31st Seabee Readiness Group Seabees Train Marines

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Dan Pearson, Naval Facilities Expeditionary Logistics Center

PORT HUENEME, Calif. (NNS) -- Seabees from the 31st Seabee Readiness Group (31st SRG) trained Marines here from the NINTH Engineer Support Battalion (9th ESB) to construct non-standard bridging using timber, hand tools and muscle from Sept. 12-16.

The 31st SRG Seabees taught Marines from the 9th ESB's Bridging Platoon valuable skills in preparation for the battalion's upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

"We've been looking at the after action reports of (the battalion we're relieving), and a lot of the missions they're doing have been taking MGBs (medium girder bridges) and replacing them with non-standard bridges," said 1st Lt. Matthew Paluta, bridging platoon commander. "This is a great opportunity for us to develop that skill set."

Medium girder bridges are only rated for 10 thousand passes before they must be disassembled and every component checked for structural integrity. Many of the bridges built by U.S. forces in Afghanistan are getting very close to that limit. "What this is going to do is allow us to pull our assets and give the Afghans more of a long-term structure," said Staff Sgt. Richard Glory, platoon sergeant. "If they're taught how to do it they can do their own repairs."

The training needed to construct a non-standard timber bridge is not available in the Marine Corps, so the platoon came to the Seabees of the 31st SRG to gain the mission skills they need.

"It's different from what we usually get. Instead of pins in metal bridges, we use bolts and wood. It's an alternative to metal bridging in case we don't have the means and supplies to do an MGB," said Lance Cpl. John Hoover. "We get to put it together and take it apart and try something new by adding more bays to make it longer. The quality of the training was really high."

Steelworker 2nd Class (SCW) Joseph Hamilton, 31st SRG Contingency Construction Crew Training, said the Marines were very motivated for the training. "They want to do it all by hand, because usually they won't have a forklift."

They performed the training in full battle gear with Kevlar and body armor and lifted 20-foot-long timbers into place to build the three-bay bridge.

"Most of these guys have only dealt with the MGB and have never built a timber bridge at all," Hamilton said.

The Seabee instructors' expertise was welcomed by the Marines of 9th ESB. "The Seabees really know a lot about bridging. They're helping us a lot," said Pfc. Timothy Haerr. "We're learning how to put them up and take them down so we can do it faster in combat. I've learned a lot in a short period of time."

The Marines' evident enthusiasm was due in part to the scarcity of the training, said 9th ESB Seabee Liaison Officer 2nd Lt. Matthew Librizzi. "We don't get many chances to do this in Okinawa, so when they get the chance, they are all into it. It's a good experience for the Marines to get."

This was not the first time Marines from the 9th ESB worked with Seabees from Port Hueneme to accomplish a task. In 2007, the 9th ESB worked side by side with Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion FOUR building combat operation outposts, forward operating bases and clearing roads of improvised explosive devices. The 9th ESB Marines and Seabees from NMCB 4 helped coalition forces achieve provincial Iraqi control in Iraq.

The training should pay off in another way for both the Marines and the Seabees in mutual respect and camaraderie as well. The Seabee instructors' knowledge and the Marines' discipline and motivation were just some of the qualities commented on by the trainers and trainees. "Some of these junior Marines have never operated with Seabees," said Glory. "As combat engineers, we operate with Seabees on a regular basis, and this helps build rapport."

The 31st SRG Seabees provide support to the Commanders, 1st Naval Construction Regiment, 9th Naval Construction Regiment, 30th Naval Construction Regiment and their subordinate units. The 31st SRG serves as the personnel receiving and processing activity for deployed Pacific Fleet Naval Construction Force units. In addition to training new personnel in transit, 31st SRG Seabees also provides support to active duty personnel family members through the family support groups.