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Seabees Repair Naval Station Pascagoula, Community

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS050917-09
Release Date: 9/18/2005 4:00:00 AM

By Journalist 2nd Class Margaret A. Peng, Naval Station Pascagoula Public Affairs

PASCAGOULA, Miss. (NNS) -- Seabees from Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 202 based in Little Creek, Va., are clearing debris and performing repairs in local areas here affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Water moccasins, metal rods, giant wood beams and mounds of debris were some of the challenges faced by CBMU 202 when they arrived on board Naval Station (NS) Pascagoula to help clear and repair damage caused by the hurricane.

The Seabees involved in the Pascagoula operation include members of CBMU-202 from Little Creek, Va. and members of the CBMU-202 Detachment from Kings Bay, Ga.

One of the priority projects the Seabees tackled was to repair the washed-out road near the station’s weapons building.

“We laid 60 tons of red clay, rolled and compacted it, and then removed all the debris and damaged asphalt,” said CBMU-202 Chief Builder Richard Noble. The new road now allows access to the magazines.

Another project entailed removing debris from the base's pier and wharf complex.

When the Seabees arrived, they were faced with a mess created by storm waters. All the equipment and lines required to moor and service a ship were a tangled mess, rendering pier “hotel” services – water, electricity, sewer lines, and phone - inoperable. Ships can now moor at the pier, but power has yet to be restored.

The Seabees also entered the community of Pascagoula to work on five local schools and the city administration building. The crew is working sun-up to sundown, removing massive amounts of debris daily. More than 1,200 tons of debris has been removed from the town administration building alone.

“The city needs help, and the Seabees are there,” said Noble.

After finishing some of the projects on the station, a group of Seabee detachment members headed west to Pass Christian, Miss., just west of Biloxi. The rest of the detachment will join the first group as they finish the work in Pascagoula.

“The Seabees want to help the station get back to a level at which they can operate and function without physical obstacles,” said Noble.

Since Sept. 5, the Seabees have worked to supply 5,000 gallons of potable water to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship Gordon Gunther (R336), homeported in Pascagoula.

The Department of Commerce (DoC) ship has been providing housing and meals to displaced NOAA families since Katrina hit. Gordon Gunther has been housing as many as 40 people and feeding more than a 100 a day since the ship arrived in the area after the storm.

“If it wasn’t for the Navy, our ability to support NOAA and the other agencies would be much more difficult,” said Gunther’s Commanding Officer, Cmdr. James R. Meigs. “With their help, we are able to operate in comfortable conditions, given the situation. We really appreciate [the Seabees’ help]."

“The station has been tremendously supportive,” added Noble. “Given the physical state of the station, our biggest concern was the living conditions for my crew. The station has gone out of their way to give us everything we need to make our stay as comfortable as possible. We really appreciate that.”

“Just seeing the damage done by the storm, I am glad we can come out and help,” said Builder 1st Class Mark Gerard. “It gives me a sense of satisfaction when we complete a project.”