The Seabees are the Construction Battalions of the United States Navy. The Seabees have a history of building bases, bulldozing and paving thousands of miles of roadway and airstrips, and accomplishing myriad other construction projects in a wide variety of military theatres dating back to World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Contents 1 Mottos 2 History 2.1 World War II 2.2 Korean War 2.3 Vietnam War 2.4 Gulf War 2.5 Iraq and Afghanistan Wars 3 Organization 3.1 Training 3.2 Ratings 4 Miscellany 4.1 Logo 4.2 In popular culture 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

Mottos

The official motto of the Seabees is "Construimus, Battuimus" – translated into English as "We Build, We Fight. "

The Seabees have several unofficial mottos as well. Their best known unofficial motto is the simple phrase "Can Do!", featured on much of their promotional material.

Other unofficial mottos include:

• "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. "
• "We can build anything with nothing in no time at all. "
• "First we dig 'em, then we die in 'em"
• "We will either find a way or make one. "
• "We build, we fight, we party all night. "

The Seabee songs is: We're the Seabees of the navy, We can build and we can fight, We'll pave the way to victory and guard is day and night, We promise to remember the seventh of December, we're the seabees of the Navy, Bees of the seven seas!

History

World War II

In December 1941, with U. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. S. involvement in war soon expected on both oceans, Rear Admiral Ben Moreell, Chief of the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks, recommended establishing Naval Construction Battalions at a newly constructed base at Davisville, R. Admiral Ben Moreell (September 14 1892 - July 30 1978 was the chief of the U The Bureau of Yards and Docks was the branch of the United States Navy responsible from 1842 to 1966 for responsible for building and maintaining navy yards drydocks I. (now part of North Kingstown). With the attack on Pearl Harbor and the U. S. entrance into the war, he was given the go-ahead. The earliest Seabees were recruited from the civilian construction trades and were placed under the leadership of the Navy's Civil Engineer Corps. Because of the emphasis on experience and skill rather than physical standards, the average age of Seabees during the early days of the war was 37.

More than 325,000 men served with the Seabees in World War II, fighting and building on six continents and more than 300 islands. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including In the Pacific, where most of the construction work was needed, the Seabees landed soon after the Marines and built major airstrips, bridges, roads, gasoline storage tanks, and Quonset huts for warehouses, hospitals, and housing.

The Seabees were officially organized in the Naval Reserve on December 31, 1947. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

With the general demobilization following the war, the Construction Battalions were reduced to 3,300 men on active duty by 1950. Between 1949 and 1953, Naval Construction Battalions were organized into two types of units: Amphibious Construction Battalions (ACBs) and Naval Mobile Construction Battalions (MCBs).

Korean War

The Korean War saw a call-up of more than 10,000 men. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the The expansion of the Seabees came from the Naval Reserve Seabee program where individuals volunteered for active duty. The Seabees landed at Inchon with the assault troops. The Battle of Incheon (인천 상륙 작전 Incheon Sangryuk Jakjeon; Code name: Operation Chromite) was an amphibious invasion and battle of They fought enormous tides as well as enemy fire and provided causeways within hours of the initial landings. Their action here and at other landings emphasized the role of the Seabees and there was no Seabee demobilization when the truce was declared.

Following Korea, the Seabees embarked on a new mission. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. From providing much needed assistance in the wake of a devastating earthquake in Greece in 1953 to providing construction work and training to underdeveloped countries, the Seabees became "The Navy's Goodwill Ambassadors. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία " Seabees built or improved many roads, orphanages and public utilities in many remote parts of the world.

Vietnam War

Seabees were deployed to Vietnam throughout the conflict beginning in small numbers in June 1954 and extending to November 1972. By 1962 they began building camps for Special Forces. In June 1965, Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Marvin G. Shields, part of Seabee Team 1104, was actively engaged at the Battle of Dong Xoai and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions there. Marvin Glenn Shields,( 30 December 1939 &ndash 10 June 1965) was the first and remains the only Seabee to receive the Medal of The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. Shields remains the only Seabee ever to be awarded the Medal of Honor. These "Civic Action Teams" continued into the Vietnam War where Seabees, often fending off enemy forces alongside their Marine and Army counterparts, also built schools and infrastructure and provided health care service. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Beginning in 1965 full Seabee battalions (MCBs) and Naval Construction Regiments (NCRs) along with other unit types were deployed throughout Vietnam. Seabees from the Naval Reserve provided individual personnel early on to augment regular units such as battalions and regiments.

After Vietnam, the Seabees built and repaired Navy bases in Puerto Rico, Japan, Guam, Greece, Sicily, and Spain. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Their civic action projects focused on the Trust Territories of the Pacific.

