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NMCB 4 Completes the Musa Qal'eh Crossing

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS111216-10
12/16/2011

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Russ Stewart, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 Public Affairs

MUSA QAL’EH, Afghanistan (NNS) -- In a crowd of dignitaries and elders, the Musa Qal'eh crossing built by Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 was blessed and declared open to the public in a ceremony held atop the roadway Dec. 9.

"[This project] represents what Seabees have done for 69 years. We don't just build facilities and roads; we build partnerships, lasting legacies, solutions, and linkages to improve people's lives," said Cmdr. La Tanya Simms, NMCB 4's commanding officer. "This low water crossing links Musa Qal'eh residents with the Gereshk Road and Helmand province's capital, Lashkar Gah, to facilitate economic growth and governance. That's a big deal. Our Seabees and the entire Musa Qal'eh team should be justifiably proud."

Standing on the crossing, seeing the village elders and district leaders gathered, looking at what his Seabees had accomplished in such a short span of time, NMCB 4's Command Master Chief Michael Jenkins said. "I was very proud to see the troops get the recognition from Maj. Gen. Toolan. The smiles on the faces of the village elders and the district leaders said it all."

The wadi crossing project was a joint effort by Navy, Marine Corps, and Army commands. Soldiers from the 129th and 375th Combat Sustainment Support battalions convoyed precast components from Camp Leatherneck to Musa Qal'eh; Marines from the 7th Engineer Support Battalion (ESB) improved low spots on the road leading to Musa Qal'eh, welders from 7th ESB and Combat Logistics Battalion 6 were also an integral part of the construction crew, and the 2/4 Marines based at Musa Qal'eh provided security and helped procure the rip-rap placed at the base of the crossing to prevent erosion.

Personnel from 2nd Marine Division (Forward) G9 included Cmdr. Edward Leitz, the G9 project manager, and Zack Mazraani, the civilian structural engineer who designed the crossing and worked closely with NMCB 4 to refine the design for ease of construction.

"It is unique for Seabees to undertake such a project in Afghanistan because over the last decade, Seabee projects have been more expeditionary in nature and primarily for coalition forces. This structure was designed and built to be more permanent and it's primarily for Afghan citizens," said Simms. "There's a giant difference doing work for the Afghan people instead of always for the U.S. military; there's a lot of satisfaction. It's a really good feeling hearing 'manana,' or thank you, from the people as they drove or walked by us while we were working," said Steelworker Constructionman James McMahan. McMahan worked on the crossing since its start in September this year.

"The best part of this project was watching as our crew developed from zero experience to really proficient welders so rapidly," said Steelworker 1st Class Douglas White. "There's a great sense of accomplishment knowing that our job here has a direct contribution to the counterinsurgency effort."