march 2010 fof

Commanding OfficerCDR Dean VanderLey

CEC, USN

Executive OfficerLCDR Kent Hendricks

CEC, USN

Command Master ChiefCMDCM (SCW)Austin Leedom

Public Affairs OfficerLT Jeremy Patelzick

Assistant Public Affairs OfficerMC1 (AW/SW) Stewart

Focus on FOUR is U.S. NavalMobile Construction BattalionFOUR’s official familygram, printed with appropriated funds in accor-dance with NPPRP-35. Opinions ex-pressed are not necessarily those of the Department of Defense, Depart-ment of the Navy or the Command-ing Officer of NMCB FOUR.Comments and correspondence are encouraged and may be addressed to: Editor, Focus on FOUR, NMCB FOUR PAO, Unit 25284, FPO AP 96601-4941.

ContentsCommanding Officer 3Executive Officer 4Command Master Chief 5Chaplain’s Corner 6 Alfa Company 7Charlie Company 8Headquarters Company 9 Sailor in the Spotlight 28

Volume 10, Issue 2 (March, 2010)

Focus on FOUR

On the Cover

MRAP driving during sunset at our new camp.

Cover by MC1 (AW/SW) StewartChildren running after a HMMWV asking for water and food.

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Greetings from Afghanistan. The Seabees of NMCB FOUR continue to do great work building the battlefield. I believe a picture is worth a thousand words so instead of telling you about life in Northern Afghanistan, here area few pictures to tell the story.

God Bless,

CDR Dean VanderLeyCommanding Officer, NMCB FOUR

Our home at Camp Spann

Mountains at Camp Spann

Building our new camp at Deh Dadi II

Dinner at Camp Spann

Sunset at Camp Spann

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Friends and families of FOUR,

Greetings from Camp Spann, Afghanistan! Much has changed in the last month. The final elements of the Battal-ion departed Kandahar in early March for sites in northern and eastern Afghanistan. We also gathered up personnel from Dets Delaram and Leatherneck in the south that were supporting NMCB 74 project sites. Rather than consoli-dating the Battalion in the north, we are now even more dispersed throughout the country. The snows in the north have given way to lots of rain and mud, and the large group of Seabees that moved east is getting accustomed to 7,000+ foot elevation, cool temperatures, and yes, more snow. Our team continues doing awesome work all over northern, eastern, and southern Afghanistan. Tools, equip-ment, and materials are slowly arriving, helping us to become a more efficient construction machine. For all the concerned loved ones out there - food, water, and exercise

all are plentiful, so the basic human needs continue to be met. Internet and phone service quality vary from site to site, but overall both are possible, making quick communication to the homeland possible most of the time. Since the early days of OIF/OEF both DSN availability and cell phone capabilities have dramatically improved to the point that many of our troops can make quick calls almost daily in most locations without spending a fortune. The traditional postal mail service has improved and many of the early glitches have been resolved. Please continue sending your loved ones packages and letters, as care packages are always the highlight of Seabee’s day or week. Unfortunately we missed out on the Seabee Ball this year, but look forward to attending the 2011 Seabee Ball with friends and loved ones back in California. The Seabee Birthday came and went in Afghanistan. There were no ball gowns or dress mess uniforms with medals. We did pause to reflect, sing some songs, eat birthday cake, and then it was back to work as NMCB FOUR builds upon the 68-year legacy of Seabees building with pride and compassion for others. Congratulations to the FY-11 Limited Duty Officer (LDO) and Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Board Selectees SWC(SCW) Jeremy Rich selected as CWO and CM1(SCW) John Led-ford picked as LDO. Both will complete deployment and be commissioned later in the year. Also Bravo Zulu to the first SCWS qualified Seabees of the deployment - LCDR Chris Hurley, LTJG Jay Jensen, BU2 Molina, CM2 Towndrow, CM3 Skupny, and HM3 Dotson. Thanks for all you do; your support, sacrifice, hard work, and perseverance is crucial to our continued success! Thanks for the support from everyone back home! God bless you.

LCDR Kent HendricksNMCB FOUR

EXECUTIVE OFFICER

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Family and friends of FOUR,

The original Seabees had a saying; “The difficult we do at once, the impossible takes a bit longer. The Seabees of NMCB FOUR are living up to that saying and are engaged in the largest construction project in recent Seabee History; the construction of Forward Operating Base Deh Dadi II. As you can see from the many photographs in this edition of the FOCUS ON FOUR they are accomplishing the difficult at once and are taking a little longer at making the impossible a reality. Our new home, FOB Deh Dadi II is everyday looking more like a Seabee Camp. Bravo and Charlie Companies are busy building tent decks and constructing camp facilities. Alpha Company is fully employed with bulldozer, scraper and grader operations. Alpha Company is pushing eight-foot high berms with bulldozers, leveling and shaping the terrain with the scrapers and constructing the roads with graders and compacting gravel with rollers to build the streets of our

camp. To bring a sense of home to the camp we have named the streets after the local streets in Port Hueneme, the main road in camp is named Hueneme, we also have Ventura, Oxnard and Channel Islands Boulevards. I have to admit; just hearing the names makes me a little homesick. The “We Build” piece of the mission can only be accomplished by having the “We Fight” component fully engaged. The Interior Guard personnel are on watch in guard towers and in vehicles providing camp and job site security 24 hours a day 7 days a week enabling the Battalion to safely accomplish the “We Build’ portion of our mission. The teamwork, initiative and camaraderie of FOUR’s Seabees is amazing. Everyday I am in awe of how well they work together and with others; they truly care about the welfare of all those around them and at the end of the day, they know, their work will make a difference for all those that follow them. It is truly a pleasure to be the Command Master Chief of NMCB FOUR, the Finest Battalion in the U.S. Navy Seabees. With willing hearts, skillful hands and compassion for others; “We build, we fight...” Seabees Can Do! OOH-RAH

