By EM1 Mark Treen, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay Public Affairs
CEC Nicholas Whitbeck, assistant officer in charge, CBMU 202, hands the unit s banner to BUCS Timothy Gridley, officer in charge, CBMU 202, during the ceremony to disestablish the unit, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., Sept. 5. Photo by EM1 Mark Treen
Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 202 Detachment was disestablished during a ceremony on Naval Submarine Base (NSB) Kings Bay, Sept. 5. The Seabees have been an integral part of the Kings Bay mission to support the warfighter for almost 20 years.
[The Seabees have] provided improvements on base that we enjoy every day, and also get outside the gate and interact with the community, Lt. Cmdr. Samuel Werschky, commanding officer, CBMU 202, said during the ceremony. They have been a big part of local school career days and status equipment displays and parades. They built a motorcycle training course and have made numerous improvements to the golf course.
Serving the military community on NSB since March 1995, the Seabees have completed various projects to enhance the facilities, grounds, quality of life and mission readiness of the base. Some of these projects included the remodeling of the Navy Federal Credit Union, construction of rest room facilities near playgrounds and grounds enhancements at Lake D, plus building watch towers, ammunition magazines, laydown yards and parking lots.
The Seabees came to NSB Kings Bay in March 1995 when Construction Battalion Unit 412 was established. In February 2005, CBU 412 was re-designated as CBMU 202 Detachment Kings Bay. The Navy Seabees have a long-lasting legacy in naval history for their compassion and Can Do attitude.
Local Seabees have proudly carried on that legacy, and have left a lasting impression on the base with their compassion and community involvement. Every year, the Seabees assigned to the detachment contributed thousands of hours to local volunteer organizations including the Southeast Regional Special Olympics, Relay for Life, Habitat for Humanity and The Humane Society. They also have contributed time in local schools, have been fixtures at parades and auto shows, and have also had an annual Haunted House.
During their time onboard NSB, the Seabees have saved the Navy more than $100 million in labor costs for base projects and have proven themselves as reliable when called upon for critical and time-sensitive jobs. They have helped provide assistance during storm recovery efforts and disaster preparedness drills, and have provided equipment to help secure the installation during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
CM2 Travis J. Wyatt, CBMU 202, contributed to this article.