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Home of the Atlantic Fleet Seabees Gulfport, Mississippi

Vol. 44 No. 1

PG 24 COLOR

January 11, 2007

inside this edition

BU2 Michael
Schreiber cuts
boards for wall supports in the
Southwest Asia
(SWA) huts the
Seabees of NMCB 18
are building for
Marines to improve
their living conditions in Iraq.
See page 6

CE2 Johnathan Zub
of NMCB 74 places
the wall of a shower
trailer at Camp
Corregidor. NMCB
74 is currently
deployed throughout Southwest Asia
in support of
Operation Iraqi
Freedom.
See page 12
http://cbcgulfport.navy.mil

Photo by Jean Remley

Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport held a 21-gun salute on January 3, 2007 to honor the
memory of Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United States. GMC James King, 20th Seabee
Readiness Group (left) controls the volleys fired by cannon crew members GM1 James Bell, 20th
Seabee Readiness Group and GM1 Joseph Russ, 22nd Naval Construction Regiment (right).

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January 11, 2007

Seabees put smiles on
the faces of students
at Lopez Elementary
in Biloxi when they
partnered with other
volunteers in
December to build a
KaBOOM playground
for the children to
replace the one
destroyed by
Hurricane Katrina.
See page 3

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CLEAN

PG 23 B&W

“We EXIST to enable
Warfighter
Readiness”
NCBC/20SRG

Commanding Officer
Capt. Van Dobson
Executive Officer
Cmdr. Bill Finn
Public Affairs Officer
Jean Remley
Editor
Bonnie L. McGerr
Mass Comm. Specialist
MC1 Sean Mulligan

22ND NCR

Commander
Capt. Eric Odderstol
Lt. Cmdr. Kyra Hawn

NMCB ONE

Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Dean A. Tufts
Lt. Kris Portacci
Mass. Comm. Specialists
MC2 Chad Runge
MC3 Ja'lon Rhinehart

NMCB SEVEN

Commanding Officer
Cmdr. David J. Sasek
Ensign Russell Becker
Mass Comm. Specialists
MCC Jeffrey J. Pierce
MC3 Paul D. Williams

NMCB SEVENTY FOUR
Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Craig S. Prather
Lt. Edsil L. Logan
MC2 Gregory N. Juday

NMCB ONE THIRTY THREE

January 11, 2007

Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Allan Stratman
Lt.j.g. Amy Yoon
MC3 Jessica A. McIver

2

NCTC Gulfport

Commanding Officer
Cmdr. Darius Banaji
BU1(SCW) James LePage
The Seabee Courier is an authorized publication for members of the military services
and their families. Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S.
Government, the DoD or the U.S. Navy and
do not imply endorsement thereof. The
appearance of advertising in this newspaper,
including inserts or supplements, does not
constitute endorsement by the U. S.
Government, DoD, the Navy, NCBC Gulfport
or Gulf Publishing Company of the products
and services advertised. All content in this
newspaper shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to
race, color, religion, gender, national origin,
age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of
the purchaser, user or patron. If a violation or
rejection of this equal opportunity policy by
an advertiser is confirmed, the publisher shall
refuse to print advertising from that source
until the violation is corrected.
The Seabee Courier is published 22 weeks a
year by Gulf Publishing Company, a private
firm in no way connected with the DoD ,
under an exclusive contract with the U. S.
Navy. The Seabee Courier solicits news contributions from military and civilian sources,
but the Public Affairs staff reserves the right
to edit and/or rewrite material selected for
publication to conform with journalism standards. The deadline for material is close of
business Wednesday the week prior to publication. Your comments are always welcome.
The Seabee Courier office is in Building 60,
Room 250. The mailing address is 4902
Marvin Shields Blvd., Code 15, Gulfport, MS
39501. Phone: 228 871-3662, Fax: 228 871-2389.
Email: seabeecourier@navy.mil.

Appearance leaves a lasting impression
FLTCM(SW/AW)
Jackie DiRosa
Commander, U.S. Fleet
Forces Command
Did you ever sit beside
someone who smelled
badly? It didn't have to be
a strong odor, just enough
that it made you notice.
Think about how you
reacted to that person.
Did you feel that person
was ready for the day?
Did you feel he or she
needed some help? How
much respect did you have
for that person? More
than likely, you thought
less of that person because
cleanliness was a simple
matter for you.
Now think about your
uniform appearance.
Does it really matter? The
truth is it does. Whether
you're working with seniors or subordinates, people notice a squared-away
Sailor. And whether they
say something or not, it
affects the way they will
treat you. All of those
catchy phrases,
"Perception is reality", and
"First impressions are lasting impressions", those
phrases persist simply
because they contain universal truths. People will
make assumptions about
your character, performance and values based on
your appearance. Those

first perceptions will last
regardless of who you are
and what you do.
A sloppy uniform
reflects a person who may
be sloppy in job performance, watchstanding and
many other areas. When I
see someone in a sloppy
uniform or someone with a
blatant disregard for the
regulations it raises many
questions in my mind....if
sloppy in uniform are they
sloppy in their job, watch
standing, etc. If they fail
to pay attention to the simple details of the uniform
regs do they fail to pay
attention to other critical
details of their job making
them a vulnerable target?
Uniform regulations
spell out exactly what is
necessary to maintain a
sharp appearance and
meet standards. There is
no guesswork involved.
This applies to wearing the
prescribed uniform as well
as the optional items, such
as backpacks. Bright
orange, purple, green –
these are all the colors of
backpacks you should
NOT be carrying while in
uniform. Navy blue OR
black are the only two colors authorized according
to the Uniform
Regulations.
Failing to take care of
those small details that
make up a sharp appear-

ance brings a person's
entire character into question. A sharp uniform creates a positive impression.
Those who wear a sharp
uniform carry themselves
differently...with pride and
confidence.
We are all responsible
for enforcing the standards
and holding each other
accountable for their
appearance. Often, Sailors
can turn themselves
around just by having a
good mentor who sets
them straight. If you are a
mentor, make sure your
Sailors understand the
importance of taking pride
in their uniform. Set the
bar high. Their success or
failure in this basic area
will affect their entire outlook on the Navy. If
you're in need of a mentor
or role model, look around
and find one that can challenge you to be your best.
Squared-away Sailors
decide daily that their
career, self-respect and the
respect of others depend
upon how well they present themselves. Nobody
wants to sit next to the
smelly guy, or worse, be
that person. Only you can
choose your fate and either
be viewed as a vulnerable
target or a fortress. What
will be the lasting impression you leave on people
you meet?

3rd Annual Seabee Classic Golf Tournament
Friday, January 19 - - - 8 a.m. & 2 p.m. Starts

Windance Golf & Country Club/Benefits the 2007 Seabee Ball
Fees (per person): 03 &
above: $55,
E7 thru 03: $50, E6&
below: $40, DoD & civilian: $60. Retired military
pay at retired rank. Two
FREE E3 and below teams
(4 players) per command.

Entry fee includes: green
fees, cart, practice balls,
awards, prizes and lunch.
Register early, spots are
limited. Must pay by
January 12!

Contact Lt.j.g. Michael
Dobling for more information at 228 871-2636 or
email:
Michael.dobling@navy.mil

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press
Service
Servicemembers will
receive an average 3.5 percent boost in their basic
allowance for housing
compensation benefit in
2007, Defense Department
officials said Dec. 18.
The planned BAH
increase starting Jan. 1
works out to about $300
million more than what
was paid in 2006, officials
said.
"The continued improvement in housing
allowances represents our
commitment to the preservation of a compensation
and benefit structure
which will provide members with a suitable and
secure standard of living
that will sustain a trained,
experienced and ready
force in the future,"
according to Cynthia
Smith, a DoD spokeswoman.
Officials said military
housing allowances are
computed according to
three key criteria: median
current market rent; average utilities, to include
electricity, heat and
water/sewer costs; and
average renter's insurance.
BAH rates also are based
on dwelling type and
number of bedrooms in a
given area and then calculated for each pay grade,
both with and without
family members.
For servicemembers with
family members, average
increases in the BAH are
approximately $44 per
month. For example, a typical 3rd Class Petty
Officer/Corporal (E-4) will
receive about $34 more in
BAH than in 2006, while a
See BAH page 17

Command Action Line

Because of limited IG resources throughout the Southeast Region, all Fraud, Waste and Abuse hotline
work will now be handled by the Region. To report Fraud, Waste and Abuse, contact the Region at:
Toll Free 1-877-657-9851 Comm: (904) 542-4979 DSN 942-4979 FAX: (904) 542-5587
E-mail: CNRSE_HOTLINE@navy.mil

New year
means new
prices for
DoD galleys

From BAH page 2
Senior Chief Petty
Officer/Master Sergeant
(E-8) will receive about $42
more than this year.
The BAH rate system has
built-in protections to
ensure that an individual
servicemember in a given
location won't see his or
her BAH rate decrease.
This provision assures that
members who have made
long-term lease or contract
commitments are not
penalized if the area's
housing costs decrease.
Some areas' housing costs
have remained relatively
stable, while others continue to rise. Most of the
costliest housing in the
United States with the
highest BAH rates are clustered on or near the East
and West coasts, and the
state of Hawaii.

The Department of
Defense has announced
the following food service rates, effective 1
January 2007.
The discount rate shall
be charged to spouses
and dependents of
Enlisted Personnel in pay
grades E-1 through E-4,
members of an organized
non-profit youth group.
Officers, Enlisted and
Federal Civilian personnel not receiving the
meal portion of per diem
or using temporary dining facilities are also entitled to the discount rate.
The standard rate shall
be charged to all members receiving the Basic
allowance for subsistence.

From BLOCK page 10

Discount
Breakfast
$1.65

From ADOPT page 19
with a variety of lights and
ornaments.
Every member on the
Whidbey Island Detail
gave something. Some
gave money, others gave
school supplies, and the
rest gave either clothes or
toys. The gleam in the
children's eyes made an
everlasting impression on
these Seabee Santas in

$4.20

Supper
$4.30

$5.15

Holiday
$5.15

$6.05

Night Snack
$2.00

"I've got a small make-up
set but this one is awesome," said Tabitha
For a family that had so little, they had a lot of heart.
A few pictures were taken
and some stories were
swapped. The family
asked a lot of questions
about the Seabees and
specifically how their own
families were dealing with
them being away from
home during the holidays.
After a couple of hours,

$3.65

Brunch
$3.60

opened a card with $30 in
it. A gift of fleece pajamas
bearing images of the Care
Bears, was also one of her
favorites. Jimmy, the man
of the house at the tender
age of 11, was thrilled to
get a chained wallet, a
Tony Hawk game for his
Game Boy and an assortment of school supplies.
Tabitha, the oldest of the
three, received some music
CD's, several articles of
clothing and make-up.

$3.65

Dinner
$3.15

hard hats. For a family
that had thought that
Christmas day was almost
over, it was just beginning.
SK2 Wright had made
sure that Mom was taken
care of as well. Although
Stephanie had said that it
was "more about the kids,"
she too was overwhelmed.
The Fearless Seabees
watched with joyful hearts
as the kids opened the
gifts. Lexi, the youngest
girl, said "I am rich!" as she

$2.00

Lunch
$3.15

weapons," said BU1 Barry
Moyar. "Everyone getting
the opportunity to fire the
weapons better prepares
us for our future deployments."
The Seabees found that
unlike a regular FEX,
when the daily activities
stop for the exercise, carrying on as scheduled, while
also having a FEX provided a challenge. The experience and knowledge
gained from the newly laid
blocks, increases the ability
to succeed no matter what
comes next for the battalion.

