CTF 68 Seabees complete concrete roof in Rota

ROTA, SPAIN

02.10.2023

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class James Hong 

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11

ROTA, Spain – U.S. Navy Seabees, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11, completed the overhead placement of a concrete roof for the Military Working Dog (MWD) Kennel project in Naval Station Rota, Spain, Feb. 10, 2023.

Over the course of their deployment to Rota, twenty-four NMCB 11 Seabees laid down two tons of reinforcing steel and 750 square feet of formwork in order to place 25 cubic meters of concrete for a complex Spanish roof system on the kennel’s office building.

The MWD crew was challenged by the complexity of the monolithic concrete roof, which required the overhead placement of two separate angled portions and the incorporation of weight-reducing clay blocks not typically used in Seabee construction.

However, through long working hours, extensive problem solving and precise decision-making, the crew was able to construct the roof on schedule and with zero deficiencies.

“This style of roof had never been done by these Seabees before... in the end, the crew overcame all the challenges and finished the placement on time,” said Steelworker 1st Class Cory Migneault, project crew lead. “If there is one thing that I hope the crew takes away from this experience, it would be the project knowledge gained and how much it helped them grow as Sailors.”

The overhead placements were done in three separate phases. As each phase of the roof was completed, the crew gained more knowledge and hands-on experience.

“Going into Phase 2, we tried to implement the lessons we learned from Phase 1. They put their noses to the grindstone, pushed through long hours in the cold rain, and worked weekends in order to complete a bigger placement in half the time,” said Builder 2nd Class John Kaslik. “I think it speaks to the work ethic, mental fortitude, and resiliency of each crew member that worked on MWD.”

Following the completion of the roof, the crew will turn over the MWD project to Seabees assigned to NMCB 1, as NMCB 11 prepares to return to homeport in Gulfport, Mississippi following a successful deployment to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and U.S. Sixth Fleet areas of operation in direct support of Commander, Task Force (CTF) 68.

CTF 68, headquartered in Rota, Spain, commands all Navy Expeditionary Forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility and is responsible for providing EOD operations, naval construction, expeditionary security, and theater security efforts in direct support of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) and U.S. Sixth Fleet.

• Date Taken: 02.10.2023
• Date Posted: 02.16.2023 11:36
• Story ID: 438595
• Location: ROTA, ES