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'Fighting 40' Leaves a Legacy in Paradise

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS120307-32
3/7/2012

By Builder 3rd Class Sarah A. McKay, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 40 Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Naval Mobile Constructoin Battalion (NMCB) 40 leaves behind a legacy in Diego Garcia after completing its last deployment to the region Feb. 28, before decommissoining later this year.

The first of the United States Navy Seabees from NMCB 40 arrived by ship at a sparsely populated coral atoll, March 9, 1971. The island was called Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean. At this remote location, the men of NMCB 40 were tasked with constructing a small naval communications station, which would become a valuable asset for the American and British governments.

Diego Garcia is a small, surf-battered island located seven degrees south of the equator, and nearly 1,000 miles south of India. One of 52 coral atolls forming the Chagos Archipelago, Diego Garcia has a tropical climate, receiving approximately 100 inches of rainfall annually. It is covered in thick jungle, consisting of coconut trees, and is home to a colorful assortment of tropical birds, fish, crustaceans, and sea life. The only mammals larger than a rat to live on this island are a small herd of donkeys left behind by previous inhabitants. These features, and the advantage of favorable tradewinds converging in the area, have brought seafarers to the shores of Diego Garcia for hundreds of years. The island even supported a copra plantation until October 1971, when it was formally declared a naval communications station.

The flag of Great Britain was no longer flown at the copra plantation, but raised alongside the American flag at the newly constructed Seabee camp. Oct. 7, 1971. Code named "Reindeer Station," Diego Garcia's new naval communications station was intended to bridge the gap between stations in Ethiopia and Australia. The new base would not only strengthen the United States' defense communication network, but provide support for British and American ships and aircraft in the Indian Ocean.

"We did not foresee the great importance that the island has now to our international interests, and the scope of island operations," said retired Cmdr. Daniel W. Urish, former commanding officer NMCB 40, island commander, Diego Garcia.

One-hundred-sixty men from NMCB 40 stepped off USS Vernon County (LST 1161) in early March 1971, and set to work constructing the new naval communications station. Reindeer Station, though small, was planned to have all the necessary facilities to support its mission and personnel. It would feature a Seabee camp, utilities system for water and electricity, dining and laundry facilities, and a 3,500 foot airstrip. In such an isolated environment, construction at Diego Garcia would not prove an easy task for the Seabees. Though the terrain of the island was nearly flat, with elevations averaging 3 to 7 feet, it was heavily vegetated, necessitating clearing with bulldozers and scrapers. Rocks and gravel were difficult to come by as well, so the solution was to dredge dead coral from the surrounding reef at low tide, and haul it inland for use as aggregate - particularly in the construction of the airstrip. Despite these difficulties and others, NMCB 40 constructed an operational communications station in only five days, closing the gap between Ethiopian and Australian communication stations. In less than four months, they had established a small, but functional naval base with an airstrip that could support C-130 aircraft.

"They were a great group of dedicated, hardworking Seabees," said Urish. "The men of NMCB Forty received the Best of Type award for their extraordinary achievement."

Modern Diego Garcia is vastly different from the original facility. No longer nicknamed "Reindeer Station," and no longer merely a communications asset, Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia (NSFDG) is a versatile military base that can support thousands of personnel. Full Seabee Battalions stopped deploying to the island in the early 1980s, but continue to send smaller details. Much of the current construction is achieved by private contractors, but Seabees, alongside other armed forces, continue to improve the island base.

Forty years after the initial construction phase, 'Fighting 40' continues their mission at Diego Garcia. In November 2011, 17 Seabees assigned to NMCB 40 landed on the island once more. Eight builders, three steelworkers, two utilitiesmen, two electricians, one engineering aide, and one Civil Engineer Corps officer make up this year's detail. During NMCB 40's 2011-2012 Pacific Command deployment, the Diego Garcia detail is scheduled to construct two housing units for the civilian contractors who comprise much of the working population on the island. The Seabees are also tasked with various smaller projects, such as bicycle shelters, recreation areas, and repairs of older facilities. Though NSFDG is fully established, there are always improvements to be made, new needs to be met, and no shortage of work for the Seabees to take pride in.

"It's a good project," said Builder 2nd Class (SCW/AW) Johan Sanchez, crew leader of the Seabee Diego Garcia detail. "The contractor living unit is like a Builder C-School. It should be a lot of on-the-job training for the troops."

Much has changed on the tiny island of Diego Garcia since 1971. Where "Reindeer Station" was once only accessible by ship on an infrequent basis, Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia now receives supplies several times a week, and has a modern air-terminal. No longer are military personnel living in tents and huts; they and their civilian contractor counterparts can enjoy a versatile military base, and a comfortable living standard. Once just a link in the British and American communications chain, the island now facilitates extensive air operations, naval operations, civilian port operations, and even scientific ventures. Some things have not changed, however. Diego Garcia is lush, the weather unpredictable, the lagoon a startling turquoise, and a Seabee deployed there will undoubtedly work hard, sweat copiously, and continue a peacetime mission rich in naval history.

"We want to leave a good impression here...I'm glad to be here, doing good work," said Builder 3rd Class (SCW) Xavier Spencer.

This deployment will be the last for NMCB 40, as they are scheduled to be decommissioned in September 2012. This holds a personal significance for those Seabees deployed to Diego Garcia, as Fighting 40 began the mission on the island, and now has the privilege to finish its commission there as well, once again the proud recipient of the Navy "E" Ribbon.