Standard

$2.35

goodbyes were said and a
"Merry Christmas" was
wished by all.
It is uncertain who
received the greatest blessing this day. For those
who gave and for those
who received, came the
realization that as long as
you have hope and an
open heart, small miracles
can happen.

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Uniform standards

Military housing
rates rise 3.5
percent overall

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'Bees + Kaboom = Happy Kids!
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Wounded Seabee recovers in Gulfport

4

SWC (SCW) William Bell
of Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion
Seventy Four (NMCB 74)
returned from Iraq on Dec.
22 and was met with cheers
and gratitude from over one
hundred local service members, Seabee family members and veterans who
crowded the Gulfport-Biloxi
International Airport.
Bell, who was seriously
injured in early December in
a mortar attack to the forward operating base where
he worked, was grateful to
be home and even more
grateful to be alive. "I
wouldn't wish this upon my
worst enemy, but I know
that I have been kept alive
for a purpose and I intend to
honor that gift to the best of
my ability," stated Bell in a
phone interview prior to his
return.
The same mortar attack
took the lives of two Navy
corpsmen. "I remember
shouting for medical assistance when I saw my
Shipmates down, but at that
point I didn't know how bad
it was. I was in shock
myself and couldn't have
told you whether or not my
injuries were life-threatening. You work hard over
there, you do your job, and
you just focus on the mission," Bell related of his
experience.
Having sustained a serious
injury to his leg and thigh
and lacerations up one side
of his body, Bell was
relieved to learn that the
quick work of corpsman on
scene stabilized his condi-

AD
SPACE

tion and saved his leg from
amputation. "I can't say
thank you enough to the
people who dragged me out
of there and patched me
up," he expressed.
After his medical evacuation to Germany and subsequent transfer to the
National Naval Medical
Center in Bethesda, Bell was
reunited with his wife
Brooke and daughter
Tamara. "The hardest part
was hearing what he had
gone through, but not being
able to see him or look into
his eyes to know how he
was really doing," reflected
wife Brooke. "Our daughter
was extremely anxious until
she was able to see him
again."
Bell remained in the beltway following his discharge
from Bethesda in order to
attend interment services at
Arlington National
Cemetery for one of the
corpsman killed in the mortar attack.
As Brooke wheeled her
husband down the jetway in
Miss., a young Air Force
Airman called members of
the military in the terminal
to attention. Friends, family, civilians and military
present gave Bell a standing
ovation and waved
American flags.
"I didn't get this kind of
reception when I returned
from Vietnam," remarked an

older gentleman waiting for
his plane, "but I sure am
glad that we're doing right
by our service members
today."
When asked what message
Bell had for members of his
unit still deployed to Iraq,
Bell related, "I just want
them to stay safe, and I want
them to know that I'm okay.
I don't need anybody worrying about me. They are the
ones we need be thinking
about, and praying for their
safe return."
Bell will undergo multiple
additional surgeries and
expects to convalesce for an
additional six months or
more. "My goal is to be on
my feet to greet the plane
when my unit returns," Bell
related optimistically.
NMCB 74 will remain
deployed in support of
Marine Expeditionary
Forces in Iraq through
Spring of 2007. While
deployed, the unit provides
convoy security details and
military construction support to a variety of camps
and forward operating
bases. The unit has recently
been involved in missions
supporting infrastructure of
Iraqi police forces in efforts
to empower the Iraqi government.

NMCB 74 Orote Point
construction project

Photo by RP1 Chad Robinson

BU2 Michael Bonner and BU3 Deontee Parker of
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Seventy
Four DET Guam place and vibrate concrete for a
column at the Orote Point mechanics shop . The
NMCB 74 detachment is tasked with constructing a shop that will give Seabees a safe, new
facility to use when they work on quarry equipment. The concrete placement represents a
major step in the construction of the new building.

January 11, 2007

January 11, 2007

By Lt.Cmdr. Kyra Hawn
22nd NCR Public Affairs

21 B&WChurch Page

AD SPACE

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NMCB 1 completes diverse Far East deployment

74's Det Whidbey Island adopts family for holidays

By MC3 Ja'lon Rhinehart
NMCB 1 Public Affairs

By SW1 (SCW) Donald Farwell
NMCB 74 Det Whidbey Island

ferent time zones, and the agility to deploy
and redeploy task-tailored teams to diverse
missions will serve the unit well in OIF.
"While deployed it was imperative that we
foster relationships with other service
branch commanders and learn to assess their
needs and assert our capabilities," said
Brooks. "When we deploy with the 3rd
Marine Expeditionary Force, we need to
already be familiar and efficient in our ability to move, complete short duration projects,
and move again; because that is what will be
expected of us in a contingency environment."
Cmdr. Dean Tufts, who assumed command
of NMCB 1 in July 2006 related the serious
nature of deploying to primarily non-combat detachment locations. "Right now, there
are Seabees from Gulfport operating on the
tip of the spear in Iraq. There is little room
for error. What we do on deployment to
Japan, Korea, and the states has to be good,
and we have to sharpen our skills now,
because we know we'll have to hit the
ground running next year."
Photo by MC2 Demetrius Kennon

Friends and family of Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion ONE's (NMCB 1)
Seabees anxiously await the battalion's
arrival at Trent Lott Air National Guard Base
Dec. 15, 2006. NMCB 1 recently completed a
regularly scheduled deployment to the Far
East.

On Christmas Day, the
Seabees loaded their truck
with gifts for the family
and embarked on a surprise holiday delivery. Not
knowing what kind of
reception they would get,
they soon arrived at
Stephanie's house. They
couldn't help wondering
what went through
Stephanie's mind when she
saw a group of people
dressed in camouflage and
hard hats standing on her
front porch. But after a
short greeting and explanation, Stephanie invited

Time away from family
and friends can be difficult
during the holidays, but
the personnel from NMCB74 assigned to Detail
Guam have learned to
make the best of the situation. The Detail took the
opportunity of the holidays to take a couple days
off from work, relax, and
enjoy each other's company.
The Battalion Culinary
Specialists delivered again,
with the presentation of an
outstanding holiday
spread. Work began in the
early hours of the morning
to ensure that a wide range

Christmas tree twinkling
See ADOPT page 23

Gulf Coast USO

Photo courtesy of NMCB 74

Fearless Seabees pose with Stephanie and her children
after sharing an assortment of gifts with them.

NMCB 74's Det Guam celebrates
Christmas in style with feast
By Ensign Steven Kirby
NMCB 74 Det Guam

them into her house. The
group felt comfortable in
the small home when they
saw the family's

of expertly prepared foods
was served at the 11:30
meal on Christmas Day.
The menu included oven
roasted turkeys, roast beef
tenderloin, honey glazed
ham, and an extensive list
of side items. "The CS's all
came together to put in a
hundred percent effort to
provide a quality meal for
the troops; it definitely
contributed to the
Christmas spirit of the
Battalion", said CSSN
Tabitha Stoudemire.
True to form, the Chiefs
and Officers assigned to
Detail Guam came out to
show their appreciation for
the troops and spread
some Christmas cheer.
They manned the serving

line, and cleared tables on
the mess decks to ensure
that everyone could sit
back and enjoy the day.
The great meal served to
the troops offered a few of
the comforts of home that
most were missing on the
other side of the world.
While she would still like
to be able to spend the holidays at home with friends
and family, UTCN Amber
Osteen appreciated the
efforts that were put forth
by the galley crew. "The
Christmas dinner was outstanding, it gave us the
feeling of being at home
while being so far away
from our loved ones."

3001 6th Street, (Bldg 306), 228-5755224
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January 11, 2007


Naval Mobile Construction Battalion One
Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Dean A. Tufts
embraces his daughter after returning home
from a six-month deployment.

Many families go through
the year just trying to
make it from one year to
the next. Charities have
been a large part of the
Christmas holidays for
many years. However, few
are able to see the faces
light up when a family
receives something from a
charity. The Seabee's from
NMCB 74's Detail
Whidbey Island were able
to witness it first hand this
year.
UT2 Daniel Clowser had
brought up the idea of
supporting a family during
the deployment to a
Chaplain at Naval Air
Station Whidbey Island.
After doing some research,
the detail was given the
name of a mother of three
who was facing a dreary
Christmas. A resident of
Oak Harbor, Washington,
illness kept "Stephanie"
from working full time and
in turn left her with very
little income to buy presents for the children.
The Fearless Seabees set
out on a shopping adventure to find all that they
could on the list. Although

most were not the greatest
fans of shopping, especially around the holidays,
they cruised through the
malls and stores to the best
of their abilities. SK2
Lagretta Wright had one of
the best eyes for deals. She
continually pointed them
in the right direction. After
a tiring day of dodging
shopping carts and excited
kids throughout the stores,
most of the shoppers were
beat – it's not every day
that a Seabee spends more
than an hour in a store
without looking at tools.

19

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5

oped communities in the Philippines and
Indonesia. The Seabees worked hand-inhand with host nation military members as
well as civilians living in recipient communities. "I have never seen a group of people
work so well together," said Senior Chief
Equipment Operator (SCW) Mark Thomas,
Indonesia Detachment Assistant Officer in
Charge, "they were teaching us as much as
we were teaching them."
In Iraq, 80 Seabees from NMCB 1 provided
security support and military construction to
a Navy-led task force. "This was a really
difficult assignment for us, but it's part of
our "Can Do" nature to rise to the occasion,"
related Builder Chief (SCW) Jeffrey Johnson,
LPO for the Iraq Detachment. "My guys
really took a strain, and we're just grateful to
be home."
Around the Far East, NMCB 1 deployed
detachments to complete military construction projects at the base of Mount Fuji, in
Chinhae Korea, at Naval Air Station Atsugi,
at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, to fleet
activities in Yokosuka, at Naval Base Sasebo
and to military commanders in areas surrounding the unit's main body site at Marine
Corps Base Okinawa. Two NMCB 1 detachments remained in CONUS at Camp
Pendleton and San Clemente Island. When
not working with cinder block and rebar,
members of the unit engaged in a wide variety of community relations projects with
schools, orphanages and organizations in
need near Seabee detachment sites.
The projects completed this deployment
trained and postured the unit for their next
scheduled deployment to Iraq in 2007. The
command and control flexibility required to
manage 18 different locations across five dif-

Seabee Courier

January 11, 2007

The final airlift of U.S. Navy Seabees
attached to Naval Mobile Construction
Battalion One (NMCB 1) returned home on
Dec. 15, officially ending a six month
deployment to the Far East that found the
Battalion spread across eighteen sites in nine
different countries around the world.
"When we deployed, our goals were three
fold: provide forward contingency readiness; provide construction training; and support our customer," said Operations Officer,
Lt. Cmdr. Chad Brooks. "During our deployment we maintained a state of mission
readiness that allowed us to always be ready
to deploy anytime… anyplace."
Deployed in task-tailored detachment
teams around the globe, the construction
professionals of NMCB 1 made an impact at
every stage of their deployment. A team of
twenty Seabees participated in infrastructure
support to the U.S. Department of State by
drilling wells in the Federated Republic of
Micronesia on the island of Pohnpei, resulting in sustained potable water production to
a population suffering from cholera and
other water-bourn illnesses. "Knowing that
we improved their lives, helped keep us
going," said water well team member,
Construction Electrician 2nd Class Leandra
Cubillios. "We came to Pohnpei to improve
their water, and we did that. It has been a
very rewarding deployment."
As participants in Cooperation Afloat
Readiness and Training Exercise (CARAT)
2006, teams of NMCB 1 Seabees built
schools and clinics to service underdevel-

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PG 7 B&W CLEAN
NMCB 18 improves
living conditions for
Marines in Iraq
By MC2 (SW/AW)
Elizabeth Merriam
Navy Expeditionary
Logistics Support Group

Official U.S. Navy photo

January 11, 2007

Naval Construction Training Center Gulfport recently held a change of badge
ceremony at morning quarters where Command Master Chief (SCW) Sean
Libby (middle) relieved Command Master Chief (SCW) Joe Perrone in front
of Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Darius Banaj.

