Seabees bring ‘Can Do!’ attitude to Beyond the Horizon Guatemala
Petty Officer 2nd Class Travis Gsell and Petty Officer 2nd Class Al Baldassarre connect rebar pieces to create foundation forms at a construction site in El Rancho.
EL RANCHO, Guatemala – A contingent of 23 U.S. Navy engineers, detached from the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, Fort Belvoir, Va., deployed to Guatemala in support of Beyond the Horizon Guatemala 2012 (BTH) in mid-April, and is currently constructing a women’s medical clinic in the town of El Rancho.
BTH is a U.S. Army South-led, joint service military humanitarian and civic affairs exercise. U.S. military engineers and medical professionals, the majority of which are National Guard and Reserve service members, are tasked with providing medical and dental care and engineering support to the Guatemalan people.
The women’s clinic and a separate restroom facility will augment the existing clinic, Puesto de Salud. The 1600-square-foot building under construction doubles the Puesto de Salud’s treatment area.
The team of engineers, or Seabees, as they are known, is unique within the BTH mission. They will be the only element of the joint force exercise to oversee one of the five BTH construction sites from start to finish. The Air Force and Army elements will rotate personnel through Guatemala in two-week or one-month phases, while the Seabees will stay as one group for three months.
The community of El Rancho has responded positively to the Seabees presence. The Puesto de Salud remains open, seeing 30-40 patients per day, and the Navy engineers have to continuously turn down offers of help. On one occasion, though, the entire projects’ concrete blocks arrived unexpectedly. Some locals, perceiving the Seabee’s situation, volunteered their efforts, and together they unloaded several hundred blocks by hand.
“It’s a great thing to be in the community (of El Rancho). I wish I could be more involved,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Sean Rideout.
The Seabees commanding officer for the BTH mission, Lt. Jeff Dong, noted the distinguished history of the Navy engineers and difficulty of the project as reasons that his Seabees were chosen.
When surveying the site, he said, “We’re faced with challenges in material delivery, terrain, and weather.”
The El Rancho site is crowded, with little room for material storage and equipment operation. As an added obstacle, the Guatemalan rainy season looms over a project that has already been delayed by site preparation issues.
But Dong brushed off concerns, stating simply, “The Seabees will get it done.”
The clinic, when finished, will provide women in the area with medication and childbirth assistance that is not currently available.
BTH engineering projects include three women’s clinics and two schools. Medical aid will be rendered at several sites throughout Guatemala, each able to assist 1,000 people. The BTH mission officially began April 16, and will last until July 15.
Note:
Beyond the Horizon 2012 is a U.S. Army South exercise deploying military engineers and medical professionals to Guatemala and Honduras for training, while providing services to rural communities. BTH, conducted annually, is part of U.S. Southern Command's (SOUTHCOM) humanitarian and civic assistance program. Working closely with host nation forces and civilian organizations, BTH teams provide medical, dental and engineering support.
For more information about Beyond the Horizon 2012 click on the links below: The United States Army | STAND-TO! | Beyond the Horizon 2012 U.S. Southern Command - Beyond the Horizon and New Horizons exercises 2012 Army South CG Video of remarks at Beyond the Horizon Honduras 2012 Opening Ceremony
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