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NMCB 5 Receives 2009 Peltier Award

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100615-13
6/15/2010

From Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 Public Affairs

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) recognized Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 June 12 as the recipient of the 2009 Peltier Award.

The Peltier Award is named for Rear Adm. Eugene J. Peltier, former chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks and chief of Civil Engineers.

The award recognizes the selected NMCB as the most outstanding during the prior fiscal year. This is the second consecutive year NMCB 5 has won this prestigious Seabee award.

The first complete battalion to deploy in support of U.S. Forces Afghanistan in Regional Command South, NMCB 5 provided unparalleled engineering support to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, a U.S. Army Stryker Brigade and Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force Afghanistan.

"These proud, selfless Seabees have had two consecutive homeports cut significantly short in order to support Afghanistan surge operations," said Cmdr. Scot Sanders, the commanding officer of NMCB 5. "Both times their original scheduled deployment destinations were changed. Each time they tightened their belts and went to work like true professionals."

NMCB 5 Seabees returned from Afghanistan in August 2010. Within a few short months, word spread that they would deploy back to the desert sooner than expected.

"Despite the changes and short homeports, they performed magnificently and truly lived up to the Seabee legacy, making the difficult happen now and the seemingly impossible things happen later," said Sanders.

Small crews from NMCB 5 worked together to construct small camps and improve the quality of life for supported commands; they build everything from the ground up.

Safety is an important part of consideration for the Peltier Award, and NMCB 5 takes safety seriously on a daily bases.

"These guys had twice the optempo and number of mandays worked of a normal peacetime deployment, yet the safety mishap rate dropped significantly by 46 percent," said Sanders. "[It is] one of the best safety records of any unit I've ever seen; safety mishaps normally go up in a contingency environment."

NMCB 5 is currently on a scheduled eight-month deployment to Afghanistan supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

"Every time I see them working away in a sand storm or in the desert heat, I think these guys are really a special breed, and I'm blown away by their professionalism, their efforts and their sacrifices," said Sanders. "It is an honor to have had a chance to serve with such tremendous men and women. They inspire me daily and represent to me the very essence of the ancient creed 'Strength and Honor.'"