CMDCM Austin Leedom

NMCB FOURCommand Master Chief

Friends and Family of FOUR,

Many of your Seabees attended the religious movie nights, Bible studies, and Divine services that have been provided at KAF, Camps Spann, and Marmal. It has been great to see all the talent that our Seabees have hidden away in their hearts for themselves and willingly shared with others. It is my sincere hope that we will be able to establish a peaceful chapel at Deh Dadi II for those few moments at lunch breaks that allows them to continue to display their talents and take a hard earned time out. The chapel will house a place to hold the United Through Reading program and a way to pick up an item that has run low such as deodorant or shaving gel. Those items come from the care packages that are being mailed and it helps to improve morale. The chapel will most importantly provide a place to allow Seabees to practice their faith. We will be providing events at

different times based on all the unique work schedules that exist. The lay leaders that were trained in homeport have done well to provide Bible studies at other DET sites, so you can see that your Seabees are staying connected to their faith. It has been amazing to see the project sites to date and witness the quick turnaround that occurs with making ourselves a place to live while we are here. Soon the Religious Ministry Team will travel and visit other DET sites in order to check in on the rest of the Battalion. We are very excited to visit with your Seabees. If there is anything you want them to know drop me an email in order to make sure your greetings get to them. During the special Passover week leading to Easter, let us remember that a great sacrifice is occurring by all who love their Seabees not just by the Seabees themselves. A different type of sacrifice was provided two thousand years ago, that sacrifice was an example of true love. Jesus’ sacrifice gives us all a chance at understanding what love is. I pray each of you is given the opportunity to share in that gift that was afforded. Further, I pray that you are able to accept and live out the same love by example along with the sacrifices you make. May peace, safety and blessings by yours. Oorah FOUR!

Chaplain Catherine PaceNMCB FOUR

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Chapel at Kandahar Air Field

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“How Bazaar”

Every Saturday on Kandahar Airfield is always a welcomed day. NMCB FOUR personnel are not happy because they have the day off (they don’t), they are happy because they get to blow some of their hard-earned money at the Bazaar. The Kandahar Airfield Bazaar is where local Afghanis have the opportunity to sell a wide variety of commodities to the inhabitants of the base. An hour before the opening of the bazaar, a long line has already appeared at the entrance. For first time visitors, many have already overheard from past patrons of what the bazaar has to offer. With shopping lists already in their heads, they patiently wait for their spending spree to begin. When security personnel finally open the gates, a huge wave invades the shopping grounds, dispersing to all corners of the bazaar. Software, clothing, accessories, jewelry, DVDs, and souvenirs can all be found here. Don’t like the price a vendor is offering you for a certain product? That’s not a problem! Haggling is a common and expected practice. And what if haggling doesn’t work? The customer can easily go around the corner and find another vendor selling the same exact item. Competition definitely works in favor of the customer. However, there is a caveat to shopping at this bazaar. Many of the items purchased are not *cough* “authentic” *cough*. Designer clothing, purses, and DVDs are a prime example. A normal, authentic, seven season set of the television series “24” would easily cost over $200 back in the States, but at the Kandahar Bazaar, it will only cost the individual $50. For people without any ethical qualms about pirated DVDs, then it is “deals” galore. Not everything at the bazaar is counterfeit. Hand made items like pashminas (Afghani shawls) and rugs are readily available at affordable prices. In addition to handmade items, jewels are also a hot commodity. Stones costing hundreds of dollars back home can easily go for less than $100. When shopping for jewelry, the real trick is to have a knowledgeable person with you who can identify quality stones. For NMCB FOUR, EQCM Kathy Keith has happily taken that role and saved many Seabees from paying top dollar. Whether a Seabee goes to the weekly Kandahar Bazaar to spend money or to just get away from the monotony of deployment, the bazaar serves as an escape and at the same time, contributes to the local economy. It’s a win-win situation. Even in this part of the world, retail therapy is alive and kicking.

By: LTJG Palomar

Seabees negotiating at the Bazaar Normal vendor at the Bazaar

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Camp Spann

While a small group of NMCB FOUR troops are still in Kandahar, Afghanistan; another group of 43 officers, chiefs, and enlisted embarked on their new mission. The mission consists of building a new camp for the surge of troops coming to Camp Spann. As always flights in Afghanistan are difficult to obtain, because mission oriented personnel always have priority. During the start of our journey we had to hover around our temporary hive; the flight was delayed by a couple of hours. Finally, the flight left Kandahar; our first stop Bagram, Afghanistan. At Bagram we were not allowed to disembark the plane. The cool fresh breeze that entered the plane as the stern door lowered was exhilarating. The view outside the back of the plane was absolutely beautiful. Snow covered mountains with a soft blue sky. The plane delivered other personnel and picked up additional cargo needed at our final destination. After waiting on the tarmac for a couple of hours we finally took flight and left for Camp Marmal.

We arrived during the night at Camp Marmal, a German base, cargo went out first then it was our turn. Once our feet hit the ground there was a group of Seabees, directed by Chief Jackson, there to greet us and bus us to a place where we would lay our heads for the night. Our follow on flight was scheduled for the next day at 10:00 AM. We dropped our bags and walked to the DFAC for a late dinner. We missed lunch; it was already 9:30 PM; 15 hours since our last meal. With our bellies full and jet lag pulling at our stingers we finally got some much needed rest to jump start our trip for the next day.

Up at 6:30 AM we start the day by eating breakfast, and getting our gear ready for the next flight. We arrived at the terminal and to our surprise; the Germans are going to fly us in helicopters, CH-53s, to our final destination, Camp Spann! Once inside the helicopters emotion sparked for some, because it is their first time riding a helicopter. Our flight took just ten minutes and we arrived at Camp Spann. At our new location, we were given an initial brief and then started setting up our temporary living quarters to get ready for our new mission.

By: LTJG Diaz

Seabees eating at the Camp Marmal dinning facility

Seabees boarding a CH-53 German helicopter

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One of the many challenges NMCB FOUR faces on deployment is availability of tools and materials. Whether it was procuring over 50 tools and Kits through CTR, ordering over 500 pieces of consumables and materials through GSA, or the Supply Support Activity the personnel of the MLO/CTR/ Supply department are able to meet these challenges. “ It’s been interesting, a lot different than the deployments I’ve been on before,” said Logistic Specialist (LS2) (SCW)De Vega.

