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NMCB 7 Completes Dire Dawa Water Well

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100708-11
7/8/2010

By Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Heather Watts, Electronics Technician 2nd Class Elizabeth Martin and Engineering Aide 2nd Class Gregg Morris, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 7 Public Affairs

DIRE DAWA, Ethiopia (NNS) -- After 672 hours of operations, Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7's Detachment Horn of Africa successfully completed the drilling of their first freshwater well in the village of Adgia Falima, located in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, June 14.

A detail of 18 Seabees detached from Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, April 30 to establish a base camp in Dire Dawa and began operations shortly after.

The detail has been tasked with completing the construction of seven hand-pump operated wells in the Dire Dawa and Shinele regions, through the use of the mud rotary drilling technique, the most versatile and dependable method for drilling fresh water wells. Each completed well will possess the ability to pump nine gallons of fresh water per minute.

Detail personnel were divided into three separate crews, led by Equipment Operator 1st Class Brad Williams, Equipment Operator 1st Class Jackie Hazeltine and Equipment Operator 2nd Michael Chevere. Each crew worked equal eight hour shifts, allowing drilling operations to continue 24 hours a day.

The completed well was drilled to a depth of 224 feet, consisting of 6-inch polyvinyl chloride (PVC) casing, 2-inch galvanized steel draw pipe, sanitary seals, concrete base with catch basin and a galvanized steel hand pump.

The Seabees' success did not come without minor setbacks. Delays in getting needed equipment across the border into Ethiopia, along with drill malfunctions, were a couple of obstacles the Seabees had to hurdle.

"An important step of the drilling process was monitoring what type of surface we were drilling through," said Equipment Operator Constructionman Justin Flowers. "Sometimes clay, then sand, but most often we had to drill through solid rock, making the operation very difficult and time consuming."

Security for the water well operation was provided by a 14-man detail of Army Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 65th Infantry Regiment, who were also based out of Camp Lemonnier. The battalion is currently on deployment, from their home base of Puerto Rico, to provide security to Camp Lemonnier and forward operating locations throughout the U.S. Africa Command region.

Once completed, the Seabees provided valuable training on operation and maintenance of the well, to prevent misuse and mistreatment which may damage the well or cause a malfunction.

To celebrate the completion of the well, Ensign Craig Culbertson, detail mission commander, coordinated with the village leader to arrange an opening ceremony.

"This is the first well we have completed, but it's more than just a number to us," said Culbertson, during the brief ceremony.

The Seabees will use a two week maintenance period to make minor drilling rig and camp repairs before drilling their next water well in Legota Mirga, Ethiopia.

NMCB 7 and its detachments are currently deployed to various locations throughout Europe and Africa as part of the battalion's regularly scheduled 2010 deployment, with the main body of the battalion operating from Camp Mitchell at Naval Station Rota, Spain.

NCMB 7 is homeported at the Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Miss., and is currently the east coast's Battle "E" Seabee battalion.