Builder 3rd Class Terry Grace assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion One Thirty Three (NMCB-133) mans an M-60E3 7.62mm machine gun while manning a convoy through the Rumaila oil fields. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jacob Johnson.

Children play in a playground built by Reserve Seabees at the Al Hillah West Primary School in Iraq.

Seabees attached to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Seventy-Four (NMCB-74) pour concrete for a C-130 aircraft staging area. The C-130 staging area is the largest single battalion concrete project since World War II and will be used to support future operations within the Central Command Area of Responsibility. NMCB-74 is based out of Gulfport, Miss. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Brien Aho.

A playground built by Reserve Seabees at the Al Hillah West Primary School in Iraq.

An Equipment Operator assigned to NMCB-133 works to build a protective barrier around Camp Bollinger with a D-7 bulldozer to protect the Seabees from small arms fire. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Jacob A. Johnson.

It could be the jungles of Southeast Asia, the deserts of the Middle East or the war-torn neighborhoods of Bosnia.

Wherever the experienced and skilled craftsmen of the First Naval Construction Division — the Seabees — are needed, they will go, ready to build and ready to fight.

“Seabees are unique because they serve a dual function,” said EOC Kevin Cullen, a reservist who is attached to the First Naval Construction Division, located at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Port Hueneme, Calif. “Our motto, ‘we build, we fight’ not only describes how we serve both in wartime and in humanitarian efforts through our construction skills, it also describes our ability to defend ourselves as a combat force as well. The best way to describe a Seabee would be to say that we are the ultimate construction workers, with weapons. Seabees have earned the reputation as the ‘can do’ force throughout the military that stops at nothing to accomplish its mission.”

That mission to build and to fight began shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. The pioneer Seabees, whose name is a transliteration of “CB” or construction battalion, soon earned a reputation as experienced and skilled craftsmen as they sliced through jungle and blasted coral in the Pacific Theatre during WWII.

During that time, the Seabees built 111 major airstrips, 700 square blocks of warehouses, hospitals for 70,000 patients, storage tanks for 100 million gallons of gasoline and housing for 1.5 million men. And in the process they poured the foundation for the Seabees to become a permanent part of the United States Navy.

Today, the Seabees are still building on a worldwide scale and are directly responsible for the construction of hundreds of miles of roads, airport runways, schools, hospitals, prisoner of war compounds and camps for their fellow soldiers. Seabees have served in modern conflicts including Vietnam, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

“We are the only military construction force on this planet that has the complete construction capabilities to do everything necessary to execute construction for war and to rebuild what has been destroyed because of war,” said John Preku, operations chief for the 1st NCR. “Additionally, the Seabees do more humanitarian types of construction. After Desert Storm, we constructed entire cities for the Kurds who were displaced after Saddam invaded Kuwait.”

Most recently, the Seabees of the 1st NCR Naval Construction Force deployed elements of 23 Seabee units in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Units that were called to duty to provide construction support included the First Naval Construction Division (forward), two Naval Construction Regiments, six active and four Reserve Naval Mobile Construction Battalions, two underwater construction teams, six construction battalion units, one Naval Construction Force Support Unit and one Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit.

One of the unique aspects of the Seabee reservist is the fact that he or she really takes their day jobs on the road. By day and when not deployed, most of the personnel work in some aspect of the construction arena — from engineering to bricklaying. Chief Cullen, for example, is a private contractor when he is not serving his country.

Chief Petty Officer Daniel J. Allen, 34, has been an active duty reservist for the last 16 years. A member of the 1st NCR, Allen was activated in January 2003, but stayed at his home base of Port Hueneme.

“I was assigned to the planning and estimating shop where I created bills of materials for projects and did most of the engineering review for the projects that our group was assigned,” Allen explained. “I found this job to be easy because I do planning and estimating on the outside. Plus, my job with the regiment is in the operations department, coordinating current exercises. I make sure the right people are assigned to the correct job. It was an easy transition.”

Lieutenant Jeff Gerken, a member of the Reserve Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) of the 1st NCR, added that he and other Seabee reservists brought an important perspective to their projects in Iraq, thanks to their civilian experiences.

“Being a reservist helped when it came to construction, project management and relationships with senior leaders,” Lt. Gerken explained. “The average age in my unit was 38, so we brought experience to the fight that only reservists can, things that you don’t learn in A School or college. This resulted in some very creative solutions to problems, like limited materials and design modifications, all under stressful conditions.”

“Seabees are unique because they never say that something can’t be done,” added CMCS Mark Lowe, also an NMCB member of the 1st NCR. “They are always trying to make whatever they are doing work. The Reserve Seabee brings an immense amount of technical skill to the table while the active duty Seabee brings more military training. Both of these attributes combine in helping the Seabees gain the reputation they have. I believe the Seabees are a vital asset to the U.S. forces because their work ethic is what everyone needs and desires to help them accomplish their own mission.”

It is those creative solutions and that work ethic that have earned the Seabees a reputation that goes far beyond the service they provide during times of conflict. The Seabees are dedicated humanitarians and can found in areas around the world that are in dire need of their expertise.

In Iraq, for example, Seabees constructed and repaired civil facilities to not only improve the quality of life for the Iraqi people, but also to deter the strong influence of terrorists. According to Daryl C. Smith, public affairs officer, First Naval Construction Division, projects completed by the 1st NCR included 7 bridges, 74 schools, 13 government buildings, 16 police and fire stations and various other projects.

“Seabees worked on civil-military operations valued at $7.1 million in many cities in Iraq,” Smith said. “Some of the projects involved Iraqi contracted labor that helped accomplish another of the Seabee goals — ensuring that Iraqis are involved in their own rebuilding efforts and ensuring employment and contributing to the local economy.”

“Seabees stand at the ready when our country calls to bring construction and engineering support to the most remote locals in the world and under the harshest conditions,” Gerken noted. “I think the Seabees exemplify the finest attributes of our country: strength, dedication, ingenuity and technical expertise. Seabees truly CAN DO.”

That Can Do attitude was celebrated this past fall in New York City. Rear Admiral Charles R. Kubic, Commander of the First Naval Construction Division and Commander of the First Marine Expeditionary Force Engineer Group, presented medals to five U.S. Navy Seabee reservists from the NMCB at NYC’s Navy Recruiting Center.

The Seabees — Commander Charles R. Sherer, Equipment Operator; First Class Daniel Quinn, Construction Mechanic; First Class Patrick A. Sabatini, Builder; First Class, Ronald Cozza, and First Class Daniel P. Hazley, Utilitiesman — all served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the ceremonies, the men noted that their time in Iraq left a lasting impression.

“It’s a lot of fun to come out here and be with the group I worked with over there,” said BU1 Cozza, a carpenter from New Jersey who served with the NMCB 21, part of the 1st. NCR. “It’s a different atmosphere from where we were. I’ve never seen poverty like that in my life. The children were adorable.”

Those children bridged the gap between the Seabees and the Iraqi adults. Soon, in most instances, Seabees were working side by-side with Iraqis, helping them to rebuild their communities and their lives.

“We worked with different ministers to get their infrastructure back up and running,” added Commander Sherer, a self-employed general contractor from Pennsylvania. “These people were oppressed for 30 years. All of the people I came in contact with were good people and really wanted us to stay.”