Keeping morale up is always an issue while on deployment. The supply department detachment has contributed to keeping it high through establishing postal services to 11 of its detachment sites. “ I enjoy being able to do something that helps people feel a little closer to home,” said postal clerk LS3 (SW) Samonte. Supply also was able to provide barber services and dining facilities to the service members in Camp Spann, helping ensure the troops have as many pieces of home as possible.

While talking to a fellow Seabee he had this to say about the overall success of our deployment so far; “We as Seabees feel that what we have done and are going to do on this deployment is going to affect the lives of everyone including our fellow U.S. military and coalition forces”. With five months still remaining on this deployment it is looking like NMCB FOUR will be doing great things and the members of the Supply Department will be there to support in these endeavors.

By: LS2 Isbell

CM3 Maddox and SWCA Urroz unloading materials

BU1 Beardsley manning the turret of a HMMWV

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lDrilling for Water has “High Prices”

“Harasho.” The word is uttered and repeated in the lavishly furnished office. Hand woven carpets cover the floor, flowers that were undoubtedly imported in from more lush climates cascade over the walls, and the warming scent of Chai fills the air. All along the walls, in the plush chairs and sofas, sit an ensemble of military engineers from a variety of coalition forces. Among them, LTJG Fulton and Equipment Operator Second Class (EO2) (SCW) Ivey represent the U.S. Navy Seabees. The literal translation of ‘harasho’ (and please forgive the PAO for misspelling the word) means “wash the donkey.” The true meaning, however, is something more closely resembling “and now we wait.” After almost four hours of discussion between the Garrison Commander of Camp Shaheen and the Seabees, a consensus had been reached that would benefit both parties. The Seabees would have unrestricted access to the stored water on Camp Shaheen and in time the ANA compound would be able to lessen its own self-imposed water restrictions. Water well is like a business, where in order to make money, you have to spend money; but in the case of well drilling you need to spend water as well. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) FOUR’s Water Well Team has already projected that, in order to drill a well deep enough to be of use to the base, they will need to use between eight and twelve thousand gallons of water a day. With only three weeks until the end of the region’s rainy season and an entire year before the next one begins, water will soon become scarce on the rapidly growing base. “When the wa-ter system was established in 2004, it was estimated that the base could sustain a specific number of people at a specific usage per person per day. Six years later, that ‘specific number’ is about to double, if not triple and the base has been well over that ‘specific usage’ for a while,” said LTJG Fulton, reflecting upon what was said during the meeting. “The Commander wanted time to think about what the consequences would be allowing us to use so much of the water. Thankfully, we were able to convince him that no matter what the short-term consequences would be, they would pale in comparison to the long term effects not having the additional wells at all,” commented EO2 Ivey, still trying to come to terms with the long term effects of the conversation he had just been a part of. “It hits you kinda funny,” he said. A smile on his face as he as he looked at the picture of himself, his LT, and the two ANA officers, and continued, “In a hundred years, no one will even know that this meeting took place, but everything that happens here from now on is going to be linked in some way to the words spoken today. Ha-rasho.”

By: EO2 (SCW) Ivey

LTJG Fulton and EO2 Ivey pose for a picture with the ANA Colonel

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The work days here at DET Kunduz typically begin around 7:00 am. The lights come on about 5:30 am and everyone manages to crawl out of bed despite being way too tired or entirely to sore from either the workout the previous night or staying up way too late watching movies, talking on the phone and reading. After eating breakfast or slamming some protein shakes everyone gears up and heads out to the project site. At the beginning of the project we were mostly just destroy-ing whatever was in our way. Outside the base was a landfill of tanks, massive pieces of concrete foundation and metal garbage. As we proceeded to clear our area to expand the base we continued to open up holes in the ground that closely resembled a mine shaft. They were three feet in diam-eter and the depth was unknown. After dropping a chem light into one of the holes, we estimated it was 200 to 300 feet deep. That was the shallowest of the three to four holes we opened up. We did however drop a 100 pounds piece of concrete down one hole and we never heard it hit the bottom. After reporting these holes to the chain of command we were informed that much of the American base in Kunduz sits on top of bunkers built by the Russians in the 1980’s. After all, Kunduz was one of the Russian last stands in Afghanistan. Once our path was cleared we began to put up HESCO barriers and enclosed the area that will soon be the new expansion of the base. This part of the project had to be the most trying piece of work so far, solely due to the weather conditions. The rain and snow made it nearly impossible to drive any equipment; the ground was unstable mud that would sink and give way if any weight was placed on it. Once conditions improved and it was feasible to work, only knowing this by countless failed attempts, we put up 400 plus meters of barriers and filled them in roughly two days. After a long day of work most of the guys here head straight to the gym. Sometimes taking our dinner to go. Our workouts are of such intensity that if we were to eat prior to the man sized fit session, it would surly induce vomiting. The gym and our workouts seem to have become our saving grace from the stressful days and lack of rest, as ironic as that sounds. Although this base is primarily Army and as Navy we are severely outnumbered, we still consider the gym ours. Maybe it’s because we spend almost every free minute in that building. We try to better our small gym in any way we can, such as building extra pull up bars and boxes for box jump exercises. For some of us, the gym is strictly business. Kunduz is a pretty primitive base and there is not much here. We have a couple of comput-ers and phones for the base to share. Besides the gym the mail is a top personal concern. We have a couple of addresses that we use, but at times they seem a little shaky and it is a constant debate as to which one to use. All in all Kunduz is a quiet, small, confined base that serves its purpose. Everyone here is content with completing our mission and getting home safe. DET Kunduz (Task force bobcats…….raaawww)

By: EOCN Bellis

EO1 Ward watches as EO3 Palmer removes scrap Hesco material.

