Seabees build soccer field for Djiboutians

GOTA, ETHIOPIA

03.16.2012

Courtesy Story

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3, Detachment Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, have completed work on a soccer field for the local people in the village of Gota.

The Seabees cleared and leveled an area just outside of town and erected goal posts, turning a desolate hillside into a safe place for the children of the village to play.

The soccer field is a partnership between the U.S. Embassy, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Ethiopian government. “We recognize that sports, especially soccer, play a huge role in this society. Building a field for them to play on was an easy way to improve their quality of recreation, have a positive impact on the community, and build a good relationship with them,” said Lt.j.g. Sarah Ursetti. “We leveled out a fairly rocky area and improved the site’s natural drainage to ensure a safe and long lasting place to play,” she said.

The rocky patch of land was cleared and graded by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jordan Burdette and Seaman Joshua Sprott. Working over a period of three days, they provided the local youth with a place to play soccer after school. “After we finished the project and saw all of the kids playing and having fun, we realized that we did something that the community can really enjoy,” said Sprott. “You never know, maybe we’ll see one of them playing soccer on TV someday,” he said.

After the project was completed, the field was turned over to the people of Gota at an informal ceremony, March 15, attended by the NMCB 3 Seabees, Army Civil Affairs Team, and the local elders. At the ceremony local elders expressed their gratitude to the Seabees for their hard work as well as their desire to continue to foster a lasting relationship with the U.S. Also present were U.S. Army Col. Mark Yanaway from the Civil Military Operations office of Commander Joint Task Force –Horn of Africa and Ethiopian air force Col. Gurmessa Gesesse, a liaison officer for CJTF-HOA. Both expressed the importance of Community Relations projects such as the Gota Community Soccer Field and commented on the strong relationship the civil affairs team and Seabees have been able to maintain with the people of Gota.

NMCB 3 is an expeditionary element of U.S. naval forces providing construction, engineering and security services in support of national strategy, naval power projection, humanitarian assistance, and contingency operations.

• Date Taken: 03.16.2012
• Date Posted: 04.11.2012 10:47
• Story ID: 86562
• Location: GOTA, ET