6

Two construction projects slated for
KAFB Medical Center
By Steve Pivnick
81st Medical Group Public Affairs
As Keesler Medical Center returns to pre-Katrina operations, two new construction projects are in the works.
According to Maj. Jeffrey Van Slyke, 81st Medical Group, chief of construction, the
construction of a new $20 million central energy plant will begin by early summer
of 2007. The facility should be completed in 15 months, or fall of 2008.
The energy plant will contain emergency generators, electrical switchgear, transformers, chillers, boilers and cooling towers. The facility will be designed to reduce
the hurricane damage to major electrical components and significantly enhance
energy production efficiencies. It will be located north of the medical center, where
Oak Park housing area was before the homes were demolished after Hurricane
Katrina.
Also, a new $12.4 million radiation oncology center housing a linear accelerator
was part of the FY07 National Defense Authorization Act. The plans for the linear
accelerator are in development. Location and construction dates are to be determined. The previous linear accelerator, located in the medical center's basement,
was destroyed by flooding during Katrina's storm surge.

KAFB Bowling Lanes are back!
Call 228-377-2817 for league information and
hours of operation.

Navy Reservists with
Naval Mobile Construction
Battalion (NMCB) 18, Delta
Company, Fort Lewis,
Wash., arrived in September
in Iraq and continue to work
to improve the quality of
life for Marines there.
"As the Marines work with
Iraqi army and Iraqi police
and go to dangerous locations to clear out trouble,
the Seabees are right beside
them building and fixing,"
Lt. Cmdr. Michael Miner,
NMCB 18 executive officer,
said. "This makes them better at doing their jobs, and
that is satisfying,"
Thanks to the work of the
Seabees, Miner said, fewer
Marines serving with coalition ground combat forces
in Iraq have to get by with
cold showers, partially protected living quarters and
lack comfortable places to
sleep.
"We're here to support the
Marines and their needs on
the combat field by providing them with our construction skills," BU1 Loren
Drivdahl said. "They've
always been real supportive
of us. They're always really
happy to see us when we
show up, because they
know something good is
going to happen. From
improved living conditions,
a safer place to be, or hot
water for a shower, they
really enjoy the things the
Seabees can provide them."
NMCB 18 currently is
assembling 22 Southwest
Asia (SWA) huts -- preconstructed living spaces
shipped to the building site
and put together in a short
amount of time.
"These huts improve living
conditions. They go from a
tent to a hardened heated or
air-conditioned building,"
said BU1 Cort Souther, the
crew leader for the job.
"Within an hour we can prefab a whole hut, it takes

about 30 minutes for the
walls and about another 30
minutes for the trusses."
The Seabees already have
built plenty of these semipermanent quarters for
Marines in Iraq.
"We recently completed an
order for 49 SWA huts,"
Drivdahl said. "We built a
dozen truckloads of walls,
450 tresses and 98 doors.
Since we've arrived here
three months ago we've
pounded over 4 tons of
nails. We've just gone
through a lot of production
here."
Other tasks for the Seabees
include improvements to
existing buildings, such as
electric and air conditioning
installation.
"We went out to one of our
FOBs (Forward Operating
Bases) with a bunch of
materials including water
heaters and fixtures for
showers," BU2 Gary Jones
said. "We got out there and
there weren't even doors on
the building. It was cold out
and the guys were basically
sleeping in open air."
The Seabees went to work
building roofs, installing
doors and light fixtures, and
providing hot water heaters,
Jones said.
"They just couldn't believe
the Seabees could do so
much in such a short time,"
he added.
In addition to improving
the quality of life for
Marines, the Seabees have
offered tips to Iraqis seeking
to improve their own infrastructure.
"We took a trip to a small
combat outpost to help out.
While we were there, we
showed the Iraqi police
some of the basics for our
job," Jones said. "We were
showing them how to read a
tape measure and how to
use a hand saw, a lot of
things they have never had
exposure to. It's a nice feeling knowing that we're
helping everyone else out.
That's the key thing right
there."

Wireless Connectivity Now Available
to Order through the NMCI Contract
Provided by Jana Landers
NCBC Information
Technology Department
Wireless air cards, service
and accessories are now
available to order through
the NMCI contract.
Previously, the cards and
Verizon access charges
were only available
through FISC. Now, in
addition to FISC, users
have the option to order all
items necessary to use this
capability through the
NMCI Enterprise Tool
(NET).
Using signals from cellular
towers, laptop users are

able to securely connect to
the NMCI network via a
commercial wireless air
card when a LAN connection is not available or convenient.
The following items must
be ordered to use this
capability:
Item 0052DH (0152DH for
FY08 orders) – Verizon cellular card
Item 0052DJ (0152DJ for
FY08 orders) – One-time
installation charge
required for operability
Item 005DK (0152DK for
FY08 orders) –
Connectivity to NMCI via
cellular remote access serv-

Hang up and pull over. Talking on a cell phone
without the use of a hands-free device while
operating a motor vehicle is forbidden onboard
NCBC.

ice (cellular RAS)
Item 0052DL (0152DL for
FY08 orders) – Monthly
recurring charges, such as
taxes, fees, etc.
At this time, Verizon is
the only provider available
on contract. Accessories
such as antennas and wireless card carrying case are
available to order. Users
of the network are reminded to follow local commands policies and procedures for ordering items.
For more information
contact Jana Landers, (228)
871-2030.

Customers can help cut extra costs by
choosing paper over plastic bags
By Kevin Robinson
DeCA Media Relations
Commissaries are hoping
shoppers in the United
States will say yes to paper
bags for bagging their groceries as part of the
Defense Commissary
Agency's measures to offset recent major cost
increases of plastic and
paper bags.
"Our customers have a
really big role in this latest
effort as we try to control
costs while continuing to
provide a premier commissary benefit. They've
responded well during
previous 'Say no to plastic
bags and no to double bagging' campaigns so this is
more of a reminder to continue using paper bags and
a call for more customers
to join in. The purpose is
to control unnecessary
costs, not inconvenience
customers," said Scott
Simpson, DeCA's chief
operating officer.

Changing bagging preferences is something most
customers have been glad
to do when they've been
made aware of the cost
issues during previous
bagging campaigns.
Commissaries tally nearly
100 million customer transactions annually and the
agency spent about $20
million on bags last year.
The cost of paper bags has
increased 34 percent in the
past three years, while
plastic bag costs have risen
84 percent. Shipping costs
offset the difference for
overseas commissaries, so
the paper bag emphasis
isn't applied there,
although double bagging
is discouraged DeCAwide.
Commissaries in the
United States are trying to
reach usage goals of about
70 percent paper and 30
percent plastic, and customers will be hearing
more, "Is paper okay?"
Here are some ways cus-

AD
SPACE
tomers are helping:
They're using paper bags
in U.S. commissaries.
They're bringing and using
their own mesh or canvas
tote bags.
They're bringing and
reusing paper or plastic
bags. Customers may
bring paper or plastic bags
back to the commissary to
use for their own grocery
order, but commissaries
are not able to recycle bags
due to health concerns.
Baggers may also refuse to
use recycled bags if they
appear to be damaged or
contaminated.

For Babies, Boomers & Everyone Else
There's something for everyone in Pueblo. Hundreds of free and low-cost
federal publications. Visit the website to read all of the publications and
order your own copy. Don't delay! Act today! Check out
www.pueblo.gsa.gov
Call 1-888-8-PUEBLO for a free catalog.

18

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NCTC welcomes new
command master chief

PG 18 B&W 5X11.5

January 11, 2007

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PG16 B&W Clean

PG 9 B&W

Seabee Community Notes

By MC3 Jessica A. McIver
The pier at the Veterans
Hospital in Biloxi is ready
for business. Naval
Mobile Construction
Battalion One Thirty
Three's Air Det completed the project early last
week.
Construction of the new
pier began in August,
with final inspection on
January 4.
The original pier stood
for 15 years, and was con-

structed by the Veteran's
Association. Hurricane
Katrina destroyed the
structure, leaving only
the original pilings standing.
The effort of today's
active duty sailors shows
consideration and respect
for those who have gone
before us.
Project Supervisor BU1
(SCW) Michael Cadoret is
proud to have a part in
the project.
"Now the veterans will
have a place to fish. They
haven't had that for a

long time."
The ribbon cutting is
scheduled to take place
Wednesday, January 10 at
1 p.m.

Photo by MC3 Jessica A. McIver

BU3 Nathaniel Riffell
steadies the raft below
the pier as BUCN
Matthew Richardson
reinforces anchor bolts.

65th Annual Seabee Ball
March 17, Imperial Palace, Biloxi
Tickets go on sale this month!

IP has rooms available at the special
rate of $159 per room plus tax. Call
228 436-3000 to book at room under
Seabee Ball Group #4572 or go online
to www.ipbiloxi.com, follow
Accommodations link, enter Group Code
#4572 and follow the prompts.

SESA
The Senior Enlisted Spouses
Association (SESA) is for
spouses of E7-E9. All branches of the military are welcome. For additional information, contact SESA at
sesacbc@yahoo.com.
NMCB 1 FSG
We would like to invite all
friends and family of NMCB
1 Seabees to join us on the
first Thursday of every month
at 6:30 p.m. at the CBC
Chapel in Fellowship Hall.
Bring the kids, babysitting is
available and free. The
NMCB 1 FSG offers fun activities including movies, picnics, bonfires, holiday parties
and lots more for the whole
family. During homeport
and during the deployment
we are available to help support all of our NMCB 1 families and friends. If you have
any questions please call the
FSG president, Briana
McAllister at (228) 868-8767
or email her at donzgoddess@yahoo.com. We hope to
see you there.

January 11, 2007

January

Seabee Ball Planning
Comm. Mtg., Bldg. 1,
main conf. room, 1:30
p.m.

1 New Years Day Federal Holiday, DeCA
commissary closed

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SPACE

cult times during the deployment of our NMCB 7 men
and women. We have lots of
fundraisers and activities
planned for the whole family.
There are games and crafts
for the kids and speakers on
different topics for the adults.
We will also have drawdowns for door prizes and
refreshments each month.
We meet the 3rd Wednesday
of each month at 6:30 p.m.
with a potluck dinner at the
start. Come and get together
with us and meet your fellow
family members. For more
information on NMCB 7's
FSG, contact Kathleen
Whisenhunt, FSG president at
kwhisenhunt@gmail.com.
You can also check out
nmcb7fsg@cinchouse.com and
http://hub.cinchouse.com/nm
cb7fsg/for more information.
NMCB 74 FSG
The NMCB 74 Family
Support Group welcomes
friends and families of NMCB
74 personnel. We encourage
and promote friendly and
sympathetic relationships

Center Calendar
Note: Commands and
associations can send submissions for the community
calendar to
seabeecourier@navy.mil.

