1,100 Seabees bound for Afghanistan

[unhappycamper]

Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5 move a work platform during the relocation of the Barley Company Pre-Fabrication Yard at Camp Natasha at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, in May. About 1,100 Seabees are being deployed as part of the troop surge in Afghanistan.


1,100 Seabees bound for Afghanistan
By Lance M. Bacon - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Dec 22, 2009 11:48:43 EST

More than 1,100 Seabees will deploy to Afghanistan as part of the 30,000 additional U.S. forces headed to the region in the new year.

The deployment will increase the Navy’s ground presence by nearly 30 percent.

Two battalions are gearing up and could land in Afghanistan as early as January. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 will deploy from Port Hueneme, Calif., and NMCB 133 will deploy from Gulfport, Miss. Each battalion contains about 580 Seabees.

The Seabees are a vital enabler for the surge of soldiers and Marines already underway. Additional troops require additional infrastructure such as berthing facilities, roads and airfields.

There already are 3,700 sailors on the ground in Afghanistan. Portions of two Seabee battalions have been there since January. The rest are mainly explosive ordnance disposal and medical personnel. Another 208 sailors are building schools and roads.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/12/navy_seabee_deploy_122209w/

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[skygirl]

2. 1,100 Seabees bound for Afghanistan Posted by unhappycamper

yeah you are right