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Space is a Concern for Detail 5 Seabees of Task Force BOBCAT Detail 5 (Meymaneh) are busy increasing force capabili-ties in Afghanistan. Weather, tight deadlines, long hours, and a nontraditional supply chain make daily tasks challenging, but with true “Can Do” spirit the Seabees of Detail 5 continue to impress our brothers in arms with our work ethic and resourcefulness. Severe rain, clay soil, and unmarked utilities have made for some interesting workdays and equipment extractions. “We still had a good day even though we ran into several unmarked electrical cables, two water lines, a sewer line, and got the dozer stuck in the mud,” remarked EO2 Keiter. Many of the Seabees are finding it interesting to work outside their normal rating. CM3 (EO want to be) Parker can be seen daily traveling around in whatever piece of equipment is run-ning. SW3 (BU to be) Nigusie and CMCN (BU to be) Mcalister have become our regular car-penters. Under the watchful eye of BU1(SCW) Selvera they completed a much needed stairway to a guard tower and many other traditional builder projects. CM2 Farrier, CE3 Fridhaim, CMCN Thelen, and CMCN Nelson are all getting in many hours of stick time in loaders, dozers, and forklifts under EO1 Marceau’s watchful eye. We have hauled in and moved over 15,000 cubic meters of gravel and fill material. Building 700 feet of HESCO (soil filled container) perimeter walls has been a major part of our tasking and all have worked hard to get them in place. Space is one of the biggest challenges here. Much time is spent moving things to have room to work and then moving them again to perform work in that spot. We were recently forced to relocate a satellite dish providing internet and telephone access for all personnel in camp. Since no one in the camp had any experience with satellite systems, CE2 Bussboom, CE3 Rexroad, and crew adapted and overcame. They were able to get the system up and running in a few hours with a little help on the phone from the friendly SPAWAR technicians who said it would take a couple of days and we would need specialized equipment we didn’t have. Every-one was affected by the outage and all are glad the Seabees had it back up the next day. We celebrated the 68th birthday of the Seabees on March 5th by knocking off work tow hours early for a traditional Afghan medal. Arrangements were made with the local maintenance contractor to have food brought in. Seabees dined on kabobs (roasted goat), salad (similar to salsa), naan (a type of bread), rice with raisins, and stewed goat. In theatre no alcohol is allowed so a round of sodas and water were provided. Ping pong and a movie were the main entertain-ment. Seabees of Task Force BOBCAT Detail 5 continue the proud traditions of Seabee history by prevailing under adverse conditions with less than optimal tools and materials to complete projects in record time. CAN DO!

By: CMCS (SCW) Jensen

Dozing wall for expansion Meymaneh, Afghanistan

CMCN Mcalister, EOCN Leclaire, CMCN Nelson, CMCN Thelen, Mr. James (Fluor), SW3 Nigusie, and SW2 Long pulling cover

over an Alaska tent

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RSO&I Tent Village With the ever changing circumstances and unexpected adjustments, NMCB FOUR could not display any more versatility and flexibility. The group of 21 Seabees originally assigned as DET Khilaguy still remain in Camp Marmal, the main routing hub of RC-North. Completely changed since NMCB FOUR first landed, Camp Marmal has exploded with American presence, calling for the assistance of the Seabees. The Detachment has definitely displayed their wide rang-ing talents with accomplishing any tasking that has headed their way. Initially tasked with constructing 42 tent decks for an RSO&I camp, the project has expand-ed to the completion of the entire area. The camp will serve as welcoming ground for the hundreds of incoming troops. Eagerly awaiting the arrival of tents, time continued to press on and due dates crept closer and closer. With only one day left for the surge of 150 personnel, without these essen-tial items, the troops would have nowhere to stay. Finally the tents arrived in the nick of time and the Seabees punched forward. Knowing that this project was top priority on the list, the Modular General Purpose Tent Systems swiftly started to rise. With the assistance of higher and adjacent Air Force and Army units, the productive day was a true example of a joint task force. At the end of the workday, the entire crew erected 28 MGPTS tents in record time, just enough to sustain the next day’s invasion. The goal was met for the day and the Detachment held their heads up high. Continuing on with erecting the 14 remaining tents, little did they know an unforeseen weather change was headed their way. Overnight the winds picked up to incredible speeds, causing the hard earned work of the Seabees to falter, almost as if a tornado went through the tent city. But without any hesitation the crew would not let this incident stand in the way of completing their mission. They jumped right back into action, reinforcing every single tent with sand bags, tightened post, drove tent stakes deeper, and constructed base blocks so the center post would not slip. With the support of the Army, the dilapidated camp looked like new in a matter of hours. Another display of skill and tal-ent, proving that DET Khilaguy is ready for anything.

By: ENS Martinez

DET Khilaguy raising a 750lb bay arch for LAMS A construction

EO2 Venzon and UT3 Quilling pulling down wall shear cables for LAMS A tent arches

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amSeabees of Delaram wrap it up

Over the last two months the Seabees of Detachment Delaram have put to use the valuable skills learned during homeport. As we wrap up our existence as DET Delaram, we are preparing for the arrival of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 this month. Some of our Seabees have started shifting to RC-East to meet up with the detachment already in place. We have kept a handful of direct labor bodies to conduct turnover of two projects still in progress. We started the deployment in the right direction, and hit the ground running with the completion of the Regimental Combat Team Two's Headquarters SWA Hut. The project was on hold while we waited for the arrival of the sheet metal and ridge cap from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Leatherneck. The troops quickly shifted gears and started the layout and construction of another SWA Hut for the Afghanistan National Security Force/Brigade 215. We completed the beneficial occupancy date (BOD) and final walk through of the building with the Camp Mayor, accepting the building on 02 March 2010. A high priority project for the Marine Expeditionary Brigade is the Role 3 hospital. It is currently underway and tracking to meet the necessary deadlines of being operationally ready to accept patients on 15 April. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74 has been completing the earthwork, which come with its own challenges. Over seven feet difference in elevation across 2.75 acres requires massive amounts of fill and compaction. The Seabees of NMCB FOUR have been busy constructing 24,000 square feet of tent decks to be placed on the pad.

“I could not have asked more of these Seabees than they have done already” said LTJG Truemper DET Delaram OIC. “Being melded together at the last minute the Det really came together and completed these projects as a team.” The Det completed over 400 mandays of quality construction, showing all branches of the service why Seabees are the construction engineers of choice. We have stayed true to our Battalion motto of “Four does more” at Delaram.

