Page 111 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2026

The Navy’s construction force has called Gulfport home since World
War II. Over the decades, Seabees have built and repaired roads, bridges,
airfields, military installations, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure
while serving in conflicts, humanitarian missions and disaster recoveries
around the globe.
They’ve also brought those skills home.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Coast in 2005, Seabees worked
throughout the recovery while their own Gulfport base rebuilt more than
$450 million in damaged facilities.
Their motto, “We Build, We Fight,” isn’t merely a slogan. It’s a record
of work accomplished.
The Coast’s working men leave their mark closer to home, too.
Mississippi Power linemen maintain thousands of miles of power
lines across South Mississippi, restoring electricity after thunderstorms,
tornadoes and hurricanes. Construction workers and skilled tradesmen
build the houses, businesses and infrastructure that change the Coast’s
skyline. Commercial fishermen and shrimpers continue an industry that
has fed families and helped define South Mississippi for generations.
Firefighters, law enforcement officers and paramedics measure their
accomplishments differently—in fires extinguished, lives saved and people
brought safely home.
Much of this work happens without ceremony.
It’s hot. It’s loud. It’s dirty. It happens overnight, offshore, high above the
ground, and sometimes in dangerous conditions. The skills required can
take years to master and are often passed from one worker to the next.
But look around the Coast and their accomplishments are everywhere.
They’re sailing the oceans. Flying into hurricanes. Keeping the lights on.
Feeding communities. Protecting lives. Building what comes next.
And tomorrow morning, before much of the Coast wakes up, they’ll go
back to work.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net
Naval Construction Battalion
Center Gulfport
Skål Axe Throwing
D’Iberville Fire
Department