NMCB 1 Seabees Depart for Pensacola, Begin Disaster Recovery Operations

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040918-N-3879H-004 Gulfport, Miss. (Sept. 18, 2004) – Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Nicholas Reid and Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Ralph Vanoverberghe, both assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion One (NMCB-1), load chainsaws and other supplies onto a truck headed to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Fla. NMCB-1 has deployed more than 150 Seabees to NAS Pensacola to assist with disaster recovery after Hurricane Ivan caused major damage on the three Naval bases in the area. Ivan made landfall at Gulf Shores, Ala., at approximately 3:15 a.m. EST Sept. 16, with winds of 130 MPH. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 1st Class Dennis J. Herring (RELEASED)

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NMCB 1 Seabees Depart for Pensacola, Begin Disaster Recovery Operations
Story Number: NNS040917-14
Release Date: 9/17/2004 4:59:00 PM

By Journalist 1st Class (SW) Dennis J. Herring, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1 Public Affairs

GULFPORT, Miss. (NNS) -- A team of Seabees departed Construction Battalion Center, Gulport, Miss., at 1 a.m. Sept. 17 for Pensacola, Fla., to establish a command center for disaster recovery operations.

Seabees with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 spent the night of Sept. 16 loading trucks with communications equipment and tools to assist with initial recovery operations. NMCB 1 officials received the order to deploy Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. and began preparations for the trip. Less than eight hours later, more than 40 Seabees departed on the initial trip.

“Our Seabees really came through and completed the preparations in record time,” said Lt. Cmdr. Scot Sanders, NMCB 1 operations officer.

“We deployed a reconnaissance team, a disaster recovery team and a group to establish the on-scene command post at Naval Air Station Pensacola for Rear Adm. (sel.) Wayne Shear from Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) in Washington,” said Lt. j.g. Ryan Carey, of NMCB 1’s operations team. “Shear will be the on-scene commander for recovery operations in the area.”

“Pensacola base officials have estimated the damage on the three military bases at more than $100 million,” Carey said. “We have been told that more than 20 percent of the windows on base have been blown out, and all of the roofs have damage. There was also severe flooding. Health and safety is the major concern at this time.”

A team of 115 Seabees from NMCB 1 has been selected to depart Gulfport Sept. 18. No time for their return has been decided.

“The combined teamwork of the 22nd Naval Construction Regiment, the 20th Seabee Readiness Group and NMCB 1 ensured that the Seabees were able to respond in very short order to make a difference in support of an extremely important mission,” added NMCB 1 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Louis V. Cariello.

For more news from around the fleet, visit the Navy NewsStand at www.news.navy.mil.

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