By: BUC (SCW) Nolan

Seabees from NMCB FOUR install roof trusses for a U.S. Marine Regimental

Combat Team Tactical Operations Center

Seabees from NMCB FOUR construct tent floor frames for a medical facility

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As the Fabulous FOUR Crew moves into its third month of deployment, the men and women from the west coast have been in the zone. Aside from projects most of the crew has spent their time in the gym and competing with our counterparts from the east coast, NMCB 74. In order to honor a fallen member of NMCB 74, Gunners Mate Second Class (GM2) Jared Krutke, a special day of Seabee competitions was held at the camp named in his honor. GM2 Jared Krutke was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin on November 13, 1982. He enlisted in the Navy in August 2001 and checked on board NMCB 74 in July of 2006 and was fatally shot while perform-ing his duties at the Camp Covington Armory in Guam. He is survived by his wife, Nicole and his daughter, Elizabeth. The day began with opening ceremonies and consisted of Flag Football, Soccer, dodge ball, tug of war, humvee pull, tire flip, combat relay, 5k run, weight lifting and much more. “With only 20 people compared to the 40 or so from other teams, I’m very proud of my troops,” said Chief Steel Worker (SWC) Herring. SWC Herring teamed up with SW1 Ramirez in the horseshoe com-petition. “With everyone from NMCB Four having to compete in at least three competitions they were getting pretty tired by the time the finals came around but we hung in there.” The Fabulous FOUR crew took home 3rd Place.

By: CE1 (SCW) Balaam

NMCB FOUR competing at the pull up contest

NMCB FOUR Team at the Krutke Olympics

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Seabees on the Move…again. The Seabees of NMCB FOUR started their deployment in Southern Afghanistan (Kandahar) then moved a detachment to northern Afghanistan (Mazar-e-Sharif) one month later. After estab-lishing command and control in northern and southern Afghanistan, a third party was deployed to another region in Afghanistan as Seabees were called upon to perform quality and expeditious con-struction. The most recent move has been into the Eastern portion of the country. Operating out of Forward Operating Base Sharana, more than 150 Bees have arrived to assist in base improvements and new construction required to support incoming troops. Over the next few months, they will build working and living spaces across the Eastern provinces. Some of the structures are basically super-sized tents, over twenty feet tall and enclosing more than 7,000 square feet, primarily for equipment repair and storage facilities. Others will be more conventional wooden structures that can be configured to act as troop housing or office areas and include full electrical and communica-tion systems. There will also be a need for horizontal construction skills, provided by the Detach-ment's Equipment Operators and Construction Mechanics, at many locations. “The East offers two things that Seabees love, a chance to use our construction skills and the opportunity to help others” says Construction Electrician Senior Chief Matt Smith, Operations Chief. Despite the fact that they have only been in Sharana for a few days, they have started con-struction on a housing project, begun erecting a maintenance facility and have completed repairs to one of the base’s main gates. These projects will allow other service members complete their missions, live more comfortably or improve the security of the base. While logistical shortfalls and quickly developing requirements have presented unique challenges to the group, they have persevered and continue to make progress on all fronts. “Despite the many challenges faced, our Seabees are working extremely hard - determined to push through and support the warfighters,” commented ENS Robert Delgado-Navarro.

By: UCCM(SCW) Lampman

CM3 Oldham securing a T barrier for lifting

CM2 Karr preparing to off-load materials

BU3 Kleinschimdt and BUCR Morris cutting material

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Volleyball The days are down to single digits for most of us in Kandahar, we will be joining everyone else at our real destinations soon and giving some relief for those already on site building large camps for the Army, and of course our Camp, too.

Thursday seemed like a perfect day to have a volleyball game for PT. The schedule was set for our first and only volleyball game in Kandahar. There was a buzz about camp, people planning out their team and getting strategies in place. Personally, I just wanted everyone to have a bit of fun together and of course there was training value, COMMUNICATION; we failed miserably on that part I might add, but we got better as the game progressed.

Equipment Operator (EOC) Brown got the volleyballs for both courts and had the light plants running a half hour early to make sure they would start and the lights came on, not our equipment. As people rolled up for PT we started playing, first 4 on 4 then the other court was going until we had both courts 6 on 6 with 2 people rotating into each team. There was a perfect number of people, everyone got to play and there were not that many ball hogs!

People were laughing, having fun, and getting to know people they don’t normally work with. All in all, fun was had by all, we had a bit of healthy competition, three are submitting their paper work for Purple Hearts, they got booboos. I just hope that is all the blood that is shed during this deployment. Settle down Safety, everyone played through their injuries, no lost time injuries!!

“Not today Shipmate” or “All day long” was a common theme from CWO2 Livingston (S1). Not too surprising he can talk smack through an entire game, but it was fun! LT Patelzick (Dental Officer) hurt his back playing hockey the day prior to the volleyball game, of course that became a huge poking spot, “Dent is afraid to play volleyball…” but we all know he is hard core to the bone with hockey, probably saved us from being hip checked!!

By EQCM (SCW) Keith

YN3 Ingram of Headquarters Company getting the ball over the net ENS Strausbaugh spiking the ball

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NMCB FOUR Seabees Run in Kandahar’s First Ever Major Marathon

In the early hours of Sunday, March 07, 2010, hundreds of people gathered at the boardwalk on Kandahar Air Field for what onlookers described as the base’s “first ever major marathon.” Event organizers predicted about 400 runners would register and were pleasantly surprised on the eve of the race as the count reached 550. Over 150 military and civilian personnel volunteered as road guards, timekeepers, and water station workers for the (13.1) mile half marathon / full marathon (26.2 mile) event. NMCB FOUR’s Executive Officer, LCDR Kent Hendricks, LS2 Jacob Isbell, and HM2 John Edstrom participated in the half marathon. What’s so attractive about getting up early on your only morning of the week to sleep in? “I love running, I want to run a full marathon,” says Petty Officer Isbell, “you have to train hard for a run like that so I utilize all my morning free-time to do so.” NMCB FOUR’s participants each finished the half marathon in less than 2 ½ hours, each placing in the top 250. The event was fully funded and sponsored by The Warrior Tours, a growing non-profit organization founded two years ago by former soldier athlete Robi Powers. “So proud of our event supporters,” he tweets, “20k worth of race supplies for the 82nd Airborne troops that organized this thing.” The organization’s mission, simply put, is to connect soldiers to America. Staying faithful to this mission, The Warrior Tours coordinates events in deployed regions with events occurring Stateside. Thanks to Warrior Tours all of the participants received commemorative race t-shirts and finishers medals absolutely free of charge. The Stateside version of this event will be taking place April 24-25, 2010 in Marin County, CA, where thousands of pictures and many stories will be shared with participants and supporters.

