SASEBO, Japan (NNS) – Seabees deployed with U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 3 have hit major milestones in the construction of two pre-engineered buildings (PEBs) in support of Naval Beach Unit (NBU) 7 in Sasebo, Japan.
The Seabees placed the concrete pad for the warehouse PEB and erected its steel structural frame. They partnered with Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East, Public Works Department Sasebo to receive the support of a 40-ton crane and highly-skilled crew to safely erect all the structural columns and apexes on top of the pedestals and anchor bolts. Following this, the crew completed the placement of the concrete pad, which puts them in position to work towards placing concrete ramps in the near future.
“Seabees have been forward deployed to Sasebo in order to support commands, like NBU-7, by providing facilities crucial to their mission,” said Lt. Michael Bishop, officer-in-charge of NMCB-3’s Detail Sasebo. “These PEBs will allow NBU-7 to utilize dedicated facilities to store and maintain their support equipment, which well enable and enhance their mission lethality. The number one goal for the project is to provide NBU-7 with high-quality facilities that will last for decades.”
Completion of these milestones did not come without obstacles. Delays, such as back to back typhoons, meant the crew had to stop work and secure all loose items around the project in preparation for the oncoming weather. However, the Seabees overcame these challenges and have broken ground on the maintenance PEB by excavating through 15-inches of existing concrete for the footers and beams of the building.
“I think it’s really cool to see all of us Seabees of different rates come together as a team with everyone having a specific job that helps construct these buildings,” said Builder 2nd Class Savon Hunte. “It is very rewarding to see all of our hard work starting to show in these buildings, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.”
Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo’s Public Works Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Christian Auger, conducted a project site tour to view the Seabees’ progress, Oct. 30.
“I am impressed by NMCB-3 and the work that they are doing because of the challenges that they are working through, specifically equipment and material delays, but they are consistently working through these challenges to accomplish the mission here,” said Auger. “This project will have a huge impact to the base from a public works standpoint by being able to meet critical storage shortfalls that we have to increase to be able to meet the mission. I appreciate the hard work that NMCB-3 continues to do, and I look forward to the completion of this project as soon as possible.”
Moving forward, the Seabees will be focused on installing all external components of the warehouse PEB while placing the footers, pedestals and anchor bolts of the maintenance PEB.
As the name suggests, PEBs are structures with a single design that can be fabricated with various materials to satisfy many different requirements. Their speed of erection and versatility make them a good choice for Seabees to quickly meet the needs of supported units. In this case, one PEB will serve as a warehouse while the other will function as a maintenance shop.
NMCB-3 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 Major Combat Operations throughout the area of responsibility.
For more information about Seabees and NMCB-3, visit http://seabeemagazine.navylive.dodlive.mil or https://www.facebook.com/NMCB3/