In 1971, the Seabees began their largest peacetime construction on Diego Garcia, a small atoll in the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia is the largest Atoll, in terms of land area in Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface This project took 11 years and cost $200 million. The complex accommodates the Navy's largest ships and the biggest military cargo jets. This base proved invaluable when Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990 and Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm were launched. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed

Gulf War

During the Gulf War, more than 5,000 Seabees (4,000 active and 1,000 reservists) served in the Middle East. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. Other units, including mobilized construction units under the command of Lt. Cdr. Bleu M. Pride served for those deployed forward. In Saudi Arabia, Seabees built 10 camps for more than 42,000 personnel; 14 galleys capable of feeding 75,000 people; and 6 million ft² (600,000 m²) of aircraft parking apron and runways as well as 200+ Helo landing zones. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi

Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

Seabees continue to provide critical construction skills in connection with the effort to rebuild the infrastructure of both Iraq and Afghanistan. All Active and Reserve Naval Mobile Construction Battalions (NMCBs) and Naval Construction Regiments (NCRs) have deployed to Iraq.

Organization

Training

The newcomers begin “A” School (preliminary training) fresh out of boot camp, or they come from the fleet after their service term is met, spending about 75 percent of the twelve weeks immersed in hands-on training. The remaining 25 percent is spent in classroom instruction. From “A” School, new Seabees most often report to a battalion command for their first tour of duty. For two weeks, the new Seabees go through Seabee Replacement Training (or SERT), or ECS which is a four week long SERT. SERT is a basic combat skills course where the students will spend one week in a classroom environment learning map reading and land navigation, how to lay out defensive plans, conduct patrols and many other combat related skills. The second week is spent at a rifle range where students will learn basic rifle marksmanship and then qualify with the M16 service rifle. A shooting range is a specialized facility designed for Firearms practice A rifle is a Firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves ("rifling" cut into the barrel walls M16 (more formally United States Rifle II Caliber 556 mm M16) is the U At the end of those two weeks, new Seabees are ready to perform with their new battalion. A battalion is a Military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel During their tenure with an NMCB, personnel may be assigned to a crew-served weapon, such as the Mk-19 40mm grenade machine gun, the M2HB . 50-cal machine gun, or the M240B medium machine gun.

About one third of new Seabees are assigned to Public Works Departments at Naval installations both stateside and overseas. While stationed at a Public Works Department, a Seabee will have the opportunity to get specialized training and extensive experience in one or more facets of their rating.

Ratings

There are seven source ratings for the Seabee community:^[1]

• Construction Mechanics (CM) maintain and repair the construction machinery used by the seabees, such as power tools and heavy equipment. Construction Mechanic (abbreviated as CM) is a United States Navy occupational rating.
• Equipment Operators (EO) operate heavy construction equipment and coordinate rigging operations. Equipment Operator (abbreviated as EO) is a United States Navy occupational rating.
• Utilitiesmen (UT) install, maintain, and operate mechanical a building's mechanical and fluid systems. Utilitiesman (abbreviated as UT) is a United States Navy occupational rating.
• Construction Electricians (CE) install a building's electrical distribution and emergency power systems. Construction Electrician (abbreviated as CE) is a United States Navy occupational rating.
• Builders (BU) are responsible for general construction, including carpentry, concrete, masonry, and finish work. Builder (abbreviated as BU) is a United States Navy occupational rating.
• Steel Workers (SW) are responsible for erecting structural steel and reinforcing steel in concrete construction. Steel Worker (abbreviated as SW) is a United States Navy occupational rating.
• Engineering Aides (EA) are responsible for construction surveying, drafting, and project estimation. Engineering Aide (abbreviated as EA) is a United States Navy occupational rating.

At the Master Chief Petty Officer level, each of the ratings merge with at least one other ratings.

• Construction Mechanics and Equipment Operators become Equipmentman Master Chiefs (EQCM).
• Construction Electricians merge into the Utilitiesman rating, although the rating's abbreviation is changed to UCCM.
• Builders, Steel Workers, and Engineering Aides become Constructionmen Master Chiefs (CUCM).

Miscellany

• The military qualification badge for the Seabees is known as the Seabee Combat Warfare Badge (SCW). The Seabee Combat Warfare insignia is a military badge of the United States Navy. It is issued to both officers and enlisted personnel and recognizes those who have been fully trained and qualified as a member of the various Naval Construction Force (NCF) units. Only members attached to a qualifying NCF unit are eligible for the SCW pin. The qualifying units include: Naval Mobile Construction Battalions (NMCB), Amphibious Construction Battalions (ACB), Construction Battalion Maintenance Units (CBMU), Naval Construction Force Support Units (NCFSU), and Underwater Construction Teams (UCT).

• As opposed to the title of Seaman given to the ranks of E-1 through E-3 in the regular Navy, Seabees are referred to as Constructionmen, and wear sky blue stripes. Seaman as a rate refers to one of the lowest rates in a Navy.