7

NMCB 1 FSG also has a new
website that will keep you up
to date on what is happening
within our military family.
The new website is:
http://hub.cinchouse.com/n
mcb1seabees.
NMCB 133 FSG
friends and family members
of NMCB 133 to join us on
the first Wednesday of every
month at 6:00 p.m. in the base
chapel. We also do many
activities such as holiday parties, fun trips, movie outings
and more. During homeport
we share in each others
excitement and during
deployments we lean on each
other for support. We offer
battalion information and
welcome those with children,
those without, wives, husbands and other loved ones.
NMCB 7 FSG
Come join our growing family. We are here to promote
and grow social relationships
and encourage interaction of
spouses and family members
during often trying and diffi-

10 Lunchtime Bible
Study, Bldg. 1 main conf.
room, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m.

2 DeCA commissary
closed

11 All Khaki Social,
A&E, 3 p.m.

3 Lunchtime Bible
Study, Bldg 1 main conf.
room, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m.

15 Martin Luther King,
Jr.'s birthday - Federal
Holiday
DeCA commissary
closed

4 CBC/20th SRG
Wardroom Breakfast,
Galley, 7 a.m.
All Khaki Social, A&E,
3 p.m.
8 Quality of Life Mtg,
Bldg 1 main conf. room,
10 a.m.
9 CBC All Cmdrs.
Mtg, Bldg. 1, main conf.
room, 10 a.m.

Jr. Commemorative
Service, 10 a.m., Seabee
Memorial Chapel
DeCA commissary
closed
17 Lunchtime Bible
room, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m.

A&E, 3 p.m.
19 Seabee Ball Golf
Tournament, Windance
Golf Course
24 Lunchtime Bible
room, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m.
25 Anti-terrorism
Force Protection quarterly meeting, Bldg. 1 main
conf. room, 1:30 p.m.
All Khaki Social, A&E, 3
p.m.
26 CMDCM Melvin
Girard Retirement
Ceremony, Chapel, 10
a.m.
Frosty 5K Lunch Time
Run, 11:30 a.m.
31 Lunchtime Bible
room, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m.

among our family members.
We have a new Careline
number for battalion updates,
it is 1-866-531-1101 (toll free),
or 871-3650 (local).
Family Support Group
meetings are held every third
Monday of the month at the
CBC Chapel in Fellowship
Hall at 6:30 p.m. Free babysitting and activities for the
children are provided. For
information contact FSG
President, Helen Walker at
(228) 586-0114; or Secretary,
Robyn Baca at (228) 539-9059.
The FSG Advisor is Susan
Prather, (228) 392-5945.
NCTC TRI-SERVICE FSG
We invite all spouses and
loved ones of NCTC to join
us on the fourth Monday of
each month at 6:30pm in the
Fellowship Hall of CBC
Chapel. We are offering fun
activities for the family, girls
night out, and fellowship
among the NCTC Command.
For more information, please
contact our FSG President
Tessa Grimes @ 865-4364 or
email her at tgrimes730@hot-

mail.com.
Navy-Marine Corps
Relief Society
The Navy-Marine Corps
Relief Society (NMCRS) Thrift
Shop is located at the far
north end of McKinney Ave,
Building 16. The Thrift Shop
is staffed entirely by volunteers. The retail hours of
operation are Monday Thursday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
and Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
New volunteers are always
welcome. Visit the NavyMarine Corps Relief Society
offices at the Fleet and family
Support Center, Building 30,
Suite 103, or call (228) 8712610 to obtain information
about becoming a part of the
NMCRS volunteer team!
Childcare and mileage are
reimbursed.
Mississippi Gulf Coast First
Class Association
MGCFCA is seeking new
members. Meetings are every
Weds at 2 p.m at CBC's
Beehive, Bldg. 352. Call BU1
Reyes or CE1 Johnson at 8712145 for more information.

NCBC Gate Hours
Broad Ave: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Pass Road: 4:30 a.m. - midnight, 7 days a week
Commission Road: 5 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 6 p.m. Mon - Fri,
closed Federal holidays and weekends
Canal Road (outbound only): 3 - 6 p.m. Mon - Fri,
closed weekends and Federal holidays

Pass and ID Office
Building 117-T (adjacent to the intersection of John Paul
Jones Avenue and East Eight Street (near Pass Road
gate).
6 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mon - Fri
7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday
Closed Sunday and Federal holidays

Due to lack of enrollment, the FERS retirement class
scheduled for Jan. 22 - 23 is cancelled.

NCBC to conduct prescribed burn in January
A prescribed burn is tentatively scheduled onboard
the Seabee Center the week of January 8-12, with an
alternate date of January 16 -20.
The burn will be conducted in conjunction with the
Forestry Commission and will take place on the west
end of the Center.
More information on the burn can be obtained by calling Ted Ingram at 228-871-2373.

16

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Pier to Peer - NMCB 133 comes to aid of veterans

January 11, 2007

14:11

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1/10/2007

Seabee Courier

11Jan07exp.qxd

PG 10 Color

PG 15 color

January 11, 2007

NMCB ONE Public Affairs

8

While deployed to 13
locations in the Far East in
October 2006, Naval
Mobile Construction
Battalion (NMCB) ONE
completed a series of block
training evolutions to
enhance the unit's ability
to successfully meet mission oriented goals in a
contingency environment.
Rather than conducting a
traditional field exercise
(FEX), ONE decided that it
was more mission effective
to concentrate on specific
skills, relevant to today's
mission requirements.
FEX, traditionally, is a
graded, comprehensive
exercise, focused on testing
the tactical capabilities of
the battalion. The evolution consisted of a number
of simultaneous simulated
contingency experiences
meant to aid the battalion
in accessing its ability to
conquer adverse combat
conditions. Usually, the
battalion would complete a
deployed FEX with the
same parameters and goals
in the middle of deployment. However, with the
Navy's role in the ongoing
War on Terror ever-changing, ONE concluded that a
new type of training, block
training, would provide its
personnel with more subject specific, in-depth training.
"Many times, the lack of
resources in homeport dictates that we simulate
many specific missionessential training evolutions," said Operations
Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Chad
Brooks. "While deployed,
we're able to take advantage of the assets and abilities of our adjacent units,
providing our troops with
invaluable, comprehensive
training with subject matter experts."
The 554th Rapid Engineer
Deployable Heavy
Operations Repair
Squadron Engineers (RED
HORSE) Squadron, stationed on Kadena Air Base
in Okinawa, was able to
provide the Bee's with
hands-on training using

Photos by MC2 Chad Runge
Above: HM1 Leo Cirino of

NMCB1, watches as SKSN
Shane Spuhler administers
an I.V. to PSSN Michael
McDonough at a combat lifesaving skills course held on
Camp Shields in Okinawa,
Japan.
Left:BUCN Richard
Pemberton, of NMCB 1 helps
place a portion of a Rapid
Runway Repair (RRR) platform at an exercise held on
Kadena Air Force Base in
Okinawa, Japan.

AD SPACE

the same materials and
parameters they would
find in-theatre in the event
a Rapid Runway Repair
(RRR) order was received.
With the assistance of RED
HORSE, they were able to
provide the troops with
training that a normal simulation could not provide.
From the initial surveying
of the site; working with
two different patching
methods; to understanding
how to properly light the
runway, the Bee's were
able to apply book knowledge to a real-life experience using the equipment
they would normally use.
The block training also
provided the command
with the opportunity to
focus on many skills that
are key to the battalions
success in future deployments. Seabees learned to
properly load casualties on
a CH-46 Combat Support
Aircraft attached to
Helicopter Medium Lift
(HMM) 262 at Camp
Futema, also located in
Okinawa, while others
learned the basic operation
of the weapons in the
Table of Allowance (TOA)
"It is important for everyone have the basic applicable knowledge of the
See BLOCK page 17

NMCB 74 works to improve morale for forward units
By MC2 Gregory N. Juday
Junction boxes hanging
from the wall secured solely by live electrical wires,
showers covered in mold
and mud, sinks with no
running water and Soldiers
and Marines sleeping in
areas with open sewage
flowing nearby. These are
just a few of the issues
seven Seabees from Naval
Mobile Construction
Battalion (NMCB) 74
would work to rectify
when they left for Camp
Corregidor, a small forward operating base on the
outskirts of Ar Ramadi.
"The living conditions
were quite bad before we
got here," said CE2
Johnathan Zub of NMCB
74, from Ontario, Canada.
"I think it is awesome that
we can be here to help lift
the living conditions and
spirits of those on the front
lines who are risking their
lives on a daily basis."
Since arriving at Camp
Corregidor, the Seabees
have installed multiple
shower units and sinks in
existing buildings, built
shower trailers to provide
more adequate bathing
and grooming facilities, rewired electrical junction
boxes and outlets, built a
communications room, and
set up a Tactical
Operations Center for the
camp.
"I cannot say enough
about the Seabees," said
First Sergeant Scott Davis
with U.S. Army, E-Z
Company 19. "Having
these guys here truly helps
raise the morale of the
Soldiers and Marines and
lets our troops know we
are concerned about the
conditions they have to

For Seabee Courier
delivery, contact Naval
Center Public Affairs
at:
(228) 871-3662 or
send email to
seabeecourier.navy.mil

live in."
The Seabees have
received nothing but praises since their arrival at
Camp Corregidor in
November 2006. They
have worked diligently to
provide support to the
troops and maintain the
camp. Though a lot of
hard work has been
accomplished, the mission
is nowhere near complete.
"There is a lot of work
still to be done around
here," said BU2 Jason
Shurtz, "Every building
you go into, you see wires
hanging from the ceiling,
water heaters not placed
properly, heating/cooling
units that don't work. We
try to tackle as many problems as we can, but every-

day it seems someone new
comes to us with another
item of concern."
Like Soldiers and
Marines, Seabees in theatre
are living up to the slogan
"We Build, We Fight."
"There have been times
that the insurgents have
tried to infiltrate the camp,
and we had to take up
fighting positions along
side the Soldiers and
Marines," said CE3 Jeremy
Phillips, of Palmer, Alaska.
"I see us going into more
contingency environments
as the war progresses.
There are times I find
myself scared, but I know
the job we do is important
to the guys here on the
front lines."

Photo by MC2 Gregory N. Juday

CE3 Jeremy Phillips of NMCB 74 wires a breaker box
at Camp Corregidor on December 21, 2006. NMCB 74
is currently deployed to Ramadi and other Southwest
Asia locations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom

AD
SPACE

15

CB PG 10-15 COLOR

NMCB ONE lays new block in Global War on Terrorism

January 11, 2007

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Page 11

PG 11 B&W

PG14B&W

Seatbelts are required onboard CBC Gulfport

Photo by MC1 Sean Mulligan

The realization that possessing a college degree
would be a definite asset
in making a successful
transition from military to
civilian life upon retirement next May, motivated
CUCM (SCW) Olin C. Lacy
to enroll in college and
crack open the text books.
At his 20-year career
mark he had sent out a
few "feelers" to civilian
companies where he
though he might like to
work. He found that
although his military training and schooling provided valuable practical experience, those qualifications
weren't enough to land the
positions he wanted.

"The jobs I applied for –
supervisory construction
or city planning required a
degree", he said.
Lacy readily admits that
without the help and
encouragement of Navy
College director Kelly
Curreri and counselor Alex
Carter, he might not have
had the nerve to pursue
his bachelor's degree.
Their help with transferring military experience to
college credit and organizing his degree plan was
invaluable.
"Combining military
career experience and
schooling was an important factor in being able to
complete my degree
requirements. With the
help of Kelly and Alex I
became more focused.

