From Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs
VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA -- Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Rear Adm. Charles “Chip” Rock met with Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana and Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek-Fort Story (JEB LCFS) Public Works Department (PWD) employees, March 3, onboard NAS Oceana, to recognize them for their recent hard work and accomplishments.
The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic public works employees from NAS Oceana and JEB LCFS responded expeditiously, Feb 2, to an emergent water main rupture that was immediately affecting the Lincoln Military Housing Wadsworth Shores. Working late into the night, they repaired the rupture, insuring the more than 600 families living in the complex had their water restored in a timely manner.
After a few consecutive days of rainfall and freezing weather, installations throughout the Hampton Roads area were dealing with multiple water line ruptures and breaks. The PWD Oceana team had already been working two other breaks on the Dam Neck Annex that affected multiple facilities to include a barracks.
The team was contacted mid-afternoon regarding the emergent ruptured water line at Wadsworth Shores Housing. After securing from the barracks repair, the team mobilized immediately to begin, what would be an all afternoon, late evening repair evolution.
“When support was needed for pumping operations to remove the water and enable necessary digging operations, the team ‘phoned a friend’ and received unquestioned support from their brothers at Little Creek,” said PWD Oceana Public Works Officer Cmdr. Lakeeva Gunderson. “To come out in the middle of the night without prior notice or knowledge of the situation, and stay with the team until repairs were complete is awe-inspiring.”
Gunderson added that the fact that any PWD employee would assist another PWD without hesitation for whatever and whenever, speaks volumes to the true relationships the teams have built over the years.
“This is what the production supervisors have made into a culture for our Hampton Roads’ Public Works Departments. The bond shared between the PWDs is undeniable,” she said.