My son-in-law, Dave, is a Seabee and just got home from Afghanistan! Long trip home from an extended detail, but he finally arrived in Gulfport, Mississippi - he was tired from the trip, but so happy to be back home with his family.
The Seabees are only allowed to take 300 lbs in their gear when they are sent overseas. With the necessary tools, clothes, sleeping bag, guns and other work accessories, there is not much room left for personal things.
Most of the packages that the families send are full of food - snacks, cheese, baby wipes, chocolate, gum, socks, cigarettes.
Most people, even some in the armed forces, do not even know what a Seabee is.
The name Seabee comes from CB - Construction Battalion - they get dropped off with a group of Marines at remote places all over the war zones to build the bases or quarters for the rest of the military to live and work to defend our country. Dave didn't even know where he was at the time - in this detail, it was to build an outpost on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan
The Official Seabee Motto is "Construimus, Batuimus" - translated into English as "We Build, We Fight".
Another Seabee Motto:
With compassion for others, we build, we fight, for peace with freedom.
With willing hearts and skillful hands, the difficult we do at once, the impossible takes a bit longer.
Miracles by appointment only.
What is a Seabee, anyway? What do they do?
From the website Operation: Seabees Knowledge -
'Seabees are trained for combat, but usually don't serve in front-line offensive operations, yet their weapons training and qualifications standards are very rigorous -- they are difinitely not support or rear-area personnel. Their specialty is erecting good things and neutralizing bad things, whether this is building roads leading inland from an amphibious assault beach or through a swamp, or sealing up caves containing enemy snipers, or laying water pipelines to serve parched areas, or building and improving hospitals and schools.
The level of ingenuity in solving open-ended problems while under fire, demonstrated by each generation of Seabees, is something of legend. Seabees routinely operate bulldozers or jackhammers while enemy bullets and shrapnel fly on their often-hellish worksites around the globe. They do so with the same courage and determination that Soldiers or Marines operate main battle tanks, or machine guns. The only difference is that their primary implements are "unconventional" as weapons go: They are construction tools.'
Welcome Home, Dave. Good job and thank you!
Virginia,
Tell Dave, Thanks for serving our great country also. I know it can be hard at times with a family. I am glad he made it home safe.
Thanks for sharing this story and thanks to Dave for his service.
Please pass Dave a heartfelt gratitude for his services from my family. . welcome back!
Hi Virginia,
Thank you so much for sharing this story. All men and women serving in the war deserve our respect and gratitude. I am so happy he made it home safe and sound. Best wishes to the whole family!
Hi Virginia:
My son is in the Canadian Military and he also served in Afghanistan. We sent over many packages as well including socks and underwear. I am glad he made it home safely.
Please extend my gratitude for his services.
Many thanks and much gratitude to Dave for his service. If I was there I'd take him out to the Blow Fly Inn!
Virginia - Glad to hear your SIL made it back ok. Thank God for service men like him who have been serving our country above and beyond the call of duty.
Congratulation on his safe return and much gratitude for his selfless service.
Thanks for the history lesson. I have 2 honorable discharges from 2 branches of the service, and did not know what a CB did.
Thanks for your comments. I had that picture of Dave as my screensaver for the last couple of months. Waiting was so hard for my daughter and the kids - it really hurt when his stay was extended, they had been counting down the days and had to start over. :(
Still waiting for my other son in law, Larry, to get home - he is army and I sure hope they don't extend his stay over there.
@Tom - what is the Blow Fly Inn ??
Jim - my other son in law is in the army stationed in Afghanistan - HE didn't know what a Seabee did either. The Seabees go in first and set up camps for the rest of the forces.
Seabees are part of the Navy, but really don't have much to do with it - they go in with a group of Marines.
Yeah Dave!! I'm so glad your son-in-law made it home safely. I know how concerned you were for him and how difficult it was for your daughter.
Lila Williams
Hi Lila, that volcano held him up a few days, too. They had to go around the no fly zones. But home safe!!
Virginia,
A wonderful post, the only one about the troops in Afghanistan, Well written, very infoirmative
Great that he is back with his family