"The Navy is requiring
more education – not a
negative, but if you don't
know exactly what you'd
like to do, don't let that
stop you – get your basics
out of the way and take
your Clep and Dantes
exams."
At the conclusion of our
interview Master Chief
Lacy ended our conversation by saying, "I'm just
glad I didn't procrastinate
and 'wish' I'd done it – I
did!"
Anyone interested in
enrolling in college should
stop by the Navy College
Office in building 60, room
239 to talk with a counselor or call (228) 871-2785
for an appointment.

Did you know that MWR has good deals on NAS Pensacola Cabin rentals
for active duty military and their families? For as little as $5 per night
you can enjoy a cabin on the beach.
Stop by the CBC Gulfport ITT office at building 397, or call Lois at 8712231 for more information.

9

Hospital Corpsman's heroism leads to award
By Lt. Cmdr. J. Bruce Walker
Conus Replacement Center, Gulfport

On the evening of December 11, 2006,
Hospital Corpsman Nicholas E. Pchelka
was enroute to the Gulfport-Biloxi
International Airport to return a rental
car, when he came upon the scene of a
high speed motor vehicle accident.
HN Pchelka immediately removed two
children from the vehicle to ensure their
safety, and having accomplished this, he
returned to the vehicle to provide assistance to the driver, who was unconscious
with a forearm fracture.
After aiding the driver, by providing an

open airway and establishing breathing,
he worked with the local EMS personnel
to safely extricate the driver, observing
cervical spine precautions to prevent
injury. Fully dedicated to the driver’s
plight, he remained on the scene until the
man was placed into the ambulance.
HN Pchelka is an individual augmentee
who was only in Gulfport for a short period, receiving training, outfitting and
screening in support of the Global War on
Terrorism. His diligent attention to provide care and assistance to his fellow man
is a credit to the community and reflects
positively on the United States Navy.

Area Off-Limit Locations
Biloxi
Boulevard Club
Blue Note Lounge
Henry Beck Park
(Henry Beck is off-limits except during daylight hours or during official
organized or sponsored fraternal,
charitable, religious, educational, civic
or federal events.)

Pascagoula
Carver Village
Bunksmall Apartments
H&H Hideaway

AD
SPACE

Moss Point
Tony's Club
14

CB PG 11-14

Seabee Courier

January 11, 2007

By Bonnie McGerr
NCBC Public Affairs

AD
SPACE

January 11, 2007

Master Chief's positive college experience
proves that students come in all paygrades


Hospital Corpsman Nicholas E. Pchelka is congratulated by Cmdr. Scott Langley,
Commanding Officer, Naval Operational Support Center after being awarded a
Navy Achievement Medal for the action he took to save victims of a motor vehicle
accident on December 11, 2006.

Seabee Courier

CUCM (SCW) Olin C. Lacy of Twentieth Seabee Readiness Group (R75) is pictured
with Navy College Counselor Alex Carter after receiving a bachelor of science
degree in Liberal Arts from Excelsior College. CUCM Lacy intends to pursue a
career in construction management or city planning upon his retirement from the
Navy this May.

Seabee Courier

January 11, 2007

Pg12

10

Clean

Clean

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion
SEVEN’s (NMCB 7) khaki community, consisting of 23 officers and 36 chief petty officers recently finished their two-week field
exercise (FEX) which culminated in a series
of practical training evolutions at Camp
Shelby, MS.
The officer and chief petty officer communities from NMCB 7 were combined into
four squad sized units and participated in a
week of classroom instruction here at the
Naval Construction Battalion Center,
Gulfport, MS. The following week NMCB
7’s khaki community was given the opportunity to apply their knowledge in the field.
The classroom instruction and practical
application at Camp Shelby included subjects such as mission planning, effective
patrol and convoy procedures with emphasis on the IED threats, escalation of force,
weapons training, COC operations and the
importance of small-unit leadership.

Pg13

For several chiefs and officers new to the
battalion this was their first experience
with a field exercise.
“Two important lessons stood out from
my experience during the field exercise,”
said Lt. j.g. Charity Anderson. “Being
placed in a position the troops will be in as
a squad leader, I now have a better understanding of what their jobs are and what is
expected of them. Additionally, I received
the hands-on experience that I needed to
an effective leader. I needed that practical
understanding.”
For the chiefs and officers who have
been through this experience before, there
is always something new to learn.
“This was my third chiefs and officers
FEX,” said SWCS(SCW) Edward Perry.
“The experience gives us the knowledge
and insight on what the troops encounter
and allows us to lead them because we
understand and can visualize the process-

es since we’ve been there ourselves.
Despite doing this before, you always learn
something new or a better way to approach
a problem.”
For Lt. j.g. Anderson, communication and
leadership are the keys to success. “This
experience really opened my eyes to the
importance of small-unit leadership. If you
don’t have it, it’s going to be a painful
process obtaining the desired result,”
Anderson said. “I also needed to see how
communication works up and down the
chain of command and the delegation of
tasks because you can’t do everything
yourself.”
Beginning with the chiefs and officers
field exercise, NMCB 7 entered its military
training phase. This phase will conclude
with the battalion’s field exercise in
February as NMCB 7 prepares to deploy in
June.

CB PG 12-13 COLOR

13:11

January 11, 2007

1/11/2007

Seabee Courier

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1/10/2007

14:12

Page 11

PG 11 B&W

PG14B&W

Seatbelts are required onboard CBC Gulfport

Photo by MC1 Sean Mulligan

The realization that possessing a college degree
would be a definite asset
in making a successful
transition from military to
civilian life upon retirement next May, motivated
CUCM (SCW) Olin C. Lacy
to enroll in college and
crack open the text books.
At his 20-year career
mark he had sent out a
few "feelers" to civilian
companies where he
though he might like to
work. He found that
although his military training and schooling provided valuable practical experience, those qualifications
weren't enough to land the
positions he wanted.

"The jobs I applied for –
supervisory construction
or city planning required a
degree", he said.
Lacy readily admits that
without the help and
encouragement of Navy
College director Kelly
Curreri and counselor Alex
Carter, he might not have
had the nerve to pursue
his bachelor's degree.
Their help with transferring military experience to
college credit and organizing his degree plan was
invaluable.
"Combining military
career experience and
schooling was an important factor in being able to
complete my degree
requirements. With the
help of Kelly and Alex I
became more focused.

"The Navy is requiring
more education – not a
negative, but if you don't
know exactly what you'd
like to do, don't let that
stop you – get your basics
out of the way and take
your Clep and Dantes
exams."
At the conclusion of our
interview Master Chief
Lacy ended our conversation by saying, "I'm just
glad I didn't procrastinate
and 'wish' I'd done it – I
did!"
Anyone interested in
enrolling in college should
stop by the Navy College
Office in building 60, room
239 to talk with a counselor or call (228) 871-2785
for an appointment.

Did you know that MWR has good deals on NAS Pensacola Cabin rentals
for active duty military and their families? For as little as $5 per night
you can enjoy a cabin on the beach.
Stop by the CBC Gulfport ITT office at building 397, or call Lois at 8712231 for more information.

11

Hospital Corpsman's heroism leads to award
By Lt. Cmdr. J. Bruce Walker
Conus Replacement Center, Gulfport

On the evening of December 11, 2006,
Hospital Corpsman Nicholas E. Pchelka
was enroute to the Gulfport-Biloxi
International Airport to return a rental
car, when he came upon the scene of a
high speed motor vehicle accident.
HN Pchelka immediately removed two
children from the vehicle to ensure their
safety, and having accomplished this, he
returned to the vehicle to provide assistance to the driver, who was unconscious
with a forearm fracture.
After aiding the driver, by providing an

open airway and establishing breathing,
he worked with the local EMS personnel
to safely extricate the driver, observing
cervical spine precautions to prevent
injury. Fully dedicated to the driver’s
plight, he remained on the scene until the
man was placed into the ambulance.
HN Pchelka is an individual augmentee
who was only in Gulfport for a short period, receiving training, outfitting and
screening in support of the Global War on
Terrorism. His diligent attention to provide care and assistance to his fellow man
is a credit to the community and reflects
positively on the United States Navy.

Area Off-Limit Locations
Biloxi
Boulevard Club
Blue Note Lounge
Henry Beck Park
(Henry Beck is off-limits except during daylight hours or during official
organized or sponsored fraternal,
charitable, religious, educational, civic
or federal events.)

Pascagoula
Carver Village
Bunksmall Apartments
H&H Hideaway

AD
SPACE

Moss Point
Tony's Club
11

CB PG 11-14

January 11, 2007

By Bonnie McGerr
NCBC Public Affairs

AD
SPACE

January 11, 2007

Master Chief's positive college experience
proves that students come in all paygrades


Hospital Corpsman Nicholas E. Pchelka is congratulated by Cmdr. Scott Langley,
Commanding Officer, Naval Operational Support Center after being awarded a
Navy Achievement Medal for the action he took to save victims of a motor vehicle
accident on December 11, 2006.

Seabee Courier

CUCM (SCW) Olin C. Lacy of Twentieth Seabee Readiness Group (R75) is pictured
with Navy College Counselor Alex Carter after receiving a bachelor of science
degree in Liberal Arts from Excelsior College. CUCM Lacy intends to pursue a
career in construction management or city planning upon his retirement from the
Navy this May.

Seabee Courier

11Jan07exp.qxd

PG 10 Color

PG 15 color

January 11, 2007

NMCB ONE Public Affairs

10

While deployed to 13
locations in the Far East in
October 2006, Naval
Mobile Construction
Battalion (NMCB) ONE
completed a series of block
training evolutions to
enhance the unit's ability
to successfully meet mission oriented goals in a
contingency environment.
Rather than conducting a
traditional field exercise
(FEX), ONE decided that it
was more mission effective
to concentrate on specific
skills, relevant to today's
mission requirements.
FEX, traditionally, is a
graded, comprehensive
exercise, focused on testing
the tactical capabilities of
the battalion. The evolution consisted of a number
of simultaneous simulated
contingency experiences
meant to aid the battalion
in accessing its ability to
conquer adverse combat
conditions. Usually, the
battalion would complete a
deployed FEX with the
same parameters and goals
in the middle of deployment. However, with the
Navy's role in the ongoing
War on Terror ever-changing, ONE concluded that a
new type of training, block
training, would provide its
personnel with more subject specific, in-depth training.
"Many times, the lack of
resources in homeport dictates that we simulate
many specific missionessential training evolutions," said Operations
Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Chad
Brooks. "While deployed,
we're able to take advantage of the assets and abilities of our adjacent units,
providing our troops with
invaluable, comprehensive
training with subject matter experts."
The 554th Rapid Engineer
Deployable Heavy
Operations Repair
Squadron Engineers (RED
HORSE) Squadron, stationed on Kadena Air Base
in Okinawa, was able to
provide the Bee's with
hands-on training using

Photos by MC2 Chad Runge
Above: HM1 Leo Cirino of

NMCB1, watches as SKSN
Shane Spuhler administers
an I.V. to PSSN Michael
McDonough at a combat lifesaving skills course held on
Camp Shields in Okinawa,
Japan.
Left:BUCN Richard
Pemberton, of NMCB 1 helps
place a portion of a Rapid
Runway Repair (RRR) platform at an exercise held on
Kadena Air Force Base in
Okinawa, Japan.

