HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Each Super SWA-Hut measures 120 feet in length by 32 feet in width, contains multiple rooms, and has a reinforced roof to withstand high wind speeds. There are 58 Seabees working on the project divided into two crews of 26 and a safety team of 12.
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 began the project in July, together with about 15 Soldiers from the 655th Asphalt/Concrete Detachment, who are still on the project. The SWA-Huts were turned over to NMCB-74's advanced party in August about two weeks after their arrival.
"The turnover that we got with NMCB-5 was awesome," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Leguillow, a builder and crew leader, "They taught us how they were doing things to get the same quality but quicker."
Charlie Company begins working at sunset, and works through the night to avoid the extreme temperatures of the desert heat.
"We're able to move a lot faster at night because it is much cooler," Leguillow explained, "once the temperature drops here we will begin working days."
For many Seabees on the site, this is their first deployment, and for some it is their first construction project outside of training. Many of these Seabees are giving and receiving on the job training while they work.
"There is a little bit of a learning curve as far as knowing the standards and how an actual job is run," Leguillow said. "This transition period for a young Seabee is normal and to be expected."
It is very common for Seabees in rates such as construction electrician or utilitiesman, to find themselves doing work typical for the rate of builder.
Seaman Apprentice Joanna Garcia, a construction electrician constructionman, explained that there is only so much electrical work to be done on a project like this. "We have to be flexible," Garcia said "when we are finished we help the builders carry wood or hammer nails."
Seaman Apprentice Akini Alexander, a utilitiesman constructionman, found himself using a saw to cut wood for the first time after installing his portion of the Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning system.
"It wasn't too hard to learn how to make good cuts with the wood saw," Alexander said, "after a few days I was moving very fast."
"We have got an awesome crew and awesome crew leaders," said Leguillow. "All of the younger guys want to learn and they're just soaking all this up so that when they get to the next building they can just go, go, go!"
The project was originally projected to be finished late November, but crew leader Leguillow feels confident that at the rate things are going they should be finished ahead of schedule.
| Date Taken: | 08.29.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.03.2009 08:21 |
| Story ID: | 38315 |
| Location: | HELMAND PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 367 |
| Downloads: | 285 |
This work, NMCB-74 Builds Super SWA-Huts, by CPO Michael Lindsey, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
