https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1XuElBymyk The 74th anniversary of U.S. Naval Construction Forces is coming up and thousands of Seabees around the country are no doubt locking down dates as we speak. One enterprising petty officer, a builder named Landon Bentz, put together a celebrity video proposal in the grand tradition of viral military ball invitations. He has requested the company of actress Sasha Grey. What makes the video unique is how Bentz describes what exactly he does in the Navy — walking the viewer through the office, a job site and the gym, all with coffee close at hand. It’s unclear where Bentz is stationed, but…
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Builder 2nd Class Dennis VanZuiden’s stepfather, former Iowa Army National Guardsman Larry Damhoff, died in 2010. Every Father’s Day since, VanZuiden has visited his dad’s grave. That wasn’t an option this year. VanZuiden spent Father’s Day in Afghanistan, deployed with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 15. Instead, his unit arranged to fly Damhoff’s funeral flag above Camp Leatherneck on June 28, Damhoff’s birthday — a family tribute honoring two generations of service. “It was pretty hard. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be,” VanZuiden said in a Defense Department news release. “Watching the flag fly overwhelmed me.”…
Builder 2nd Class Bryce Webb Jr. had completed his degree at Northwest Missouri State University, but wouldn’t be able to celebrate his achievement with his classmates. The 29-year-old Seabee was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan on Dec. 6, so he would miss the graduation ceremony Dec. 14, Lake News Online reported. When the events coordinator at the university found out, she rounded up Webb’s friends, teachers and university staff for an impromptu graduation ceremony Dec. 5. Webb went to what he thought was a quick meeting, but instead was hastily dressed in a cap and gown and presented his bachelor’s…
Reaching 100 years of age is remarkable enough. But the Navy made it extra special for a former Navy Seabee Dec. 2. Retired Capt. James R. Mims, the nation’s oldest living Seabee, was made an honorary member of Amphibious Construction Battalion 2 by the unit’s top sailor, Command Master Chief (SCW) Johnny DeSarro, during Mims’ 100th birthday party, held at the Oaks Country Club in Richmond, Va.. Mims also received a U.S. flag flown over the Capitol building, a birthday greeting from President Obama and a very cool commemorative paddle. Mims has experienced some remarkable moments in his life. In…
Maybe it’s a guy thing. But I, for one, would like to see the Navy’s new Expeditionary Rock Crusher in action. Look at this bad boy! The crusher/rock impactor and plant together weigh approximately 119,300 lbs., which is child’s play for a C-5 Galaxy. It fits, as you can see. And now, it’s certified to be loaded and shipped anywhere Seabees operate. Seabees can build anything, but one thing they build a lot of is roads and airstrips for the Navy and Marines. That’s where the ERC comes in. “The Expeditionary Rock crusher bridges the gap between war debris or…
The Navy nabbed a lot of headlines again this week. Leading the way is news that the Navy’s 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock will be named for Rep. John Murtha – a story first reported by Scoop Deck’s own Phillip Ewing. An unfortunate T-39 crash killed four in Georgia also made headlines, as did the Thursday announcement that changes were coming to the performance evaluation system and advancement policy (check Monday’s Navy Times for more on that). And the president also reaffirmed his 2011 Afghan withdrawal plan this week. Here’s seven stories in seven minutes from the past seven…
The Navy kicked off the month by kicking pirate butt in three foiled attacks. The stories that nabbed most other headlines this week included the Nuclear Posture Review, which was all the talk in the beltway; F-35 training, which continues despite problems getting the jets; the Fire Scout, which scored its first drug bust; the smoking ban on subs and the Navy’s decision to restrict the wear of ball caps and coveralls. Here’s seven stories in seven minutes from the past seven days that you may not have seen, but are worthy of notice:
The Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 can really pack a punch. When they catch a break from ops in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, they focus on hand-to-hand and close-quarters combat techniques taught in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. Two Seabees endured three months of gruelling, accelerated training to become instructors. One is EA2 Erik Kennerson, who wants to award at least 18 tan belts before rotating this summer. You can read about their efforts here. The tan belt requires two hours of training a day, four days a week. Students learn punches, throws, chokes, weapons of opportunity…
Today we celebrate the 68th birthday of the “Can-Do” construction battalions. Happy birthyday to all the brave men and women who have been a part of this honorable heritage. Did you know: The earliest Seabees were recruited from the civilian construction trades. Because of the emphasis on experience and skill rather than on physical standards, the average age of WW II Seabees was 37. More than 325,00 men served with the Seabees in WW II on six continents and more than 300 islands. Between 1949 and 1953, Naval Construction Battalions were organized into two types of units: Amphibious Construction Battalions and…
True to the nature of the sailors and officers who comprise the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, the fourth annual Naval Expeditionary Forces Symposium and Expo opened Tuesday morning in Virginia Beach with the announcement that two key speakers would be absent. They had been called away to meet emerging tasks – but two replacements were prepped and ready before attendees ever knew there was an issue. Discussions were somewhat bitter sweet. While speakers noted how current operations in the war zone and humanitarian missions such as the one in Haiti have validated the need for NECC, there remained an undercurrent…
