Did you know?: Florida SEABEES now serving in Iraq with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion -14?

This Naval Reserve " SEABEE " Battalion, headquartered at Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fl., has detachments spread through Florida, Georgia, and Puerto Rico. Men and women from all these locations were called to active duty on March 1st, 2004 and sent to Iraq to serve as part of the Marine Engineering Group within the First Marine Expedionary Force.

Approximately 400 of the Battalion's over 700 members were activated for humanitarian missions in battle-scarred areas of Iraq. They are tasked with rebuilding civilian infrastructure like roads, hospitals, schools, government buidings, and public utilities systems. Additionally, they continue to build fortifications and other facilities needed by friendly military forces.

Included in the recall were members of detachment 0314, assigned to the Orlando Consolidated Reserve Center near the former McCoy Annex property. Among the group pictured below at the 2001 Memorial Day ceremonies at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Ocoee, is one Orlando detachment member now in Iraq. Chief Construction Mechanic Lee Longacre, third from right, was advanced to that rank during the same week as the 9/11 attacks on America.

Also pictured are two current, and two former members of NMCB-14. From left to right are Engineering Aide 1st Class Marguglio, and Construction Electician 1st Class Liberale, current members of NMCB-14, then Storekeeper 1st Class Dowda and Chief Equipment Operator Dupuis who are former members.

OPERATION SEABEES KNOWLEDGE seabeesinfohq.org E-Mail seabees@seabeesinfohq.org