Photo By Cpl. Robert Williams | A Marine uses a buzz saw to cut out extra parts of the wooden flooring in an old...... read more read more
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KAWAIHAE HARBOR, Hawaii – Engineers took to their toolboxes to turn an old, rundown shack into something more comfortable for service members in training limbo.
Marine engineers from MWSS-472 refurbish an old military housing building on the beach of Kawaihae Harbor Jan. 9, here, during exercise Lava Viper 15.1-2.
“We’ve been tasked out to bring the foundation back to its proper regulations,” said Lance Cpl. Timothy Kean, a combat engineer with MWSS-472, Marine Air Group 47, 4th Marine Air Wing. “The whole foundation is deteriorating due to contact with the seawater. We’re also going to redo the flooring and the beautification of the building because of how dilapidated it is in its looks.”
The outpost on the beach is used by various services as a way to get out of the severe weather conditions, according to Cpl. Joseph Dutton, a combat engineer with MWSS-472, MAG-47, 4th MAW. It also serves as a place for the advanced platoons to wait for their ships to arrive with vehicles and supplies to accomplish later missions.
“Units can be here up to three weeks (waiting),” said Dutton, from Brookline, Vermont. “So it’s important to give them something comfortable to live in.”
The workers are benefiting from this experience according to Dutton.
“It gives them great hands on training and chance to learn more of our trade,” said Dutton. “Being able to come out here to Hawaii, it helps keep their motivation up.”
The Marines from MWSS-472 have done various other humanitarian assistance projects according to Kean, from Waterbury, Connecticut. They have traveled to many countries including Belize, Honduras and Peru.
“We went to build schools for the locals,” said Dutton. “It’s a nice thing about being in the Marine Corps. We really get to do something good for other countries.”
Once done with the humanitarian projects in those countries, the engineers were proud of the work they did, according to Kean.
“At the end of the mission (the engineers) saw the impact they made to the people there,” said Kean. “The people loved us and the work we did. It feels great to be able to look back and know we did something like that for another country.”
The engineers continue to work on the project and are slated to finish the refurbishing Jan. 23.
“It’s not a vacation. We come to work and we work hard,” said Kean. “We’re on a mission and we’re here to take care of business.”
| Date Taken: | 01.09.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.22.2015 02:53 |
| Story ID: | 152431 |
| Location: | KAWAIHAE, HI, US |
| Hometown: | BROOKLINE, VT, US |
| Hometown: | WATERBURY, CT, US |
| Web Views: | 131 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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