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Continuing Promise Seabees Wrap Up Work in Guatemala

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080517-06
Release Date: 5/17/2008 10:47:00 PM

By Private 1st Class Gisell Martinez, USS Boxer Public Affairs

PUERTO SAN JOSE, Guatemala (NNS) -- Seabees with Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 303 and Navy Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5, embarked aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4), completed renovation and repair operations throughout Guatemala, May 15, as part of Continuing Promise (CP) 2008.

CP is an equal partnership mission enabling American and partner-nation civil engineers to share ideas to provide effective infrastructure solutions, while also building on long-term bonds.

Over a period of eight days, the Seabees completed work across six sites to include three schools, one church and two main road repairs. The work included roof demolition and replacement, constructing new school houses, replacing doors and windows, in addition to painting and landscaping repairs.

Throughout the entire operation, the Seabees worked side-by-side with Guatemalan military civil engineers who provided their own experience and skills to the projects.

"The Guatemalan engineers are phenomenal," said Chief Builder (SCW) Thomas Whiley, the assistant officer-in-charge for the engineering contingent of CP. "They brought a lot of skill. Without them, I doubt we would have been able to finish."

Most of the site repairs were schools with few classrooms housing more students than there was space available. Many locations had roofing that was little more than metal sheets simply thrown on top of one another.

In addition to structural and cosmetic repair to the locations, the partner-nation engineers and Seabees worked together to repair the infrastructure facilities such as plumbing. Before the work began, the school house at Aldea Linares had plumbing that would frequently mix drinking water with sewage. The Seabee and partner-nation engineering teams fully replaced Aldea Linares' plumbing, offering the children and faculty clean and fresh drinking water.

"You've done a great job. We know you are of great help, not only to Guatemala, but to the world," said Servin Humberto Gonzales Navarro, a Guatemalan Army Corps engineer. "May God continue to help and bless you so you can continue doing this kind of work."

The CBMU 303 and NMCB 5 Seabees are now gearing up for similar work in El Salvador, Boxer's second stop on CP 2008.

Boxer's mission exemplifies the U.S. maritime strategy which emphasizes deploying forces to build confidence and trust among nations through collective maritime security efforts that focus on common threats and mutual interests.

Embarked units and organizations aboard Boxer for CP include Amphibious Squadron 5, Fleet Surgical Team 5, U.S. Public Health Service, Project Hope, Project Handclasp, Navy Seabee Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303, Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 14, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 764, Tactical Air Control Squadron 11, Special Marine Air Ground Task Force 24, Helicopter Sea Combat Support Squadron 23, Assault Craft Unit 1, Fleet Survey Team and Beach Master Unit 1.

For more news from USS Boxer (LHD 4), visit www.navy.mil/local/lhd4/.