
Seabees Begin Water Well Drilling Exploration in Colombia
By ggranger, / Published Sept. 6, 2018
Story by MC1 Grant Ammon, Navy Public Affairs Support Element East
RIOHACHA, Colombia - Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 will work side-by-side with members of the Wayuu population who are indigenous to the Colombian town of Riohacha, located in the country s La Guajira Department, in an effort to bring a greater supply of fresh water to the community.
This community has been in a state of drought for the last 8 to 10 years, but in the last 2 or 3 years, it has been much worse, said Brunilda Morales, a linguist and instructor of languages for Wayuu, from La Guajira s Office of Indigenous Affairs. This prolonged dry season is effecting our well-being. Water is everything to us. Plants, animals and people continue to live through water.
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U.S. Navy Construction Mechanic 1st Class Aaron Wymore (left) and Construction Electrician 2nd Class Zachary Posmoga (right), assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133, connect the top head and drill steel during water well drilling exploration operations in Riohacha, Colombia, Sept. 1, 2018 as part of Southern Partnership Station 2018. Southern Partnership Station is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored and U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet-conducted annual deployment focused on subject matter expert exchanges and building partner capacity in a variety of disciplines including medicine, construction and dive operations in the Caribbean, Central and South America. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kalie Frantz)

U.S. Navy Builder 3rd Class Zachary Paiva, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133, adds chemicals to raise the PH level of the drilling water during water well drilling exploration operations in Riohacha, Colombia, Sept. 1, 2018 as part of Southern Partnership Station 2018. Southern Partnership Station is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored and U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet-conducted annual deployment focused on subject matter expert exchanges and building partner capacity in a variety of disciplines including medicine, construction and dive operations in the Caribbean, Central and South America. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kalie Frantz)

U.S. Navy Builder 3rd Class Zachary Paiva, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133, prepares mud during water well drilling exploration operations in Riohacha, Colombia, Sept. 1, 2018 as part of Southern Partnership Station 2018. Southern Partnership Station is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored and U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet-conducted annual deployment focused on subject matter expert exchanges and building partner capacity in a variety of disciplines including medicine, construction and dive operations in the Caribbean, Central and South America. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Kalie Frantz)