US Navy Seabees assist Liberian Coast Guard

25th Naval Construction Regiment
Courtesy Story

Date: 08.25.2012
Posted: 09.24.2012 11:59
News ID: 95198
US Navy Seabees assist Liberian Coast Guard

MONROVIA, Liberia -- Underwater Construction Team ONE Seabees, assisting the Liberian Coast Guard, completed emergency repairs to a floating pier in Monrovia, Liberia.

The pier, built by UCT 1 in 2010 and designed to berth Liberian Coast Guard rigid hull craft, enables the Liberian Coast Guard to conduct effective border protection, counter-piracy, and counter-narcotics operations. It began showing damage in June 2011 following a season of exceptionally strong winds and high seas.

The repair project, which began mid-August, wrapped up the first week of September.

“It has been extremely challenging working in Liberia in the rainy season,” said Chief Sang Park, officer-in-charge of UCT 1’s Construction Diving Detachment Alfa. “The completion has been successful primarily because it has been a team effort.”

The repair project was also an opportunity to partner with Liberian divers and instruct them in techniques used by the Underwater Construction Teams.

“The opportunity of working with the Liberian divers and learning from each other has been the best part of this project,” said Steelworker 1st Class Robert Marron.

The pier was designed by Naval Facilities Engineering Command, and repair work included replacing damaged hawsers, upgrading mooring lines, and resetting sea anchors that had shifted on the bottom of the bay.

UCT 1 is based out of Little Creek, Va. The mission of the UCT is to conduct inshore and deep-ocean-facility underwater construction, inspection, repair, and maintenance operations and to conduct amphibious landing support of joint logistics over-the-shore operations, including foreign humanitarian assistance, civil support, and recovery operations.