NMCB 11 Participates In CARAT 2010

By Lt. j.g. Andy Takach and Builder 3rd Class Caleb Gregoire, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 Public Affairs

May 7, 2010 - RAYONG, Thailand (NNS) -- Fifteen Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) Eleven's Detachment CARAT prepared their equipment for airlift April 15.

These Seabees staged their equipment on Kadena Air Force Base working through bad weather, including torrential downpours and whipping winds on an unusually chilly day in Okinawa.

NMCB 11 is tasked with supporting Engineering Civic Action Projects (ENCAP) for Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2010. CARAT is a series of bilateral exercises between the navies of the U.S. and multiple countries in Southeast Asia, with goals of military-to-military cohesion, training, and relationship building. Its traditions span almost two decades.

In past CARATs, Seabee detachments would embark upon a participating ship from port to port, but this year NMCB 11's detachment will fly to each location to maximize its time on the ground and execute each project from cradle to grave.

Their first stop is Rayong, Thailand, and members are excited for the opportunity.

A few short hours after their C-130 touched down in Thailand, the Seabees of NMCB 11 teamed up with a 15-person detachment from the Royal Thai Marines (RTM). Their common goal is to construct a 7-by-8-meter, one-room schoolhouse for a primary school in a small village outside of Rayong. They have 30 days to complete their tasking.

Introductions were made, and the two crews set to work. At first, the language barrier was a concern. However, hand signals, sketches, and common phrases from both languages soon became commonplace at the job site, and the pace of construction picked up with a fury. Column footers were poured on the third full day of construction, and the grade beam and slab were poured just two days later.

The bond between the Seabees and the RTM strengthened; and by the end of the first week, they referred to themselves as one crew. Every day meant something new to learn from each other: a word, a different food, a different aspect of each other's culture, and of course, construction methods.

"It's a common misconception that we participate in these exercise to teach the host nation our way of doing things," says Chief Builder (SCW) Mario Solares, assistant officer in charge of the detachment, "but really, we are learning just as much about construction from them as they are from us."

The project crew continued to be innovative, reusing their formwork from the grade beams for the columns, and the project shot out of the ground. As April came to an end, all concrete work had been completed, and the crew had already placed three courses of block for the exterior walls.

"The timeline has definitely been our biggest challenge," said Builder 1st Class (SCW) David Sheard, NMCB 11's crew leader. "We've been able to combine our different methods tremendously. The efforts on both sides have been outstanding, and I'm confident we'll finish on time."

This project has been rewarding for the Seabees on many levels. Not only have they learned a great deal, but also they get to experience the impacts of their efforts firsthand. The local villagers never cease to show their appreciation. They cook lunch for the project crew at least once a week: a feast of exotic, and often spicy, Thai cuisine. Others stop by with bottles of sports drinks, and all of them exhibit the Thais' natural generosity. Smiling on-lookers will call for the Seabee's translator, wishing to personally thank the crew for its hard work.

Although school is not currently in session, due to summer break, students hang around the outskirts of the project on a daily basis. The Seabees make friends with all of them, buying them ice cream and teaching them games.

"I can't imagine a better deployment," said Builder 3rd Class (SCW) Daniel Guillermety. "I know that this will be one of the best in my career."

As the exercise pushes into May, the walls are almost complete, and the crew works on installing the heavy roof trusses by hand. With the ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for May 14th, they can't afford to slow down, and the Seabees and the Thais can be found working side by side, communicating with ease and completely in sync. It's obvious that neither side will forget the friendships that they've made and the contributions of their counterparts.

The rain at the staging area in Okinawa has long been forgotten. In a little over the week, the DET will yet again be preparing their TRICONs for airlift, this time to Malaysia. If it rains again, no one will question whether his or her next mission will be worth it.