Getting power back to MCB Camp Lejeune

CAMP LEJEUNE, UNITED STATES

10.01.2018

Story by Cpl. Nikki Morales 

Marine Corps Installations East       

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – Recently, Hurricane Florence made landfall on the East Coast causing many residents in North Carolina, including those on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River, to suffer significant losses.
MCB Camp Lejeune, MCAS New River and the surrounding communities impacted by Hurricane Florence are still conducting recovery efforts in order to assist in returning the areas to their original state. One of the departments still playing a significant role is the Public Works Division on Camp Lejeune.
The Public Works Division participated in pre-hurricane preparation, as well as post-disaster clean up. They’ve had a large impact on the speed at which operations on Camp Lejeune returned to normal.
“I've got a great team here at Public Works,” said Cmdr. James Roche, Public Works officer, Camp Lejeune. “Over a third of my staff are mission-essential personnel. They worked throughout the storm to keep the base running and prepared for recovery. We maintained 100 percent reliability in our water systems and successfully restored power to 95% of the base within days of the hurricane.”
Returning the base to normal did not come without sacrifices. Many men and women worked long hours to ensure the installation was up and running again as soon as possible.
“Due to the hard work and dedication of our staff, (we were) able to meet our ultimate goal to maintain continuity of water service for Camp Lejeune and New River,” said Joseph Stephen, outside plumbing, supervisor, Public Works Division, Camp Lejeune. “We voluntarily stayed and worked 14 to 16 hours a day, helping remove trees off the power lines. Most of my employees worked tirelessly like this without knowing the damage to their own property. This shows how much they care for the Marines and their families here at Camp Lejeune and surrounding bases.”
According to Roche, the Public Works Division processed over 1.5 kilotons of downed trees and yard debris in the week following the storm.
“I have an incredibly dedicated team here,” said Roche. “These men and women did amazing work behind the scenes.”

• Date Taken: 10.01.2018
• Date Posted: 10.03.2018 09:20
• Story ID: 295239
• Location: CAMP LEJEUNE, US