The White Falcon - 29.02.1980, Blaðsíða 4

Pace 4
The White Falcon
February 29, 1980

Seabees celebrate 38th bin
On March 3, 1942 the Navy offic-
ially organized detachments of Con-
struction Battalions, SEABEES, to
under take essential military con-
struction previously contracted to
civilians.
This year marks the 113th Anni-
versary of the Civil Engineer Corps
and the 38th of the Seabees. Both
birthdays will be celebrated on Sat-
urday at the Officer's Club with the
annual Seabee Ball. The celebration
shall include dinner and dancing,
the crowning of a "Seabee Queen",
and traditional honors for the "Old-
est and Youngest" Seabees in Ice-
land.
The Seabees began work in Iceland
shortly after their formation, and a
quick look around the various sta-
tions will show they are still on
the job. Most of the Seabees here
are members of the Naval Station
Public Works Department, headed by
Commander T.A. Dames, CEC, USN. Not
as strong in fiumbers, but at least
as strong in spirit, are the Seabees
and/or CEC Officers also stationed
at NavFac, NSGA, CommSta, NEX, Rec*
reation Department and the Security
Department.
The Seabees work along with Ice-
landic and U.S. Civilian employees
who make up the Public Works Depart-
ment and Resident Officer in Charge
of Construction (ROICC). Public
Works is responsible for a variety
of tasks: The transportation div-
ision handles care and maintenance
of all military vehicles, including
all base busses. Also, the Seabees
in Transportation can be found fre-
quently putting many night hours in
on snow removal.
Utilities provides emergency re-
pairs and preventative maintenance
for heating, water, electricity,
telephones, appliances and galley
equipment repair, in all the family
quarters and barracks.
The Engineering Branch is in
charge of planning, estimating and
designing of new construction proj-
ects and Maintenance Control is the
record keeping function of mainten-
ance work on the entire base.
The Barracks Maintenance crew of
Public Works responds to all emer-
gency and regular maintenance
to the BEQ and BOQ Billeting
The Housing Office provides
housing referral service for
base housing; assigned government
quarters for family housing, incom-
passing some 920 units aboard the
station, and issues available furn-
iture on a temporary basis.
1^3
NO ACROPHOBIA HERE—CE1 Cesar Domingo (left) and CE3 Daprid Keith make a
maintenance inspection of a electrical feeder. (Photo by J03 David Guise)
The United States was invited to
Iceland to take over bases estab-
lished by Great Britian in 1940. In
July 1941, the Navy sent personnel
to Iceland and hired civilian work-
men to build facilities for aircraft
and anti-submarine forces.
Following the Japanese attack on
Pearl Harbour Iceland was one of the
first bases to receive detachments
of Seabees. Civilian workmen, A-
merican and Icelanders built the
first installation in Iceland. The
Seabees arrived in force in late
1942 and helped to expand the con-
struction of the convoy protection
bases, and Naval Facilities began to
grow at unprecedented proportions.
Following the advanced Seabee
Party, the Ninth Construction Bat-
talion arrived to complete work on
Camp Knox and the airstrips and tank
farms of Meeks Field here.
By October 1942, the Seabees had
built a Naval Ammunition Dump aj^^^
were paving Patterson Airfield
the Army. Meeks Field, Keflav^^^^F
was the largest airport in the worl^^^
when it was completed on May 21,
1943.