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Seabees in Kuwait Support Army While Strengthening Skills

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS081028-01
Release Date: 10/28/2008 6:26:00 AM

From Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, Alfa Company Public Affairs

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (NNS) -- A team of five equipment operators from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 completed placing a foundation Oct. 22 for a building, but they're building a skill set which will last a a lifetime.

Since Sept. 22, personnel from NMCB 4's Alfa Company have been placing a foundation that is the half the size of an Olympic-size swimming pool. Of the five Seabees tasked with the project, four are experiencing their first deployment; however, the quality of work completed doesn't indicate that most of the Sailors were in high school only one year ago.

"The work we're doing right now will last for years," said Equipment Operator 2nd Class Michael Ivey, project crew leader, "but we're gaining experience and knowledge that will last a lifetime."

The crew has been working with material indigenous to Kuwait and has the consistency of sand. Getch, normally excavated from the ground, is a mixture of sand and clay.

"It's not easy to work with, and it's not forgiving, but because of our teamwork, we find that we're doing things few have done before," said Constructionman Shane Nance.

To get the consistency they need, the crew mixes the getch with water and then spreads it on the ground where it is rolled flat and compacted. The end product is a hard, stable surface on top of the sand that can support the weight of structures and vehicles.

These pads will be used as a surface on which the transient Army truck companies of Camp Arifjan will place office buildings. As more transportation units move in and out of Kuwait, the need for quality construction is on the rise. The project only required a month to complete, but the end product will last much longer.

"When I was in A-School we had to pass a test, but here our product has to pass the test of time," Constructionman Joseph Gibson said.

For more news from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, visit www.navy.mil/local/nmcb4/.