By EA1 James Redden, NMCB 11
NMCB 11 Seabees receive awards and letters of thanks from the JROTC staff and students from Petal High School in Petal, Miss., Oct. 3, in appreciation for the obstacle course the Bees built in March.
Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11 received awards and letters of thanks from the JROTC staff and students from Petal High School, Petal, Miss., Oct 3, for the obstacle course the Bees built in March. The course consists of 10 different obstacles, ranging from a 4-foot-high Z-log to a 14-foot weaver.
Petal High School administration invited the Seabees back to the school during the homecoming football game when 8,500 spectators were present for the awards presentation.
It was a great feeling to be awarded in front of all those people, said Engineering Aide 3rd Class Peter Mazzarella, NMCB 11. There are times that we don t always get the recognition but overall I was just glad that I got the opportunity to work on the project and be able to give back to the community.
Also during the award ceremony, JROTC cadets unveiled the sign for the entrance to the obstacle course, complete with NMCB 11 s seal as a long-lasting thank you for the Seabees hard work.
When asked about how his students enjoyed the obstacle course, Sgt. Maj. Dubose, the JROTC instructor, said, I have noticed a great [many] of my cadets pushing themselves more and more to be able to do the obstacle course. They want to run the course and are insistent on achieving their goals.
[The obstacle course] will benefit this school for many years to come. The focus of safety and quality construction was evident, said Dubose. I ve had schools calling wanting to know how we got it built and who built it.
NMCB 11 is a Seabee battalion specializing in contingency construction, disaster response and humanitarian assistance. The battalion's homeport is in Gulfport, Miss.
The Naval Construction Force (NCF) is a vital component of the U.S. Maritime Strategy. NCF offers deployable battalions capable of providing contingency construction, disaster preparation and recovery support, humanitarian assistance and combat operations support.