Seabees construct facility for Pennsylvania non-profit Outdoor Odyssey as part of Innovative Readiness Training program
15 November 2023
BOSWELL PA (Nov. 15, 2023) -- Seabees assigned to Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 202 partnered with the Air Force’s 436
th Civil Engineering Squadron in September and November to construct a cabin in Boswell, Pennsylvania for a local outdoor leadership non-profit organization, Outdoor Odyssey, as part of the Department of Defense’s innovative readiness training (IRT) program.
The IRT program delivers hands-on training opportunities to military units to increase their deployment readiness while providing key services, like construction capabilities, to American communities. CBMU 202 began working on the cabin project in August and completed their participation this week. The construction project offered not only leadership opportunities to the Seabees but also helped refine their mission essential skills in a new environment.
The project required the skillsets of almost every Seabee rating to include builders, construction electricians, engineering aides, equipment operators and construction mechanics.
Engineering aids refined the layout of the building and surveyed the land while equipment operators and mechanics operated heavy machinery to excavate and grade the surrounding area so that the construction could begin. The builders used their skills of rough and finish framing, roofing, siding and finish carpentry, and the electricians wired the building from start to finish which includes both indoor and outdoor lights and outlets.
“Our Seabees were able to sharpen their skills for their specific rates, but this program has also given the crew the opportunity to teach and learn outside of their expertise so that each individual Seabee could broaden their skill set and strengthen the team,” said Builder Second Class Petty Officer Agnes Neal, a Seabee who participated in the project.
Outdoor Odyssey was founded in 1998 by retired United States Marine Corps Maj. Gen. T.S. Jones, with the primary mission to pair western Pennsylvania youth with a mentor to build leadership skills, resiliency and teams. The program has since evolved and expanded to embrace a variety of organizations, including veterans, active duty, and the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps.
“I’m extremely proud of our team and their desire to better themselves through real-world construction tasking but also to contribute towards improving local communities through our service,” said Lt. Ensz, executive officer, CBMU 202. “We train to conduct missions where military construction and advanced general engineering support are needed in response to global contingencies, and this project gave us an opportunity to improve our readiness in an isolated location while building partnerships in our communities—that’s a win-win scenario for all involved.”
CBMU 202, is a subordinate command to Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, who mans, trains, equips, organizes and sustains their forces to bridge the gap from sea to shore and provide expeditionary capabilities in remote, complex and austere environments.