AD SPACE

the same materials and
parameters they would
find in-theatre in the event
a Rapid Runway Repair
(RRR) order was received.
With the assistance of RED
HORSE, they were able to
provide the troops with
training that a normal simulation could not provide.
From the initial surveying
of the site; working with
two different patching
methods; to understanding
how to properly light the
runway, the Bee's were
able to apply book knowledge to a real-life experience using the equipment
they would normally use.
The block training also
provided the command
with the opportunity to
focus on many skills that
are key to the battalions
success in future deployments. Seabees learned to
properly load casualties on
a CH-46 Combat Support
Aircraft attached to
Helicopter Medium Lift
(HMM) 262 at Camp
Futema, also located in
Okinawa, while others
learned the basic operation
of the weapons in the
Table of Allowance (TOA)
"It is important for everyone have the basic applicable knowledge of the
See BLOCK page 23

NMCB 74 works to improve morale for forward units
By MC2 Gregory N. Juday
Junction boxes hanging
from the wall secured solely by live electrical wires,
showers covered in mold
and mud, sinks with no
running water and Soldiers
and Marines sleeping in
areas with open sewage
flowing nearby. These are
just a few of the issues
seven Seabees from Naval
Mobile Construction
Battalion (NMCB) 74
would work to rectify
when they left for Camp
Corregidor, a small forward operating base on the
outskirts of Ar Ramadi.
"The living conditions
were quite bad before we
got here," said CE2
Johnathan Zub of NMCB
74, from Ontario, Canada.
"I think it is awesome that
we can be here to help lift
the living conditions and
spirits of those on the front
lines who are risking their
lives on a daily basis."
Since arriving at Camp
Corregidor, the Seabees
have installed multiple
shower units and sinks in
existing buildings, built
shower trailers to provide
more adequate bathing
and grooming facilities, rewired electrical junction
boxes and outlets, built a
communications room, and
set up a Tactical
Operations Center for the
camp.
"I cannot say enough
about the Seabees," said
First Sergeant Scott Davis
with U.S. Army, E-Z
Company 19. "Having
these guys here truly helps
raise the morale of the
Soldiers and Marines and
lets our troops know we
are concerned about the
conditions they have to

For Seabee Courier
delivery, contact Naval
Center Public Affairs
at:
(228) 871-3662 or
send email to
seabeecourier.navy.mil

live in."
The Seabees have
received nothing but praises since their arrival at
Camp Corregidor in
November 2006. They
have worked diligently to
provide support to the
troops and maintain the
camp. Though a lot of
hard work has been
accomplished, the mission
is nowhere near complete.
"There is a lot of work
still to be done around
here," said BU2 Jason
Shurtz, "Every building
you go into, you see wires
hanging from the ceiling,
water heaters not placed
properly, heating/cooling
units that don't work. We
try to tackle as many problems as we can, but every-

day it seems someone new
comes to us with another
item of concern."
Like Soldiers and
Marines, Seabees in theatre
are living up to the slogan
"We Build, We Fight."
"There have been times
that the insurgents have
tried to infiltrate the camp,
and we had to take up
fighting positions along
side the Soldiers and
Marines," said CE3 Jeremy
Phillips, of Palmer, Alaska.
"I see us going into more
contingency environments
as the war progresses.
There are times I find
myself scared, but I know
the job we do is important
to the guys here on the
front lines."

Photo by MC2 Gregory N. Juday

CE3 Jeremy Phillips of NMCB 74 wires a breaker box
at Camp Corregidor on December 21, 2006. NMCB 74
is currently deployed to Ramadi and other Southwest
Asia locations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom

AD
SPACE

12

CB PG 10-15 COLOR

NMCB ONE lays new block in Global War on Terrorism

January 11, 2007

14:12

Seabee Courier

1/10/2007

Seabee Courier

11Jan07exp.qxd

PG16 B&W Clean

PG 9 B&W

Seabee Community Notes

By MC3 Jessica A. McIver
The pier at the Veterans
Hospital in Biloxi is ready
for business. Naval
Mobile Construction
Battalion One Thirty
Three's Air Det completed the project early last
week.
Construction of the new
pier began in August,
with final inspection on
January 4.
The original pier stood
for 15 years, and was con-

structed by the Veteran's
Association. Hurricane
Katrina destroyed the
structure, leaving only
the original pilings standing.
The effort of today's
active duty sailors shows
consideration and respect
for those who have gone
before us.
Project Supervisor BU1
(SCW) Michael Cadoret is
proud to have a part in
the project.
"Now the veterans will
have a place to fish. They
haven't had that for a

long time."
The ribbon cutting is
scheduled to take place
Wednesday, January 10 at
1 p.m.

Photo by MC3 Jessica A. McIver

BU3 Nathaniel Riffell
steadies the raft below
the pier as BUCN
Matthew Richardson
reinforces anchor bolts.

65th Annual Seabee Ball
March 17, Imperial Palace, Biloxi
Tickets go on sale this month!

IP has rooms available at the special
rate of $159 per room plus tax. Call
228 436-3000 to book at room under
Seabee Ball Group #4572 or go online
to www.ipbiloxi.com, follow
Accommodations link, enter Group Code
#4572 and follow the prompts.

SESA
The Senior Enlisted Spouses
Association (SESA) is for
spouses of E7-E9. All branches of the military are welcome. For additional information, contact SESA at
sesacbc@yahoo.com.
NMCB 1 FSG
friends and family of NMCB
1 Seabees to join us on the
first Thursday of every month
at 6:30 p.m. at the CBC
Chapel in Fellowship Hall.
Bring the kids, babysitting is
available and free. The
NMCB 1 FSG offers fun activities including movies, picnics, bonfires, holiday parties
and lots more for the whole
family. During homeport
and during the deployment
we are available to help support all of our NMCB 1 families and friends. If you have
any questions please call the
FSG president, Briana
McAllister at (228) 868-8767
or email her at donzgoddess@yahoo.com. We hope to
see you there.

January 11, 2007

January

Seabee Ball Planning
Comm. Mtg., Bldg. 1,
main conf. room, 1:30
p.m.

1 New Years Day Federal Holiday, DeCA
commissary closed

AD
SPACE

cult times during the deployment of our NMCB 7 men
and women. We have lots of
fundraisers and activities
planned for the whole family.
There are games and crafts
for the kids and speakers on
different topics for the adults.
We will also have drawdowns for door prizes and
refreshments each month.
We meet the 3rd Wednesday
of each month at 6:30 p.m.
with a potluck dinner at the
start. Come and get together
with us and meet your fellow
family members. For more
information on NMCB 7's
FSG, contact Kathleen
Whisenhunt, FSG president at
kwhisenhunt@gmail.com.
You can also check out
nmcb7fsg@cinchouse.com and
http://hub.cinchouse.com/nm
cb7fsg/for more information.
NMCB 74 FSG
The NMCB 74 Family
Support Group welcomes
friends and families of NMCB
74 personnel. We encourage
and promote friendly and
sympathetic relationships

Center Calendar
Note: Commands and
associations can send submissions for the community
calendar to
seabeecourier@navy.mil.

9

NMCB 1 FSG also has a new
website that will keep you up
to date on what is happening
within our military family.
The new website is:
http://hub.cinchouse.com/n
mcb1seabees.
NMCB 133 FSG
friends and family members
of NMCB 133 to join us on
the first Wednesday of every
month at 6:00 p.m. in the base
chapel. We also do many
activities such as holiday parties, fun trips, movie outings
and more. During homeport
we share in each others
excitement and during
deployments we lean on each
other for support. We offer
battalion information and
welcome those with children,
those without, wives, husbands and other loved ones.
NMCB 7 FSG
Come join our growing family. We are here to promote
and grow social relationships
and encourage interaction of
spouses and family members
during often trying and diffi-

10 Lunchtime Bible
room, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m.

2 DeCA commissary
closed

A&E, 3 p.m.

3 Lunchtime Bible
Study, Bldg 1 main conf.
room, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m.

Jr.'s birthday - Federal
Holiday
DeCA commissary
closed

4 CBC/20th SRG
Wardroom Breakfast,
Galley, 7 a.m.
All Khaki Social, A&E,
3 p.m.
8 Quality of Life Mtg,
Bldg 1 main conf. room,
10 a.m.
9 CBC All Cmdrs.
Mtg, Bldg. 1, main conf.
room, 10 a.m.

Jr. Commemorative
Service, 10 a.m., Seabee
Memorial Chapel
DeCA commissary
closed
17 Lunchtime Bible
room, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m.

A&E, 3 p.m.
19 Seabee Ball Golf
Tournament, Windance
Golf Course
24 Lunchtime Bible
room, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m.
25 Anti-terrorism
Force Protection quarterly meeting, Bldg. 1 main
conf. room, 1:30 p.m.
All Khaki Social, A&E, 3
p.m.
26 CMDCM Melvin
Girard Retirement
Ceremony, Chapel, 10
a.m.
Frosty 5K Lunch Time
Run, 11:30 a.m.
31 Lunchtime Bible
room, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m.

among our family members.
We have a new Careline
number for battalion updates,
it is 1-866-531-1101 (toll free),
or 871-3650 (local).
Family Support Group
meetings are held every third
Monday of the month at the
CBC Chapel in Fellowship
Hall at 6:30 p.m. Free babysitting and activities for the
children are provided. For
information contact FSG
President, Helen Walker at
(228) 586-0114; or Secretary,
Robyn Baca at (228) 539-9059.
The FSG Advisor is Susan
Prather, (228) 392-5945.
NCTC TRI-SERVICE FSG
We invite all spouses and
loved ones of NCTC to join
us on the fourth Monday of
each month at 6:30pm in the
Fellowship Hall of CBC
Chapel. We are offering fun
activities for the family, girls
night out, and fellowship
among the NCTC Command.
For more information, please
contact our FSG President
Tessa Grimes @ 865-4364 or
email her at tgrimes730@hot-

mail.com.
Navy-Marine Corps
Relief Society
The Navy-Marine Corps
Relief Society (NMCRS) Thrift
Shop is located at the far
north end of McKinney Ave,
Building 16. The Thrift Shop
is staffed entirely by volunteers. The retail hours of
operation are Monday Thursday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
and Friday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
New volunteers are always
welcome. Visit the NavyMarine Corps Relief Society
offices at the Fleet and family
Support Center, Building 30,
Suite 103, or call (228) 8712610 to obtain information
about becoming a part of the
NMCRS volunteer team!
Childcare and mileage are
reimbursed.
Mississippi Gulf Coast First
Class Association
MGCFCA is seeking new
members. Meetings are every
Weds at 2 p.m at CBC's
Beehive, Bldg. 352. Call BU1
Reyes or CE1 Johnson at 8712145 for more information.

NCBC Gate Hours
Broad Ave: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Pass Road: 4:30 a.m. - midnight, 7 days a week
Commission Road: 5 - 9 a.m. and 3 - 6 p.m. Mon - Fri,
closed Federal holidays and weekends
Canal Road (outbound only): 3 - 6 p.m. Mon - Fri,
closed weekends and Federal holidays

Pass and ID Office
Building 117-T (adjacent to the intersection of John Paul
Jones Avenue and East Eight Street (near Pass Road
gate).
6 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mon - Fri
7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday
Closed Sunday and Federal holidays

Due to lack of enrollment, the FERS retirement class
scheduled for Jan. 22 - 23 is cancelled.

NCBC to conduct prescribed burn in January
A prescribed burn is tentatively scheduled onboard
the Seabee Center the week of January 8-12, with an
alternate date of January 16 -20.
The burn will be conducted in conjunction with the
Forestry Commission and will take place on the west
end of the Center.
More information on the burn can be obtained by calling Ted Ingram at 228-871-2373.

