NMCB 74 Seabees Support Africa Partnership Station

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Gary Prill | Seaman Nicholas Lampinen, utilitiesman constructionman, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74, Detail Africa Partnership Station, prepares to place rebar for a 200-foot concrete walkway at the Douala, Cameroon, Regional Two Military Hospital. APS is an international security cooperation initiative, facilitated by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and collaborative activities in order to improve maritime safety and security in Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Gary A. Prill/Released)  

DOUALA, CAMEROON

06.17.2011

Story by Chief Petty Officer Ryan Wilber 

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74

By Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan G. Wilber

DOUALA, Cameroon - A group of four Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 completed a mission at the Douala, Cameroon, Regional Two Military Hospital in support of Africa Partnership Station 2011, June 17.

The detail arrived on June 11 with orders to work in cooperation with local Cameroonians constructing a 200-foot walkway to connect several buildings. Petty Officer 1st Class James Shaw, builder, detail APS officer-in-charge stated that the planned walkway was a much needed improvement to the hospital; for both the staff and patients.

“There was just a dirt courtyard between the buildings, and when it rained it would make movement very difficult due to the fact that the courtyard would turn to mud. The new walkway will make patient transport much easier and be a benefit for years to come,” said Shaw.

Cooperation and partnership are two main tenets of the APS concept. The Seabees worked side-by-side with the Cameroonians while teaching them professional construction techniques.

“It was rewarding working with the locals. We were able to improve their knowledge on basic concrete mixing, placing and finishing, so that they can produce good quality projects in the future on their own,” said Shaw. “It was also rewarding to know that we were improving the quality of life for the people of Douala who are patients at the hospital, because it treats civilians along with military.”

As the world climate changes and Seabees engage in more nation building efforts around the globe, junior troops often find themselves with a new and unique worldview after their first deployment.

“It was great to compare the ways that Cameroonians do things and the way we do things, and to see how much they appreciated everything we were doing for them,” said Seaman Daniel Jordan, a builder constructionman and Detail APS crewmember. “It was great to be able to help community relations between the United States and [Cameroonians].”

Gen. Mohammad Sali, Cameroon navy chief of naval operations, invited the crew to his home for a dinner along with the other members of APS to show his appreciation for the work being done in his country.

“The general appreciated all the work we had accomplished. He said that ‘Americans coming to Cameroon shows that they care for the people of Africa,’ and that he was going to ensure that the facility will continue with the civilians using the knowledge we have given them,” said Shaw.

APS is an international security cooperation initiative, facilitated by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and collaborative activities in order to improve maritime safety and security in Africa.

• Date Taken: 06.17.2011
• Date Posted: 06.30.2011 13:09
• Story ID: 73024
• Location: DOUALA, CM