By: LS3 Kemble

LCDR Hendricks, IS2 Isbell and HM2 Edstrom pose for a picture after finishing the marathon

IS2 Isbell and HM2 Edstrom lighting up the night before running the marathon

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The Wondrous World of EmbarkHello from the world of Embark! Though not normally a standard entry into our Focus

on Four news flyer, I wanted to write a little on the happenings of Embark and what your Seabees have been doing as far as movements go. As you can imagine we have a lot of movement this deployment, considering we had to bring all new equipment with us. Not only do we move a lot, but the equipment we require to complete our tasking also has to move with us and we do it in a big way.

After arriving here in mid- January we have been turning hard at sending folks north and west and more recently east. Within the first three weeks we moved about half the Battalion including their gear, tools, and supplies. Since the Battalion did not have their typical stock of tools and equipment, everything had to be flown or shipped to our main Battalion site Camp Spann. Fortunately, most of our equipment has gone straight north, but we still have quite a bit of cargo to move from here in Kandahar (KAF).

BU1 Hueramo has been instrumental in the movement of the Water Well equipment that is needed to drill new water wells through bases in northern Afghanistan. He has moved over 300 tons of cargo so far and is working on moving more cargo. Everything including the drill vehicle it self will be moved from KAF in order for the drilling to begin. Along with Water Well equipment is much needed camp support equipment and materials, which have been sourced in KAF and sent both north and east.

Hopefully this quick snap shot gives everyone an idea of what we are moving and why. Our Seabees lug their gear everywhere they go and do it with smiling faces. They have been upbeat and ready to get to work. By the end of March the embark staff will have moved about 300 of our Seabees up north and another 150 out east.

By: ENS Mendoza

Jingle truck transporting goods

Loading pallets of construction material for embarkation to Camp Spann

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nThe Boardwalk at Kandahar Airfield

It is made of boards and lots of people walk on it but it is a circle, kind of, maybe more of a rectangle. And does not lead you to water, unless it is raining of course, then it is surrounded by water. After the heavy rain, your Seabee’s had to wade through water to get to it. There are an array of things at the Boardwalk, three jewelry stores (gems galore), two rug stores, one fur store (coats, blankets or rugs, hats..) souvenir knack shops, electronics, AT&T calling center, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Green Bean (coffee), TGI Fridays, oddly enough a bicycle and motor cycle store that sells cigarettes…. Ohhhh must not forget Dairy Queen!! Yummmmm During the day there are lots of window shoppers, always a huge, I mean HUGE line outside of Tim Horton’s, a Canadian coffee place and not just any coffee so I am told, people stand in line for an hour to get their espresso, cappuccino…. Not to mention they have donuts, the long line has kept me out of there. Thank goodness. By night the Boardwalk is a totally different place. I cut through there last night, it is the safest place to walk, and I was amazed at the crowd. It was a people watcher’s dream come true, similar to a mall but better, people from every nation (that are NATO anyhow). Very busy without the stores being open, of course the eateries were booming! There was a full court basketball game, in the newly fenced court, two volleyball games 6 on 6, a football game, and of course a hockey game, as always, all going on at once. Folks were at their favorite event watching or just watching while they waited for an hour for their pizza or whatever they ordered. People were everywhere, younger folks mainly, us older folks are usually in bed by 2100 (9:00 p.m.) LOL!! General McCrystal is the head dude for this Area of Operation (AO), he put out last month he is closing all AFFES sponsored stores and eateries. He can close US contracted entities, but this is a NATO base. He cannot close the places like Tim Horton’s, TGI Fridays…because they are here under NATO contract. Most US contracted spots will be bought out by NATO contract or NATO will put someone else in their spot. There are a total of 11 AFFES outlets. The Canadian PX, British PX and pastry (which does not have donuts by the way), Deutscher PX are all safe as well. I am sure the night life will continue as usual, even more so when it gets hotter. Troops will get off work, take a nap then go “hang out” when it is cooler out.

By: EQCM (SCW) Keith

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NMCB FOUR Khaki enjoying some ice cream on the Boardwalk

Sign of the Gem shop on the Boardwalk

Team USA Debut in Ball Hockey in Kandahar The Olympics were on every television at the Dining Facilities (DFACs) and gyms. Service members from different countries were watching intently to see if their team would win Gold. It didn’t matter what sport was on the television, they were looking for country superiority. The Canadians decided, since the Olympics were being played on their home turf and Team Canada and Team USA hockey squads were the dominant force, to issue a challenge to the Americans to put together a team to play a Canadian team in ball hockey. Ball hockey is played every day of the week in Kandahar. The Kandahar Hockey League (KHL) includes teams from various countries; the majority of the teams being Canadian. With the challenge of Team USA versus Team Canada, the Americans quickly put together a team. The team consisted of eighteen Army, two Marines, one civilian, and one Navy personnel. With only one week to prepare for the game, the Americans setup practice immediately. The Americans practiced the four days prior to the match up. The Canadians needed no practice, as most of them play together in the nightly KHL. The superiority of North America hockey was at hand, the Canadians having a big edge. The Canadian Television (CTV) network arranged to film the game and broadcast the footage between periods of the USA vs. Canada Olympic hockey game in the preliminary round. Along with the game being televised, various Canadian newspapers would be present to interview both teams pre and post game. When game day finally arrived, the fans came out in anticipation of an intense rivalry. Flags from both countries were strung up around the rink and between vehicles surrounding the rink. Canadian Brigadier General Daniel Ménard and U.S. Army Brigadier General Ben Hodges dropped a ball in a ceremonial face-off prior to the game. Team Canada showed its superiority quickly scoring within the first two minutes of the game. Only one penalty was given for the entire game, with one of the Canadians going off, consequently the Canadians still scored while shorthanded. When all was said and done, the Canadians routed the Americans by a score of 16-2, adding to the overall Olympic hockey rivalry between the countries. The Americans have kept the team together and practice twice a week to increase experience and gain skill. Next the American team will take on some NHL Alumni coming over at the end of the March. The Americans raise the stakes every week as they gel together and play more. The goal is to make a team that can join the KHL and dominate Hockey Night in Kandahar!

