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Sailors, Marines Honored for School Renovations in Ecuador

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS110118-02
1/18/2011

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class(SW) Jeffery Tilghman Williams, High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) Public Affairs

MONTECRISTI, Ecuador (NNS) -- Sailors and Marines supporting Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2011 were recognized for renovations they performed at a school in Montecristi, Ecuador, during a ceremony hosted by local officials, military leaders and school board staff Jan. 17.

Sailors from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 28 and Marines assigned to 2nd Marine Logistics Group partnered with Marines from the Ecuadorian navy for a two-week subject matter expert exchange at Escuela Jacobo Vera, where they built two stair cases, performed electrical rewiring, installed eight toilets and a sewage pipe and built a wall on the perimeter of the school grounds.

Southern Partnership Station 2011 (SPS 11) Mission Commander Cmdr. Mark Becker was the honored guest at the ceremony and was proud of the work conducted by the joint military team.

"During this project, we proved how efficiently and productively our militaries can work with one another to accomplish a goal," said Becker. "These Sailors and Marines overcame language barriers to learn from one another and help improve the quality of life for children at this school."

"We could not be more appreciative of the work done by these men from High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2)," said Escuela Jacobo Vera Principal Liliana Mendoza. "We have waited a long time for these improvements, and now our children can focus on learning instead of other issues."

"The Seabee's project in Montecristi – repairing sewer lines in the school's bathroom and providing access to fresh water – will go a long way to improving the health of the children who attend the school," said Cmdr. David Blazes, officer-in-charge, SPS-11 medical detachment.

The one-hour ceremony included a presentation of gifts to Becker and his team, a band performance, snacks, dancing and remarks from school leadership, students and the mayor of Montecristi.

"We just wanted to offer a small token of our appreciation for your support. Hopefully everyone had a great time and enjoyed the day's festivities," said Montecristi Mayor Washington Arteaga Palacios.

While in Ecuador, the joint-forces SPS 2011 team conducted subject matter exchanges with the Ecuadorian military in the fields of engineering, security, medicine and combat techniques. They also delivered more than 30,000 pounds of humanitarian relief and supplies for local medical facilities in support of Project Handclasp.

Project Handclasp is a U.S. Navy program that accepts and transports educational, humanitarian and goodwill material donated by America's private sector on a space-available basis aboard U.S. Navy ships for distribution to foreign nation recipients.

SPS 2011 is an annual deployment of U.S. ships to the U.S. Southern Command Area of Responsibility (AOR) in the Caribbean and Latin America involving information sharing with navies, coast guards and civilian services throughout the region

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command
(COMUSNAVSO) is the naval component command for U.S. Southern Command and is responsible for all naval personnel and assets in the AOR.

COMUSNAVSO conducts a variety of missions in support of the U.S. Maritime Strategy, including theater security cooperation, relationship building, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, community relations and counter-illicit trafficking operations.