Page 73 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2022

SEABEES 80TH
SEABEE DAY
is Back!
story by Brian Lamar, NCBC Public Affairs photos courtesy of MC1 Derek Harkins and Brian Lamar
After five years, Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) Gulfport opened its gates and welcomed the community for Seabee Day 2022 on April 23.
The event, which was free and open to the public, coincided with the 80th birthday of the U.S. Navy Seabees and the establishment of NCBC Gulfport as an installation.
One of the main purposes of Seabee Day is to highlight the mission and personnel of the base to the local community. On a typical day, locals do not have the ability to access the base. During Seabee Day, patrons were invited to take shuttle buses provided by the base from Milner Stadium in Gulfport to Ladd Circle on base.
On April 23, more than 3,000 guests were encouraged to enjoy military displays and demonstrations alongside food, crafts, a free kids area, and live music
“I am so happy that the base has started Seabee Day back up. My family used to come here every year to see the base,” said Pass Christian resident Sarah Pointer, who has been attending Seabee Day with her family for more than a decade.
The event was coordinated and held by the NCBC Morale Welfare and Recreation Department (MWR). During the same day, there were several other high-draw events on the Mississippi Gulf Coast that threatened to pull from attendance numbers.
“It went well. The number of patrons was high, considering that we haven’t had this event for five years. We received great community feedback from our patrons,” said Deborah Brockway, NCBC’s MWR director.
The existing plan for future Seabee Day events is for it to occur every other year. MWR is currently in the planning phases for 2024.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net July 2022 | 73