By: LT Patelzick Afg

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Team USA cheering on their team mates

Brigadier General Ménard and Brigadier General Hodges sharing a

good laugh

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nHeadquarter Company’s EACN McFadden works hard while also

taking time to relax and reach back home Engineering Aide Constructionman (EACN) McFadden arrived at Camp Spann, Afghanistan on January 26, 2010 and hit the ground fast and hard with his fellow NMCB FOUR brothers and sisters. As soon as he landed, he was gathering his equipment and going to work. His very first task was to go out and compile data for a topographic map of Deh Dadi II which will be the future home of NMCB FOUR’s main body. EACN McFadden found the job challenging and sometimes difficult but he never let that stop him from giving 110% everyday. His work takes him from the job site, a large muddy field, to the computer desk where he sits down and downloads his data into computer programs that assist both him and his fellow EAs in preparing new camp blue prints for future construction.

EACN McFadden says, “I find that the hard work I am doing is paying off in that I am not just learning my rate but also gaining great experience.”

EACN McFadden works hard but also manages to find time to relax and unwind from a hard day’s work. During off time he is usually found at the Camp Spann Cyber Café keeping in touch with all his friends and love ones back in the states. He also can be found perfecting his ping pong skills at the camp Rec Center. Always willing to take on challengers at a mean game of table tennis, the self proclaimed champ is looking forward to someday being the official Camp Spann table tennis Champion. The prize would be having his picture added to the DFAC’s MWR Hall of Fame for all time.

By: LSCS Navarro

EACN McFadden takes a break against a berm at Deh Dadi II

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nAlfa Taking it Easy

Alfa Company of NMCB FOUR is no doubt a busy bunch. Responsible for a 600-plus acre expansion of Forward Operating Base, Camp Mike Spann, the Alfa Dawgs are working around the clock, seven days a week. So what is there to do in Afghanistan besides work? Despite this daunting workload, Alfa Company still manages time to wind down, even in this environment. Alfa Company brings color and culture from all over: Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; Brownsville Texas; Santa Rosa, California; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Jacksonville, Florida; and yet this crew still shares a lot of common ground.

Even with the busy work schedule it’s no surprise to see over a dozen Alfa-types lifting weights in the gym. When finished operating graders and loaders, many Equipment Operators opt for the controls of an Xbox 360 after a long day at work. “What do you mean you haven’t seen that movie?” is a common question to hear many Alfa-types say before they exchange flicks. Although there are more ordinary pastimes this diverse bunch shares, there are also many more uncommon and unique hobbies the troops have picked up. At the end of a long work day, Construction Mechanic First Class Cabanilla can sometimes be found cutting a shipmate’s hair (always within regulations, of course) while others look on and have a laugh or two. Another competition of sorts is to see who can grow the most distinct mustache called an “Afghani-stache”. This competition is certainly fierce.

Living and working in a forward area deprives Alfa Company of many luxuries that would ordinarily be taken for granted. Furniture is in great demand here and the Alfa Dawgs have to resort to making their own. It’s very common to see people with a bottom rack, make a hanging laptop stand out of scrap plywood and 550 cord. Night stands and small tables of all shapes and configurations pop up more and more in the Alfa tents, making deployment feel a little more like home.

And what would deployment be without a little magic? Constructionman Tomas Gonzalez can often be found doing card tricks, magically turning a cut piece of rope into a whole piece again, or making coins disappear into thin air; all while maintaining a captive audience of mechanics and operators.

Alfa Company is a prime example showing that leisure is what you make of it. And no matter where in the world you are or what you may find yourself doing, a laugh or two is just around the corner.

By: CMCN Ryan

Sunset in Afghanistan after a long days work

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nForce Expansion Equals Seabees in Action

U.S. and International Forces continue to increase their footprint in northern Afghanistan, and in the vicinity of Mazar-e-Sharif the Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Four have their work cut out for them, work that is both challenging and rewarding. The future vision for work we’re doing here is that it will become an enduring Afghan National Army military base. We are not just building a temporary camp for the Force Expansion but a long term military installation for the ANA, said CDR. Dean Vanderley, commanding officer, NMCB 4. The purpose of the construction projects hinge largely on the requirement for more space, made especially urgent with the arrival of a Brigade Combat Team and Combat Aviation Brigade. The current area is not nearly enough, however, the projects underway will provide an area large enough to accommodate the footprint of incoming units where significant portions of the incoming forces can live in, and fight from. With all the work comes opportunity and obstacles to overcome. “It’s great that we get to do a little bit of everything and get to see it go from the ground up!” says Utilitiesman 2nd Class (SCW/SW) Daniel Rodriguez of N.Y. “We have to stay flexible, everything is always changing,” said Rodriguez. “Between the ever changing weather, getting to and from the job site, and the local children stealing our survey markers, we have had our share of challenges,” said Engineering Aid 1st Class (SCW) Carolina Godoy of Reseda, Calif., recalling some of the initial difficulties. “The best part though, was that I got to design a lot of the project,” said Godoy. We faced a number of other significant challenges while working here; the shear size of the project is hard to grasp until you get on site and look at how massive it is. The weather and associated soil conditions created their own problems; the soil is fine clay that becomes very soft and sticky when wet. We had to work through a lot of wet conditions early on. Since the project site is not contiguous with any existing Forward Operating Base, security was a challenge. We essentially had to create what we called our own small “Fort Apache” and then expand out from that. NMCB 4’s Seabees have done a great job putting their training into practice and operating an impressive and effective security force, said Vanderley. “We trained for this in our FTX,” said Equipment Operator 2nd Class (SCW) Michael Ivey of Dunn, N.C. The Field Training Exercise is part of the Fleet Readiness Training Plan that assesses the capability of the battalion to deploy. “It’s really neat to see it all unfold,” said Ivey.

