Seabee “Can Do” Spirit Lives on at Kojedo Aikwangwon
16 August 2024
BUSAN, South Korea -- The cacophony of hammers banging on the wooden rails, sanders grinding on metal tubes, and whining power drills added welcome noise to the normally tranquil environment of the small campus as much-needed repairs were happening at Kojedo Aikwangwon (AKW) Home and School for the Developmentally Disabled, located off the coast of Busan, South Korea.
Particularly welcome here for the last 72 years are Sailors of Fleet Activities Chinhae (CFAC) and Navy Region Korea (CNRK), who volunteer countless hours to help out residents of the Home. Notably, AKW continues to look new and fresh in more than seven decades thanks to the continuous effort by Naval Mobile Construction Battalions (NMCBs).
Through Project Good Neighbor program managed by the CFAC Chapel, “we actively foster relationships with communities in the Busan and Changwon region to reinforce Navy values through community engagement that allows participants to invest in meaningful endeavors, promotes civic responsibility, and bridges cultural gaps by proactive outreach,” said Chaplain (Lt.) Travis O’Reilly, CFAC command chaplain.
Specifically, NMCB Sailors, whose “Seabees” nickname is borrowed from the initial letters C and B in Construction Battalion, frequently apply their construction and military skills to help maintain and beautify AKW.
From July 2023 to June 2024, “they meticulously installed new silicone seals on 300 window frames in AKW’s living quarters,” said O’Reilly. “They painted residents’ walking path ramps and handrails to enhance safety, and coated the dining hall and auditorium pathways with primer and non-skid paint.”
For this year, “our deployed unit of 20 Seabees of several construction ratings and ranks is working on a multi-phase volunteer assistance program that includes walkway railing refinishing and painting, concrete sidewalk and overhead restoration,” said Chief Utilitiesman Jake Drevecky, NMBC 5 Advanced Base Construction Company assistant officer-in-charge. “This work will occur in several locations surrounding the campus to ensure the facility will operate for a long time.”
A quick look at the illustrious history of NMCBs (https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/seabee/explore/seabee-unit-histories/nmcb.html) reveals their proud tradition reflected in the “Can Do” spirit of the Seabees as they traveled thousands of miles from their homeports to all corners of the globe, putting their construction and military skills to good use.
Today’s deployed NMCB Seabees in Navy Region Korea are living up to that reputation and tradition. “Part of the legacy that defined the Seabees are the relationships we developed many years ago and have continuously built upon since,” commented Drevecky earnestly. “It is who we are and what we value. These generational efforts continue to develop, strengthen, and sustain a good working relationship that create many more opportunities for the U.S. Navy to do even more good for local communities in this region in the future.”