13

CB PG 09-16

Pier to Peer - NMCB 133 comes to aid of veterans

January 11, 2007

14:11

Seabee Courier

1/10/2007

Seabee Courier

11Jan07exp.qxd

PG 17 Color CLEAN
A&E

CBC Fitness Center Activities
"Frosty 5K"
Jan 26, 11:30
Mark your calendars for a
lunch time run
in the heat of
the day Friday
26 January. We
will kick off the
run 11:30 sharp
on the track.
The run is free
to all eligible
patrons. We
will give away
t-shirts to the
first 300 runners.
"Burn off the
Holidays"
January
Challenge
How many
calories can you
burn in a
month??
Calories burned
will be determined by the
cardio equipment. Advice
from one of our
fitness staff will
help you reach

your New Years
Resolution
goals. Look to
the bulletin
boards in the
CBC fitness center for more
details.
Karate Classes
offered
Taekwondo
classes are
being offered
Wednesday and
Fridays 6 - 7
p.m. You must
be 10 years of
age or older to
participate.
Classes are free
to all eligible
patrons.
The classes will
cover the following:
Stretching and
warm up
Form pattern
and stances
Self Defense
Kicking and
blocking drills
Cool
down/ceremo-

ny meditation
Sparring
Training and
Testing
Participants
will be required
to purchase uniform and protective equipment.
Participants
who complete
the course will
receive
International
certification.
Participants
who earn the
next color belt
will be charged
a $30.00 testing
fee which covers certification
and new belt.
Black belt testing is through
the
International
Taekwondo
Federation and
includes additional testing
fees.

January 11, 2007

Pine Bayou Golf Course

8

The next FREE golf clinic is Jan.13, 2007 at 11:00.
The first 20 students will fill up the clinic, range balls
are included and rental clubs if needed.
The next golf tournament will be Feb. 17 start time
is 0800; format is stroke play with Handicaps. Call
the Pro Shop for any questions and you can also sign
up. The fee is TBA later because of the New Snack
Bar in the Club House the fee will include food and
drink with your entry fee. The entry forms will be in
the Pro Shop with the details.
We over seeded the Tees and Greens, the seed will
make all the Greens better and smoother to play on.
If you have any Questions or comments please see
Palmer Proctor, Director of Golf for Pine Bayou G.C.
Thank you for your support and have fun on your
next round of golf.

Don't forget about
Thursday's Social at A&E.
A&E will only be opened
Tuesdays, Wednesdays,
and Thursdays now.
There is a newly recovered pool table. Come on
in and play FOR FREE!
You may also book A&E
on any day that it is
closed. For Further info,
please contact Pat Gray at
871-2538

BeeHive

ITT

Disney Trip-- Purchase your Disney, Universal, and
SeaWorld tickets now for the Orlando Trip Feb. 17-20.
We will depart from CBC on Feb 17 at 8 a.m.and return
on early evening on Feb. 20. Trip includes round trip
transportation on 55-passenger deluxe motorcoach, 3
nights hotel accommodations at the Ramada Plaza
Resort, and your choice of theme park tickets - 2 days at
Disney World OR 1 day Disney & 1 day Universal
Studios or Sea World OR 1 day Universal Studios & 1
day Sea World. Prices vary by number of people in
room… please call Lois at 228-871-2231 for more info.

Outdoor Recreation
Come on by and check out
our NEW rental equipment!

Auto Hobby Shop

Tired of using your old
rusty tools? Well, come
on by and check out our
new tools!

Shields RV Park

Office Hours 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Contact RV Campground
Host at 228-871-5435 for
reservation information.

At the Movies

Jan 11, 11:30 , Flushed Away, PG
Jan 12, 11:30 , Open Season, PG; 6:30,
Catch a Fire, PG13
Jan 13, 11:30 , Open Season, PG; 1:30, Flushed Away, PG; 3:30, The Black Dahlia, R; 6:00, The Guardian, PG13
Jan 14, 11:30, The Return, PG13; 1:30, The Night Listener, R; 3:30, The Marine, PG13
Jan 16, 11:30, Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning, R
Jan 17, 11:30, The Departed, R
Jan 18, 11:30, The Guardian, PG 13
Jan 19, 11:30, The Marine, PG13; 6:30, Flyboys, PG13
Jan 20, 11:30 , Crank, R; 1:30, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Beginning, R; 3:30, Flushed Away, PG; 6:00, The
Departed, R
Jan 21, 11:30, Flicka, PG; 1:30, Open Season, PG; 3:30, Employee of the Month, PG13
Jan 22, 11:30, The Night Listener, R
Jan 23, 11:30 , The Return, R
All Movies are FREE!
Jan 24, 11:30, Catch a Fire, PG13
Jan 25, 11:30, Crank, R

Don't forget Friday's
Social.
There is a newly recovered pool table. Come on
in and play FOR FREE!
Closed on Sundays.You
may book the bar, patio,
or conference room for
any occasion. Contact Pat
Gray at 871-2538 for more
info.

Youth Activities Center
Jan 2
5:30 to 8:30
Teen Only!
Keystone
Meeting Free
Pizza for All!!
Jan3
5:30 to 8:30
Street Smart
Program
Jan 4
5:30 to 8:30
Bezerk Bingo!
Prizes
Awarded
Jan 5
6:00 to 9:00
Youth & Teen
Movie &
Hotdog Night!
Only $1.00
Jan 6
10:00 to 5:00
Rock Climbing
@ Slidell Rocks
Only $8.00
Jan 9
5:30 to 8:30
Torch Club
Meeting &
Poster Making
Contest
Jan 10
5:30 to 8:30
Computer,
Pool & Indoor
Games
Jan 11
5:30 to 8:30

Craziest
Hairstyle
Night! Prizes
Awarded
Jan 12
6:00 to 9:00
Youth & Teen
Movies &
Smores Night!
Only $1.00
Jan 13
10:00 to 4:00
Stennis Space
Center! Only
$2.50
Jan 16
5:30 to 8:30
Martin Luther
King Jr. Crafts
& Activities
Jan 17
5:30 to 8:30
Street Smart
Program
Jan 18
5:30 to 8:30
Wild & Wacky
Relay Races &
Tag Games
Jan 19
6:00 to 9:00
Youth & Teen
Movie &
Popcorn
Night! Only
$1.00
Jan 20
11:00 to 4:00
Bowling at

Gaude Lanes!
Only $5.00
Jan 23
5:30 to 8:30
Girls Only
Night!
Jan 24
5:30 to 8:30
Extreme
Scavenger
Hunt!
Jan 25
5:30 to 8:30
Wacky, Tacky
Outfit Day!
Prizes
Awarded!
Jan 26
6:00 to 9:00
Youth & Teen
Movie &
Nacho Night!
Only $1.00
Jan 27
1:00 to 5:00
Swimming at
Biloxi
Natatorium!
Only $3.00
Jan 30
5:30 to 8:30
Boys Only
Night!
Jan 31
5:30 to 8:30
Youth Bucks
Auction!!!

14

CB PG 08-17 COLOR

PG 8 COLOR ADS

January 11, 2007

14:11

Seabee Courier

1/10/2007

Seabee Courier

11Jan07exp.qxd

PG 7 B&W CLEAN
NMCB 18 improves
living conditions for
Marines in Iraq
By MC2 (SW/AW)
Elizabeth Merriam
Navy Expeditionary
Logistics Support Group


January 11, 2007

Naval Construction Training Center Gulfport recently held a change of badge
ceremony at morning quarters where Command Master Chief (SCW) Sean
Libby (middle) relieved Command Master Chief (SCW) Joe Perrone in front
of Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Darius Banaj.

7

Two construction projects slated for
KAFB Medical Center
By Steve Pivnick
81st Medical Group Public Affairs
As Keesler Medical Center returns to pre-Katrina operations, two new construction projects are in the works.
According to Maj. Jeffrey Van Slyke, 81st Medical Group, chief of construction, the
construction of a new $20 million central energy plant will begin by early summer
of 2007. The facility should be completed in 15 months, or fall of 2008.
The energy plant will contain emergency generators, electrical switchgear, transformers, chillers, boilers and cooling towers. The facility will be designed to reduce
the hurricane damage to major electrical components and significantly enhance
energy production efficiencies. It will be located north of the medical center, where
Oak Park housing area was before the homes were demolished after Hurricane
Katrina.
Also, a new $12.4 million radiation oncology center housing a linear accelerator
was part of the FY07 National Defense Authorization Act. The plans for the linear
accelerator are in development. Location and construction dates are to be determined. The previous linear accelerator, located in the medical center's basement,
was destroyed by flooding during Katrina's storm surge.

KAFB Bowling Lanes are back!
Call 228-377-2817 for league information and
hours of operation.

Navy Reservists with
Naval Mobile Construction
Battalion (NMCB) 18, Delta
Company, Fort Lewis,
Wash., arrived in September
in Iraq and continue to work
to improve the quality of
life for Marines there.
"As the Marines work with
Iraqi army and Iraqi police
and go to dangerous locations to clear out trouble,
the Seabees are right beside
them building and fixing,"
Lt. Cmdr. Michael Miner,
NMCB 18 executive officer,
said. "This makes them better at doing their jobs, and
that is satisfying,"
Thanks to the work of the
Seabees, Miner said, fewer
Marines serving with coalition ground combat forces
in Iraq have to get by with
cold showers, partially protected living quarters and
lack comfortable places to
sleep.
"We're here to support the
Marines and their needs on
the combat field by providing them with our construction skills," BU1 Loren
Drivdahl said. "They've
always been real supportive
of us. They're always really
happy to see us when we
show up, because they
know something good is
going to happen. From
improved living conditions,
a safer place to be, or hot
water for a shower, they
really enjoy the things the
Seabees can provide them."
NMCB 18 currently is
assembling 22 Southwest
Asia (SWA) huts -- preconstructed living spaces
shipped to the building site
and put together in a short
amount of time.
"These huts improve living
conditions. They go from a
tent to a hardened heated or
air-conditioned building,"
said BU1 Cort Souther, the
crew leader for the job.
"Within an hour we can prefab a whole hut, it takes

about 30 minutes for the
walls and about another 30
minutes for the trusses."
The Seabees already have
built plenty of these semipermanent quarters for
Marines in Iraq.
"We recently completed an
order for 49 SWA huts,"
Drivdahl said. "We built a
dozen truckloads of walls,
450 tresses and 98 doors.
Since we've arrived here
three months ago we've
pounded over 4 tons of
nails. We've just gone
through a lot of production
here."
Other tasks for the Seabees
include improvements to
existing buildings, such as
electric and air conditioning
installation.
"We went out to one of our
FOBs (Forward Operating
Bases) with a bunch of
materials including water
heaters and fixtures for
showers," BU2 Gary Jones
said. "We got out there and
there weren't even doors on
the building. It was cold out
and the guys were basically
sleeping in open air."
The Seabees went to work
building roofs, installing
doors and light fixtures, and
providing hot water heaters,
Jones said.
"They just couldn't believe
the Seabees could do so
much in such a short time,"
he added.
In addition to improving
the quality of life for
Marines, the Seabees have
offered tips to Iraqis seeking
to improve their own infrastructure.
"We took a trip to a small
combat outpost to help out.
While we were there, we
showed the Iraqi police
some of the basics for our
job," Jones said. "We were
showing them how to read a
tape measure and how to
use a hand saw, a lot of
things they have never had
exposure to. It's a nice feeling knowing that we're
helping everyone else out.
That's the key thing right
there."

