NMCB 74 5000 Shop Supports Self-Sustainability

Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Ryan Wilber | Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Paul Case, native of Battle Creek, Mich., assigned to...... read more read more

Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer Ryan Wilber | Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Paul Case, native of Battle Creek, Mich., assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74, Electrical Shop, checks the oil level of a 60 kilowatt generator after changing the oil and filter. One responsibility of the electrical shop is maintenance and repair of eight generators on Camp Natasha at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan.  see less | View Image Page

AFGHANISTAN

11.11.2009

Story by Chief Petty Officer Ryan Wilber 

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74

✔ ✗ Subscribe

2

Providing support services to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 is no small task, but the members of the 5000 Shop consistently come through with the familiar "Can Do" attitude that Seabees are known for. Without the support provided from this shop, the battalion's self-sustainability would be seriously diminished, and these Seabees take that responsibility to heart.

"I love what I'm doing. I feel like I'm making a difference and keep the projects running," said Equipment Operator Constructionman Recruit Andy Morris, Tire Shop Crew Member.

The 5000 Shop consists of three separate support shops: an Electrical Shop, a Steel Shop and a Tire Shop. Each provides a specific service and has its particular mission, but together they function as a whole.

The electrical shop services and repairs generators, light plants and environmental control units (ECU) at the Seabee camp, as well as the equipment at the battalion's numerous outlying detachments. Power is unquestionably essential to the battalion's day-to-day operations and the four-man team excels at keeping the generators running and the camp's lights on despite the less than desirable conditions in Afghanistan where the desert consists of a fine dust that finds its way into the machines.

"We don't just support Main Body, we have to support all the down-range Dets, whether they be COPs, FOBs or LSAs. They don't have the equipment down there," said Construction Electrician 2nd Class Randy Kinser, 5000 Shop Floor Supervisor.

"The biggest challenge has been learning to weatherproof the generators. The environment has been the biggest hurdle. It never ever lets up," said Kinser. "If you don't keep the air filters clean, you're going to start sucking garbage into the turbos, which starts to mess them up. Then you have a dead unit. That is the biggest battle."

"With the dust and the sand, and vented fuel tanks, fuel is always a problem. They are always going to get dust inside them and clog stuff up," continued Construction Mechanic 2nd Class Marcus McGee, Electrical Shop Crew Leader.

More frequent maintenance and a level of ingenuity is a must for operating generators 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so the shop has developed a ten day maintenance cycle that fits with their standing maintenance requirements. The guys arrive early in the morning to do their maintenance so they don't disturb daily operations.

"We come in early, normally around five or five thirty on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, to do oil and fuel changes, so that everything will be up and running for the workday. We do two generators at a time, including the ECUs," said Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Efraim Morales, Electrical Shop Crew Member.

"We don't have the latest and greatest technology as far as generators or equipment, so we have to use a lot of our own ingenuity. If we don't, generators will continually be going down," added Kinser.

As a result of the electrical shop's mix of talent and expertise, the Seabee camp receives power from generators under its own cognizance, while inoperable generators from the camp are brought online and sent to detachments to power their camps. Members of the crew often travel to the battalion's detachment sites to provide service to equipment in need of maintenance or repair.

"When we got here our big units, both 100K sets were owned by the Marine Corps. As deployment has gone on, we have learned how to convert European generators from European power to American 60 Hertz, 120, 208, so we have alleviated that compatibility problem and we were able to bring everything under our own power. We have also brought even bigger generator sets of our own on line," said Kinser.

NMCB 74's steel shop supports the battalion through steel fabrication and repair, fabrication of parts and tools, and welding. These services save the command an extraordinary amount of time and a considerable amount of money. Steelworker Constructionman Tanner Casto, Alfa Company Steel Worker, estimates that the 120 jobs he has already completed on deployment has saved the battalion close to a million dollars.

"Sometimes its little things here and there, like a quick weld or a bend straightened out, or it might be something large like constructing a fender or a belly pan for a grader," said Casto. "I've made a few things for the gym and [a] couple [of] things for Camp Maintenance, and built an armory for the Marine Corps."

Casto is highly praised by his coworkers in the 5000 shop and his work is appreciated by all at the camp, from the Seabees using the triceps pull-down bar he fabricated for the gym to the men and women operating vehicles and equipment that he has repaired.

"It will be a while before Alfa Company gets another Casto," said Kinser.

"Casto is a good self-motivator," added Petty Officer 3rd Class Paul Case, electrical shop crewmember.

The two-man tire shop maintains the battalion's fleet of vehicles and equipment by repairing or replacing tires as needed. Much like every division in the 5000 shop, the tire shop supports not only the battalion's Main Body, but supports the down-range detachments as well.

"Everything that has tires on it, we have to manage it," said Morris.

"We support the projects, and make sure the convoys are stepping out on time, which supports the down-range projects," said Construction Mechanic 3rd Class John Beamer, Tire Shop Supervisor.

No job is without its particular challenges, and for the Seabees of the tire shop there is no exception to the rule. Persistence, skill and an occasional helping hand are required to meet the demands accompanying the size and weight of tires they deal with on a daily basis.

"We had a real problem with the water truck tires. The tire is so close to the rim and the tires are so thick, so it took us a couple days to get them off," said Morris. "In the support shops we help each other out."

"Beamer and Morris step up every time a tire needs to go out for a convoy and work late. They do it because mission [comes] first," said Case. "Every day the Tire Shop changes four to six tires, and these are huge tires," added Kinser.

The workflow rarely slows down in the 5000 shop. Being forward deployed means generators are running 24 hours a day, vehicle and equipment tires are worn from daily use, and of course everything has a tendency to break and needs repair.

"We don't stop until it's all done, and it's always busy here," said Construction Mechanic 1st Class Alexis Lane, 5000 Shop Workcenter Supervisor.

To provide the support required by the battalion and detachments, and offer assistance to various commands assigned to and around Camp Leatherneck that cannot support themselves, requires a strong work ethic, skill and a positive attitude. Fortunately for the Seabees of NMCB 74, the 5000 shop crew possesses all three.