By Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Michael Smaltz
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74
GULFPORT, Miss. - For the final major concrete placement of their Operational Multi-Use (OMU) Facility, all hands were on deck.
The concrete was called in to place a major beam known as a bond beam, a vital part of the roof structure, which supports the roofing system and ties in the reinforced concrete columns, resulting in significant structural strength to the OMU.
To accomplish this, Steel Worker 2nd Class Jake Peters, project crew leader said, “It took everyone out there giving 110 percent for this to be the success it was.” The crew’s efforts resulted in the final placement of 12 cubic yards of concrete.
The crew was engaged in the labor intensive and back breaking work for more than nine hours.
In an effort to compensate for the heat of the day in the near equatorial climate of Cameroon’s coastal jungle, Ensign John Pinachio, officer in charge (OIC), Detail (DET) Cameroon, set modified working hours.
The crew worked early hours, with the placement beginning at 4:00 a.m. Under the yellow glow of work lights, the first concrete mixer began to turn out its product.
A hopper designed to place concrete using the fork lift attachment of a tractor was quickly abandoned in favor of the tried and true “bucket” method.
“Doing it by buckets is harder work but safer,” said Peters, “This means we don’t have to worry about mechanical failure or operator errors.”
By the end of the day, over 15 tons of concrete were placed by hand.
Chief Equipment Operator Brian Oelke, assistant officer in charge (AOIC), DET Cameroon, commented that this was a vital step towards the completion of the project, “With this (bond) beam set, we will be able to have the roof on the building before the rainy season starts.”
The average daily rainfall during the rainy season in Cameroon is more than five inches. The roof will provide protection from the elements so that the team can continue its work on the future Joint Operations Center.
With its home-port in Gulfport, Miss., NMCB 74 is a 580-person Seabee Battalion currently deployed to multiple locations in U.S. Northern Command, U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command, and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility, providing general and contingency engineering support to Combatant and Component Commanders in order to enhance their operational capabilities across the full spectrum of military operations. Operating forward, NMCB 74 strives to capitalize on engagement opportunities and build lasting relationships, ultimately paving the way for future partnerships.
For more news and information on NMCB 74, visit the Command Facebook page at https://www. Facebook.com/#!/FEARLESS74.
| Date Taken: | 03.28.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 03.28.2014 10:43 |
| Story ID: | 123019 |
| Location: | GULFPORT, MS, US |
| Web Views: | 178 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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