DVIDS – News – Seabees Deployed to Djibouti Maintain eightieth Anniversary Ball

DJIBOUTI, Djibouti (March 5, 2022) – U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to United States Naval Development Battalions, or “Seabee” models deployed to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (CLDJ), held a ball celebrating the eightieth birthday of the Seabees March 5. Attendees and honored visitors celebrated the historical past and heritage of the Navy Seabees which had been formally established March 5, 1942.

“I began studying tales of the Seabee’s position throughout main conflicts,” says Capt. David Faehnle, the commanding officer of CLDJ, and the visitor of honor on the ball. “From the island-hopping of World Conflict II to the bitter chilly of Korea, to the steaming jungles of Vietnam and the barren deserts of the Center East, I learn concerning the immense undertakings accomplished time and again.”

The Seabees deployed to CLDJ, the U.S.’s solely everlasting army base on the African continent, proceed to play a significant position within the U.S. army’s mission within the area.

“Our theme for the Seabee’s eightieth anniversary is ‘paving our approach to victory’,” says Cmdr. Aaron Allison, the general public works officer on CLDJ.” “We wished to acknowledge the precise air operations assist we offer at CLDJ whereas trying again at our roots of airfield development and repairs that flung our forefathers into the highlight of enabling warfighters. Very important infrastructure we’re at the moment setting up at CLDJ will facilitate mission progress that’s instrumental in our future planning.”

Army balls of any selection are sometimes very formal occasions constructed upon long-standing traditions and ceremonies. Contributors will doubtless be of their gown uniforms and several other weeks if not months of planning will go into deciding on the venue and alluring the visitors. In a deployed surroundings, some flexibility is required in holding a profitable celebration.

“It’s our can-do spirit,” says Engineering Aide 1st Class Jessica Couvillier, a Sailor assigned to the Seabees deployed to CLDJ and a member of the Seabee ball committee. “You do what you may with what you bought. A typical Seabee ball is often us in our blues or our whites doing formal army actions, color-guard, all the usual conventional issues, however we can not do this right here, so we determined to show it right into a seaside social gathering.”

Anywhere they’re, serving on the house entrance, or deployed hundreds of miles away U.S. Navy Seabees have a protracted historical past that they will look again on. Whether or not it’s a formal and conventional ball, or an improvised deployed celebration, each Seabee might wish to take a second on the eightieth anniversary of their inception to replicate on their rallying cry of “We construct, we battle.”

“To all of the Seabees on the market,” says Development Electrician 2nd Class Enrique Jauregui, a Seabee deployed to CLDJ. “Blissful birthday. It’s a lengthy historical past, and we’re celebrating right here in Djibouti, and I hope that you’re celebrating someplace too.”

CLDJ serves as an expeditionary base for U.S. army forces offering assist to ships, plane and personnel that guarantee safety all through Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia. The bottom permits maritime and fight operations within the Horn of Africa whereas fostering optimistic U.S.-Africa relations.