Wireless Connectivity Now Available
to Order through the NMCI Contract
Provided by Jana Landers
NCBC Information
Technology Department
Wireless air cards, service
and accessories are now
available to order through
the NMCI contract.
Previously, the cards and
Verizon access charges
were only available
through FISC. Now, in
addition to FISC, users
have the option to order all
items necessary to use this
capability through the
NMCI Enterprise Tool
(NET).
Using signals from cellular
towers, laptop users are

able to securely connect to
the NMCI network via a
commercial wireless air
card when a LAN connection is not available or convenient.
The following items must
be ordered to use this
capability:
Item 0052DH (0152DH for
FY08 orders) – Verizon cellular card
Item 0052DJ (0152DJ for
FY08 orders) – One-time
installation charge
required for operability
Item 005DK (0152DK for
FY08 orders) –
Connectivity to NMCI via
cellular remote access serv-

Hang up and pull over. Talking on a cell phone
without the use of a hands-free device while
operating a motor vehicle is forbidden onboard
NCBC.

ice (cellular RAS)
Item 0052DL (0152DL for
FY08 orders) – Monthly
recurring charges, such as
taxes, fees, etc.
At this time, Verizon is
the only provider available
on contract. Accessories
such as antennas and wireless card carrying case are
available to order. Users
of the network are reminded to follow local commands policies and procedures for ordering items.
For more information
contact Jana Landers, (228)
871-2030.

Customers can help cut extra costs by
choosing paper over plastic bags
By Kevin Robinson
DeCA Media Relations
Commissaries are hoping
shoppers in the United
States will say yes to paper
bags for bagging their groceries as part of the
Defense Commissary
Agency's measures to offset recent major cost
increases of plastic and
paper bags.
"Our customers have a
really big role in this latest
effort as we try to control
costs while continuing to
provide a premier commissary benefit. They've
responded well during
previous 'Say no to plastic
bags and no to double bagging' campaigns so this is
more of a reminder to continue using paper bags and
a call for more customers
to join in. The purpose is
to control unnecessary
costs, not inconvenience
customers," said Scott
Simpson, DeCA's chief
operating officer.

Changing bagging preferences is something most
customers have been glad
to do when they've been
made aware of the cost
issues during previous
bagging campaigns.
Commissaries tally nearly
100 million customer transactions annually and the
agency spent about $20
million on bags last year.
The cost of paper bags has
increased 34 percent in the
past three years, while
plastic bag costs have risen
84 percent. Shipping costs
offset the difference for
overseas commissaries, so
the paper bag emphasis
isn't applied there,
although double bagging
is discouraged DeCAwide.
Commissaries in the
United States are trying to
reach usage goals of about
70 percent paper and 30
percent plastic, and customers will be hearing
more, "Is paper okay?"
Here are some ways cus-

AD
SPACE
tomers are helping:
They're using paper bags
in U.S. commissaries.
They're bringing and using
their own mesh or canvas
tote bags.
They're bringing and
reusing paper or plastic
bags. Customers may
bring paper or plastic bags
back to the commissary to
use for their own grocery
order, but commissaries
are not able to recycle bags
due to health concerns.
Baggers may also refuse to
use recycled bags if they
appear to be damaged or
contaminated.

For Babies, Boomers & Everyone Else
There's something for everyone in Pueblo. Hundreds of free and low-cost
federal publications. Visit the website to read all of the publications and
order your own copy. Don't delay! Act today! Check out
www.pueblo.gsa.gov
Call 1-888-8-PUEBLO for a free catalog.

15

CB PG 07-18

NCTC welcomes new
command master chief

PG 18 B&W 5X11.5

January 11, 2007

14:11

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1/10/2007

Seabee Courier

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1/10/2007

14:11

Page 6

PG 6 B&W
CLEAN

PG 19 B&W 2 Col. Cln

NMCB 1 completes diverse Far East deployment

74's Det Whidbey Island adopts family for holidays


By SW1 (SCW) Donald Farwell
NMCB 74 Det Whidbey Island

ferent time zones, and the agility to deploy
and redeploy task-tailored teams to diverse
missions will serve the unit well in OIF.
"While deployed it was imperative that we
foster relationships with other service
branch commanders and learn to assess their
needs and assert our capabilities," said
Brooks. "When we deploy with the 3rd
Marine Expeditionary Force, we need to
already be familiar and efficient in our ability to move, complete short duration projects,
and move again; because that is what will be
expected of us in a contingency environment."
Cmdr. Dean Tufts, who assumed command
of NMCB 1 in July 2006 related the serious
nature of deploying to primarily non-combat detachment locations. "Right now, there
are Seabees from Gulfport operating on the
tip of the spear in Iraq. There is little room
for error. What we do on deployment to
Japan, Korea, and the states has to be good,
and we have to sharpen our skills now,
because we know we'll have to hit the
ground running next year."

Friends and family of Naval Mobile
Construction Battalion ONE's (NMCB 1)
Seabees anxiously await the battalion's
arrival at Trent Lott Air National Guard Base
Dec. 15, 2006. NMCB 1 recently completed a
regularly scheduled deployment to the Far
East.

On Christmas Day, the
Seabees loaded their truck
with gifts for the family
and embarked on a surprise holiday delivery. Not
knowing what kind of
reception they would get,
they soon arrived at
Stephanie's house. They
couldn't help wondering
what went through
Stephanie's mind when she
saw a group of people
dressed in camouflage and
hard hats standing on her
front porch. But after a
short greeting and explanation, Stephanie invited

Time away from family
and friends can be difficult
during the holidays, but
the personnel from NMCB74 assigned to Detail
Guam have learned to
make the best of the situation. The Detail took the
opportunity of the holidays to take a couple days
off from work, relax, and
enjoy each other's company.
The Battalion Culinary
Specialists delivered again,
with the presentation of an
outstanding holiday
spread. Work began in the
early hours of the morning
to ensure that a wide range

Christmas tree twinkling
See ADOPT page 17

Gulf Coast USO

Photo courtesy of NMCB 74

Fearless Seabees pose with Stephanie and her children
after sharing an assortment of gifts with them.

NMCB 74's Det Guam celebrates
Christmas in style with feast
By Ensign Steven Kirby
NMCB 74 Det Guam

them into her house. The
group felt comfortable in
the small home when they
saw the family's

of expertly prepared foods
was served at the 11:30
meal on Christmas Day.
The menu included oven
roasted turkeys, roast beef
tenderloin, honey glazed
ham, and an extensive list
of side items. "The CS's all
came together to put in a
hundred percent effort to
provide a quality meal for
the troops; it definitely
contributed to the
Christmas spirit of the
Battalion", said CSSN
Tabitha Stoudemire.
True to form, the Chiefs
and Officers assigned to
Detail Guam came out to
show their appreciation for
the troops and spread
some Christmas cheer.
They manned the serving

line, and cleared tables on
the mess decks to ensure
that everyone could sit
back and enjoy the day.
The great meal served to
the troops offered a few of
the comforts of home that
most were missing on the
other side of the world.
While she would still like
to be able to spend the holidays at home with friends
and family, UTCN Amber
Osteen appreciated the
efforts that were put forth
by the galley crew. "The
Christmas dinner was outstanding, it gave us the
feeling of being at home
while being so far away
from our loved ones."

3001 6th Street, (Bldg 306), 228-5755224
FREE SERVICES AVAILABLE
Fax - Send & Receive (228-575-5225),
Copies (limited amount)
X-Box
Snacks & Drinks, Information and
Referral
United through Reading Program
Computers (4): with web cams, Internet
Access, Email Access,Yahoo, Hotmail
Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8a.m. - 5
p.m.Saturday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., Closed on
Sunday

January 11, 2007


Naval Mobile Construction Battalion One
Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Dean A. Tufts
embraces his daughter after returning home
from a six-month deployment.

Many families go through
the year just trying to
make it from one year to
the next. Charities have
been a large part of the
Christmas holidays for
many years. However, few
are able to see the faces
light up when a family
receives something from a
charity. The Seabee's from
NMCB 74's Detail
Whidbey Island were able
to witness it first hand this
year.
UT2 Daniel Clowser had
brought up the idea of
supporting a family during
the deployment to a
Chaplain at Naval Air
Station Whidbey Island.
After doing some research,
the detail was given the
name of a mother of three
who was facing a dreary
Christmas. A resident of
Oak Harbor, Washington,
illness kept "Stephanie"
from working full time and
in turn left her with very
little income to buy presents for the children.
The Fearless Seabees set
out on a shopping adventure to find all that they
could on the list. Although

most were not the greatest
fans of shopping, especially around the holidays,
they cruised through the
malls and stores to the best
of their abilities. SK2
Lagretta Wright had one of
the best eyes for deals. She
continually pointed them
in the right direction. After
a tiring day of dodging
shopping carts and excited
kids throughout the stores,
most of the shoppers were
beat – it's not every day
that a Seabee spends more
than an hour in a store
without looking at tools.

16

CB PG 06-19

6

oped communities in the Philippines and
Indonesia. The Seabees worked hand-inhand with host nation military members as
well as civilians living in recipient communities. "I have never seen a group of people
work so well together," said Senior Chief
Equipment Operator (SCW) Mark Thomas,
Indonesia Detachment Assistant Officer in
Charge, "they were teaching us as much as
we were teaching them."
In Iraq, 80 Seabees from NMCB 1 provided
security support and military construction to
a Navy-led task force. "This was a really
difficult assignment for us, but it's part of
our "Can Do" nature to rise to the occasion,"
related Builder Chief (SCW) Jeffrey Johnson,
LPO for the Iraq Detachment. "My guys
really took a strain, and we're just grateful to
be home."
Around the Far East, NMCB 1 deployed
detachments to complete military construction projects at the base of Mount Fuji, in
Chinhae Korea, at Naval Air Station Atsugi,
at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, to fleet
activities in Yokosuka, at Naval Base Sasebo
and to military commanders in areas surrounding the unit's main body site at Marine
Corps Base Okinawa. Two NMCB 1 detachments remained in CONUS at Camp
Pendleton and San Clemente Island. When
not working with cinder block and rebar,
members of the unit engaged in a wide variety of community relations projects with
schools, orphanages and organizations in
need near Seabee detachment sites.
The projects completed this deployment
trained and postured the unit for their next
scheduled deployment to Iraq in 2007. The
command and control flexibility required to
manage 18 different locations across five dif-

Seabee Courier

January 11, 2007

The final airlift of U.S. Navy Seabees
attached to Naval Mobile Construction
Battalion One (NMCB 1) returned home on
Dec. 15, officially ending a six month
deployment to the Far East that found the
Battalion spread across eighteen sites in nine
different countries around the world.
"When we deployed, our goals were three
fold: provide forward contingency readiness; provide construction training; and support our customer," said Operations Officer,
Lt. Cmdr. Chad Brooks. "During our deployment we maintained a state of mission
readiness that allowed us to always be ready
to deploy anytime… anyplace."
Deployed in task-tailored detachment
teams around the globe, the construction
professionals of NMCB 1 made an impact at
every stage of their deployment. A team of
twenty Seabees participated in infrastructure
support to the U.S. Department of State by
drilling wells in the Federated Republic of
Micronesia on the island of Pohnpei, resulting in sustained potable water production to
a population suffering from cholera and
other water-bourn illnesses. "Knowing that
we improved their lives, helped keep us
going," said water well team member,
Construction Electrician 2nd Class Leandra
Cubillios. "We came to Pohnpei to improve
their water, and we did that. It has been a
very rewarding deployment."
As participants in Cooperation Afloat
Readiness and Training Exercise (CARAT)
2006, teams of NMCB 1 Seabees built
schools and clinics to service underdevel-

Seabee Courier

11Jan07exp.qxd

11 jan07courier

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