“There are so many opportunities to build,” said Builder Constructionman Apprentice Tyler Turner of Picayune, Miss., “It’s more than just construction,” said Turner. The design of the project was generally dictated by the requirements of the incoming units. The battalion coordinated closely with an Air Force Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force to create a master plan that accommodated the needs of the incoming units and that was also constructible with local resources. With so many considerations that influenced the layout and makeup of the project, the variety of jobs is astounding.

By: MC1 (AW/SW) Stewart

Panoramic view of Deh Dadi II expansion

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nSeabees Celebrate 68 Proud

After the work day was complete, DET RC-East gathered and listened to some influential words detailing Seabee History spoken by ENS Delgado-Navarro. Continuing with tradition, the oldest and youngest Seabees were determined by process of elimination and were then called upon to cut the first piece of cake; Utilities Construction Master Chief (UCCM) Lampman and Builder Construction Recruit (BUCR) Ebert were the oldest and youngest Seabees of the Detachment. UCCM Lampman stated, “My first battalion Seabee birthday was in Desert Storm, it’s only fitting this ones in Afghanistan," with BUCR Ebert adding, “This was my second time being the young-est Seabee so I wasn’t too surprised, I’m just glad to be here doing my part.” Although it was not the traditional gala we see in homeport, the celebration gave DET RC-East a brief respite from the harsh conditions of Afghanistan and provided an important reminder of the part they play in the long and proud history of the U.S. Navy Seabees. Happy 68th Birthday Seabees!

By: ENS Delgado-Navarro

RC (E

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BUCR Ebert and UCCM Lampman, youngest and oldest Seabee respectively ready to cut the cake

BUCR Ebert serving BUCN Willis and BUCN Toboloski some cake

UCCM Lampman sharing some laughs and cake with YN1 Nogales, IT2 Ille, and IS2 Hess

Hard Charger of the Month BUCN Madelyn McKeithan, originally from Pennsylvania, arrived at Naval Mobile Construction Battalion FOUR in November, 2009. While her time in Battalion has been brief; her contribution to mission success has been enormous. BUCN McKeithan’s initia-tive, attitude, and overall hard work ethic is what sets her apart from her Charlie Company counterparts and has made her the unanimous choice as recipient of this month’s Charlie Company’s “Hard Charger of the Month” award. The quality and amount of work she has completed on deployment has been astonishing. While working at the pre-fabrication yard,

she cut 768 truss members to be used by a truss construction team. These trusses would be used as roofing for two administration buildings on Kandahar, Afghanistan. She also made ten laptop board hangers and ten stools to be used by various service members stationed at Kandahar. She assisted in the construction of six pedestrian wood bridges that dramati-cally improved the quality of life for Army personnel living near the area. BUCN McKeithan is actively study-ing with other Seabees in order to earn her Seabee Combat Warfare Qualifica-tion (SCW) pin, a goal she intends to obtain during this deployment. Showing her enthusiasm and drive to succeed in the Navy; BUCN McKeithan volunteered as Assistant Safety Petty Officer for the Pre-fab-rication Yard job site. This duty held her responsible for the safety of 15 personnel on a daily basis. Safety on this site is a great concern because of

the amount of fabrication and electrical tools. She took on this new assignment with enthu-siasm, and was eager to show her attention to

detail. After the first safety inspection performed by Chief Melendez (NMCB FOUR Safety Officer); she took immediate action on suggestions made by the Safety Officer. The next safety visit, done only a day later, was a complete success with zero safety problems at the job site. Follow on inspections showed her great determination and attention to detail with zero safety violations on the job site.

BUCN McKeithan using a saw reading materials for prefabrication

In the short time I have known BUCN McKeithan, she has improved in her profes-sionalism dramatically. At first, like all new personnel at a command, she was learning the ropes and trying to find her niche within her Company. After that initial trial period, she quickly became one of the most stable personnel within Charlie Company. While talking with BUCN McKeithan about family, I remember a particular conversation about her mother and sisters. It became apparent that she holds her mother in high regard and has great love and respect for her. It has become a regular joke between her and I that I ask her for her mother’s phone number. I told her a story about calling a troop’s parents in the past and how it helps when the troop just can’t keep out of trouble or just calling to praise a troop that is doing well. Now, periodically, I ask her for her mom’s number and she laughs and says “no way cause if I mess up your gonna call my mamma and she’s gonna be mad at me and I don’t want my mamma mad at me.” She has been sent to a DET site, showing the Command’s confidence in her as a valued asset to any job site. So Mom rest assured you can be very proud of your daughter and her progress at NMCB FOUR. Congratulation BUCN McKei-than on making Charlie Companies Hard Charger of the Month, February 2010.

P.S. Oh, by the way Mom, you can get my contact information from the NMCB FOUR Om-budsman Mrs. Mendoza. I am BUC (SCW/DSW) Margaret S. Cooper. You can contact me anytime for an update on your daughter’s progress while assigned at NMCB FOUR.

By: BUC (SCW) Cooper

BUCN McKeithan and BUCN Boyd preparing materials at the prefab yard

Reading together strengthens families.

United Through Reading connects military children and their deployed service member through the valuable activity of reading aloud on video/DVD.

1. Deployed adult makes video/DVD.During deployment the United Through Reading participant reads a book while

being recorded on video/DVD.

2. Child watches video/DVD.The recording is mailed home, where children can watch the video/DVD as many times as

they wish. They can even follow along with a copy of their own book.

3. Parent records child.While the children are watching and listening, a parent or caregiver can record

their reactions. This reaction (photo, e-mail, letter or video) is then sent back to the United Through Reading participant, who can start the process over by reading

another book on video/DVD.

For more information, contact: [email protected]

858-481-7323 | www.read2kids.org

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