Courtesy Photo | 200430-N-BO270-0115 DIEGO GARCIA, British Indian Ocean Territory (April 30, 2020)...... read more read more
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Story by Builder 2nd Class Bethann Crotchett
DIEGO GARCIA, British Indian Ocean Territory – U.S. Navy Seabees with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5’s Detail Diego Garcia completed a tension fabric structure (TFS) in support of the U.S. Air Force, March 30.
Seabees deployed with NMCB-5 and worked with contractors to complete the structure, which sits on 162 cubic yards of concrete and nine tons of reinforcing steel.
Building the TFS not only support the U.S. Air Force on the island, but it also keeps the Seabees’ skills up with hands on training for Major Combat Operations (MCO).
The TFS, valued at $1.5 million and encompassing approximately 10,000 square feet, will provide much needed protection from the debilitating effects the salt water and sand can have on the equipment employed by the Air Force squadrons stationed on the island.
For many in the detachment, this was the first experience they had with project management and working on an active project site. The lessons learned and hours of on-the-job training this project afforded will prove to be valuable as these personnel go on to other roles within the Naval Construction Force, such as MCO and Humanitarian Aid/Disaster Relief (HADR).
“Coordinating with the contractors throughout the duration of deployment definitely helped our relationships with the other groups on the island and gave me some more experience for the material management portion of my job,” said Steelworker 2nd Class Elizabeth Auten.
From turnover with NMCB-4 in October until its completion, the project spanned the course of five months. With the geographical location of the island came a unique set of challenges, primarily significant rain. Diego Garcia typically receives approximately 100 inches of rain per year and NMCB-5’s deployment began during the island’s rainy season.
“We definitely encountered our share of delays with the rain,” said Builder 3rd Class Joshua Kohls . “But through improvisation we made it work.”
The structure is complete with a working electrical system and rolling doors, allowing for visibility within the building and ease of access for the equipment.
The Seabees with NMCB-5’s detachment on the island also completed three bike shelters to support the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation department and a dog run for the military working dogs on the island.
NMCB-5 is deployed across the Indo-Pacific region conducting high-quality construction to support U.S. and partner nations to strengthen partnerships, deter aggression, and enable expeditionary logistics and naval power projection. The battalion stands ready to support HADR and MCO throughout the region.
| Date Taken: | 03.30.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 05.08.2020 08:47 |
| Story ID: | 369510 |
| Location: | IO |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Seabees Construct Tension Fabric Structure to Support Air Force, by PO2 Bethann Crotchett, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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