Seabees.
"The MWR committee put together a good schedule for the party," said Lt. j.g. Gregory Herndon, the TFS assistant officer in charge with NMCB 15. "The sporting events they picked were really good because they focused on teamwork, and between the events, people were able to visit and tell stories about their experiences here on deployment."
The chief petty officers and officers also put together teams and participated in the competition. Their involvement meant a lot to the junior Seabees.
"They actually got out and had some fun and are not just all about work," said Equipment Operator Constructionman Jared Knight, the TFS vehicle dispatcher with NMCB 1. "I think that was good for everybody to see that the officers and chiefs were involved."
After the sporting events, the Seabees relaxed, related and enjoyed grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and steaks. The day had proven to be a success, not because of the competition's outcome, but because of what the celebration meant.
"For me, it means it [deployment] is almost done. It relieves a lot of pressure," said Storekeeper 3rd Class Alex Lauderdale, a material liaison office and central tool room assistant with NMCB 15. "I can tell my family we're closer and closer to coming home."
Some of the Seabees deployed to Iraq are realizing that, because of the sacrifices of the service members who were here before them, Iraq is continuously becoming safer for incoming troops.
"This is my first deployment, and it's not anything like I had expected," said Knight. "I wouldn't hesitate to come back over here if I had to come back to the desert."
The halfway point is not the end of deployment. It merely marks a stepping stone for the Seabees in the TFS mission.
"The natural tendency is to see the light at the end of the tunnel and want to run there just as fast as you can," said Herndon. "We should remain engaged in the moment and keep the attention on the details, staying focused on the actual task and doing it correctly so that the benefits are reaped by the people we are supporting."
For more news from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1, visit www.news.navy.mil/local/nmcb1/.
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