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Seabees and Marines Power III MEF and MCIPAC
by U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Karis Mattingly
December
13,
2020
Day in and day out U.S. Navy Seabees work to fulfill their motto
“We build, we fight, we do”, training General Facility Marines in a
joint-effort to help protect and maintain III Marine Expeditionary
Force and Marine Corps Installation Pacific facilities.
When
a service ticket is issued on Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, GF
Marines shadow Seabees to learn their side of the job. Seabees are
trained to build and maintain permanent structures while Marines are
trained in expedient construction and maintenance. The training is
hands-on, teaching Marines how to build, plumb and power structures
for long term use.
General Facilities provide services to III MEF forward deployed
forces while in garrison, service members, and families working and
living on Marine Corps Installations. Within GF, Seabees help
cross-train Marines on various aspects of the job to stay equipped
for mission success.
“My role is a trainer and supervisor,”
said Construction Electrician 2nd Class Ira Mozee, with GF
Headquarters and Support Battalion, and a native of Saint Lucie,
Florida. “I am in charge of the Marines’ safety and ensuring the job
is finished in an efficient and timely manner.”
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December 3, 2020 - U.S. Marines with General Facilities (GF) and Navy Construction Electrician 2nd Class Ira Mozee, a native of Saint Lucie, Florida, repair threshold lights on the airfield during on-the-job training with Seabees, on Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Karis Mattingly)
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According to Lance Cpl. Junel Rex Coloma, a desk clerk with GF,
and a native from Waipahu, Hawaii, fog of war is always a potential
threat within an operating force. However, continuous training with
Seabees helps turn knowledge into instinct and alleviate possible
tendencies that follow fog of war.
“We are the backbone to
expeditionary construction forces,” explained Mozee.
As one
of the most well-known fields in the Navy, approximately 7,000
active duty Seabees assist in wartime construction, aid in
humanitarian efforts worldwide and are responsible for emergency and
corrective maintenance.
“I like working with the Marines and
building that foundational relationship with them,” said Mozee.
“Working together strengthens camaraderie between the forces, and
when a task needs to get done we are more equipped to complete the
mission by working with our force counterparts.”
GF provides
engineering, utilities management, real property maintenance and
repair support. As engineer and utility Marines, their primary focus
is expeditionary construction. Mission success for GF Marines is
acquiring the skill set to build structures in a timely manner while
using tools that are closely accessible.
“We build up this
brotherhood with the Navy and get a broader perspective on how
inter-branch relations work within our job,” said Coloma. “Learning
from Seabees makes me more confident and effective than if we were
to only work within the Marine Corps. In the military, we are first
responders and being prepared for any sudden contingencies is
vital.”
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