Page 41 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2017

SEABEES ready to assist
SEABEES “Can Do” When it Comes to Helping the Gulf Coast Community
story by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jeffrey J. Pierce photos courtesy of NCBC
Seabees have long been known for assisting the citizens who live and work along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In the wake of hurricanes Camille in 1969 and Katrina
in 2005, the Atlantic Fleet Seabees located on
board Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) Gulfport, cemented their legacy of a military organization willing to go above and beyond to help those in need.
Seabees are always ready to assist their neighbors; however, it doesn’t take a natural disaster to motivate them to venture beyond the fence line to lend a much- needed hand.
On average, military personnel stationed on board NCBC Gulfport volunteer more than 4,500 hours annually. Whether it is simply helping an individual with fixing a fence or clearing debris from their yard, or more difficult tasks such as building a wheelchair ramp for a disabled member of the community or pouring concrete for a sidewalk at a nursing home, the Seabees put their construction skills to good use.
Most of the time however, Seabees volunteer to assist in endeavors where their job skills are not necessarily needed, just their time and effort; events such as the annual Pathways to Possibilities held
at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center where Seabees discuss career paths with seventh and eighth grade students from across the state. You will find them at the Great Day of Soccer held at the County Farm Soccer Complex where they run the event’s skills competitions, or participating in the Mississippi Coastal Cleanup to pick up trash along the streets and beaches that can pollute our waterways and endanger the lives of animals.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast is the Seabees’ home. Year in and year out, the Seabees are out in the community bringing their “Can Do” spirit to help those in need of assistance, whether it be with construction skills or simply with time and effort.
Members of NCG 2 / 22 NCR’s Chief Petty Officers’ Association pour concrete for sidewalk for the Mental Health Association of South Mississippi as community relations project during Mississippi Gulf Coast Navy Week.
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July 2017 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 41