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Seabees Begin Renovations at Second El Salvador Site

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080530-04
Release Date: 5/30/2008 1:08:00 PM

By Pfc. Gisell Martinez, USS Boxer Public Affairs

MIRAVALLE, El Salvador (NNS) -- Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 303, embarked aboard USS Boxer (LHD 4) May 26, and began renovations and repairs at El Salvador's Miravalle school house as a part of Continuing Promise (CP) 2008.

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

The Seabees are working alongside El Salvador's Command of Engineers to construct new classrooms, renovate old classrooms and flooring and repair the kitchen, bathroom, windows and roofing over a period of five days.

The partner-nation engineers will replace the old roofing while Seabees continue the repair and reconstruction of classrooms as well as fixing windows and electrical rewiring.

Offering assistance alongside the Seabees and Salvadoran Command of Engineers will be the school's principal who has a degree in engineering.

"Thank God we will be receiving a new classroom," said school principal, Alba Estupinyan. "The community is very happy to be receiving the help."

The Miravalle school is a public facility that is regularly occupied with 500 students that usually holds 45 to 60 students in each one of their eight classrooms. CP Seabees will be constructing a new classroom and adding windows, lighting and fans to the school to help students and teachers for a comfortable, less cramped and more enjoyable learning atmosphere.

"We have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time, but I have faith that my crew can overcome and make it happen," said Builder 2nd Class Robert Alamillo, a project crew leader for the site. "Everyone is coming together, and we are able to communicate better together to help complete the mission at hand."

There are 27 Seabees working at the site, which is scheduled to last five days.

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, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5, 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, Maritime Civil Affairs Team 205 and Beach Master Unit 1.

For more news from USS Boxer, visit www.navy.mil/local/lhd4/.