• There are also three special Navy Units that are primarily Seabee Units: Mobile Utilities Support Equipment (MUSE) units deploy worldwide to provide power, water purification and technical support at moments notice for military and humanitarian missions. Naval Support Unit State Department where Seabees work, rehab and maintain security areas at US Embassies and Consulates overseas and Presidential Support Duty which is located at Camp David. The Naval Support Facility Thurmont, popularly known as Camp David, is the rustic 125-acre (0 While assigned to the State Department, a Seabee reports to a Department of State Security Engineering Officer or directly to a Department of State Regional Security Officer, who both work for the Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Regional Security Officer (RSO is the title given to Diplomatic Security Service (DSS Special Agents serving overseas as the heads of security at US diplomatic facilities See also Diplomatic Security Service The Bureau of Diplomatic Security, more commonly known as Diplomatic Security or DS is the security and law enforcement arm of the Along with the Marine Security Guard (MSG) program, this is a rare example of an active duty uniformed member of the U. Marine Security Guards, also known as the MSG or Marine Embassy Guards, are a Battalion of U S. armed forces who is operationally controlled through a civilian, albeit law enforcement, head.

• There are currently around 17,000 Seabees, active and reserve, serving in the U.S. Navy.

• In the late 1990s, a group of former Seabees opened the Seabee Museum and Memorial Park in Davisville, Rhode Island, the original home of the Seabees. Davisville Rhode Island was the former home of the US Navy SeaBees. The Fighting Seabee Statue is located here. There are also U. S. Navy Seabee Museums at the Construction Battalion Center, Port Hueneme, California and at Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Mississippi.

• A common mistake, which most people believe due to pure coincidence and Hollywood, is that the name "Seabees" came from the first two letters of the words "Construction Battalions". The name "SEABEE" came from the creator of the logo, Frank J. Iafrate. ^[2]

• Seabees say "Hoorah!" as a war-cry or spirited shout as a sign of motivation. Hooah ( hü-ä or who-ah) is a US Army Battle cry. It is used by US Army soldiers "Referring to or meaning anything and everything except "Hoorah" is taken from the Seabee's close association with the U.S. Marine Corps, where the term originated. It is also said as a way to say something is understood or to aknowledge that you will carry out an order, similar to the way "Aye, aye" is said in the fleet Navy. It is comparable the U.S. Army's "Hooah" and Navy SEAL's "Hooyah". The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Hooah ( hü-ä or who-ah) is a US Army Battle cry. It is used by US Army soldiers "Referring to or meaning anything and everything except Hooyah is the war cry or Battle cry most commonly used in the United States Navy, though sometimes exclusively associated with the Navy SEALs.

Logo

Frank J. Iafrate, a civilian plan file clerk at Naval Air Station, Quonset Point, R. I. , was the originator and artist who designed the original Seabee logo ("Fighting 'Bee") in early 1942. In late 1942, after desigining the logo, he enlisted in the Seabees. ^[2]

During World War II, artists working for Walt Disney created over a thousand military insignia, which were used as "nose art" for bombers and as unit logos. Disney artists designed logos for about ten Naval Construction units, including the 60th Naval (Canal) Construction Battalion^[3] and the 133rd Naval Construction Battalion^[4] in 1943.

In popular culture

• The Fighting Seabees (1944), starring John Wayne, is a fictionalized portrayal of the beginning of the Seabees. The Fighting Seabees is a War film starring John Wayne, Dennis O'Keefe and Susan Hayward. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. John Wayne ( May 26, 1907 &ndash June 11, 1979) was an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award -winning American

• Seabees feature prominently in the musical South Pacific. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. South Pacific is a musical, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by both Hammerstein and Joshua

• Ward Cleaver, the fictional father from Leave It To Beaver, was a Seabee. Leave It to Beaver is a 1950s and 1960s family-oriented American Television Situation comedy about an inquisitive

• Al Borland, the fictional sidekick of Tim Taylor on Home Improvement was a Seabee and stationed in Nevada. Albert "Al" E Borland is a Fictional character from the TV Sitcom Home Improvement played by Richard Karn. Timothy Taylor or Tim Taylor could be Timothy Taylor (archaeologist, a British archaeologist Timothy Taylor (art dealer, Home Improvement is a American television Sitcom starring actor/comedian Tim Allen, which aired 1991 to 1999 Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. Borland was portrayed by actor Richard Karn. Richard Karn Wilson (born February 17 1956 in Seattle Washington) is an American Television Actor and Game show Coincidentally, Karn's father, Gene, was a Seabee in real life and served in World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

• Literal "seabees" (similar to the bee depicted on the badge) appear in the computer game Grim Fandango. Grim Fandango is a graphic adventure computer game released by LucasArts in and primarily written by Tim Schafer.

• Tom Cruise, portraying "Maverick" in the 1986 movie Top Gun, had a Seabee patch on the left front breast area of his flight jacket. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( born July 3 1962 better known by his screen name Tom Cruise, is an American Actor and Film producer Top Gun is a 1986 American Film directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer in association with

See also

• Seabees in World War II
• Amphibious Construction Battalion One
• NMCB
• United States Navy Seabees Bridge - bridge named for Seabees

References

• Huie, William Bradford (1997). William Bradford "Bill" Huie ( November 13, 1910 &ndash November 20, 1986) was an American journalist editor publisher Can Do!: The Story of the Seabees (Bluejacket Books Series). Naval Institute Press. (Original text: chinfo.navy.mil)

External links

• Official Website Requires Password and Login to access.
• Seabees During World War II
• Navy.com
• Seabee Museum & Memorial Park in Davisville, RI

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