The Seabees Celebrate Their 79th Birthday

 The US Navy Seabees are a group of enlisted and commissioned members of the military designated with the duties of constructing military bases and infrastructure. In the years leading up to America’s involvement in WWII, the US Navy had primarily used civilian contractors for construction. However, due to international law these civilian contractors were not allowed to defend themselves, lest they be considered guerillas and allowed to be summarily executed by the enemy. With the need of having naval construction capabilities, particularly in the Pacific theater which consisted of mainly remote islands, in December of 1941, Rear Admiral Ben Moreell requested the ability to form a special unit to assist Navy and Marine operations. In January 1942 this unit was organized into Construction Battalions (known as “CBs”) of enlisted tradesmen, builders, and equipment operators which could defend themselves. By March 5, 1942, the Department of the Navy officially named these men the “Seabees”.

In WWII, the Seabees served in over 400 locations across multiple theaters of war, with 325,000 men serving with about 60 different trade skills among them. After WWII, they were disbanded due to demobilization, but by the Korean War they were reactivated from their original home base of Davisville, Rhode Island. They assisted in amphibious construction operations as well as developing and maintaining airfields, defending what they build. In Vietnam, they provided not only military construction but also humanitarian efforts. On June 9th, 1965, CM3 Marvin G. Shields became the first and only Seabee who was awarded the Medal of Honor for fighting alongside special forces in defense of the unfinished Army Special Forces Camp in Dong Xoai. It was awarded posthumously, as he died of his multiple injuries during the evacuation.

Seabees also served in other parts of the world, expanding and strengthening America’s power and influence. More recently, they’ve also served during the Global War on Terror, building and repairing airfields, bridges, and camps in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq. With their “Can Do!” attitude, the Seabees are ready to deploy anywhere around the world to assist in construction and humanitarian efforts, abiding by their motto they’ve had since their creation: "Construimus, Batuimus," We Build, We Fight.

NCO's are the backbone of the unit and the Army. The Warrior Leadership Course is a two-day event that helps prepare soldiers to take up the role of NCO, giving them the tools needed to be effective leaders. Candidates are those Specialists and Corporals who have shown the potential and drive to be solid leaders of Fireteams as well as opening the opportunity for advancement to Sergeant and beyond.

Congratulations to the soldiers of Warrior Leaders Course class 21-01

Graduates:

Staff Sergeant Christoph Brock 
Corporal James Kiheri 
Specialist Vinny Garcia 
Specialist Nathan Cooper 
Specialist Giancarlo Orsini 
Specialist Rupert Flannigan 
Specialist Ryan LeFaivre 
Specialist Brandon Perez 
Specialist Nico Agricola 
Specialist David Marsh 
Specialist Alex Cruze 
Specialist Paul Liwa 
Private First Class Hazel McMahon 
Private First Class Jake Searer 

Instructor:

First Lieutenant Bailey Lambert
First Sergeant Jannes Drake

Congratulations to the soldiers of OSUT class 21-08 (ARMA3) for successful completion of training! These soldiers have been awarded the Army Service Ribbon and have earned the right to be fully active members of their squad and the unit! This is merely the first step in your career here at 3rdID, we look forward to your continued success! Hooah

Graduates:

Private Second Class Zoren Bernardino 
Private Second Class Nelson Moore 

Image credit: SSG C.Brock

Today the nation celebrates the founding of the US Navy Reserve, marking 106 years of continued service.

Formed in response to the First World War, the Navy Reserve built upon a long history of citizen service in American waters.

Over 59,000 Sailors currently serve as Navy Reservists. They stand ready to conduct and support operations of the US Navy and Marine Corps around the globe.

Reserve Sailors served with distinction in the First World War, deploying at sea and manning anti-U-boat aircraft in the western European Theater. By the end of the war, Reservists outnumbered active duty Sailors.

This legacy of service continued into the Second World War. Over 3 million Navy Reservists served worldwide in the fight against the Axis powers. Navy Reservists aboard the USS Ward fired the first American shots of the war, sinking a Japanese midget submarine outside of Pearl Harbor several hours before the surprise attack..

In the aftermath of World War II, reserve Sailors played significant roles throughout the Cold War and the Persian Gulf War, maintaining readiness in an era of evolving global politics and advancing technology.

Naval Reservists have continued their legacy into the 21st century. Since September 11, 2001, over 70,000 Reservists have served in the Global War on Terror.

Today, the US Navy Reserve is looking to the future of naval warfare. Formed of men and women of various backgrounds, our nation’s citizen sailors are preparing for the missions to come.

Congratulations to the soldiers of Land Navigation Course class 21-02 (ARMA3) for successful completion of Land Navigation training! The Land Navigation course is designed teach the fundamentals of basic land navigating skills. This course assists Soldiers in Infantry and non-Infantry fitted rolls to understand the techniques required to land navigate. Students learn navigating from one point on the ground to another point individually. 

Graduates:

Specialist Nathan Cooper
Specialist Rupert Flannigan
Specialist Ryan LeFaivre
Private First Class Jake Searer
Private First Class Tony Pearson
Private Second Class Alexander Vandle

Instructors:

Staff Sergeant Christoph Brock
Specialist Paul Liwa
Specialist Giancarlo Orsini

The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings" or "Silver Wings" is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces awarded to members awarded to U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy.

Congratulations to the following (ARMA3) class for completing Airborne School in conjunction with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Soldiers who have completed the school for the first time shall be awarded their Basic Parachutist Badge. Great job to everyone who attended. Hooah!

3rd ID Graduates:

First Lieutenant Bailey Lambert 
Warrant Officer 1 Rob Paxton 
Staff Sergeant Eric Abel 

173rd Airborne Instructors:

Sergeant Dustin Miller
Sergeant Mike Callum
    Specialist Kaiden Swytak

Congratulations to the soldiers of OSUT class 21-07 (ARMA3) for successful completion of training! These soldiers have been awarded the Army Service Ribbon and have earned the right to be fully active members of their squad and the unit! This is merely the first step in your career here at 3rdID, we look forward to your continued success! Hooah

Graduates:

Private First Class Tony Pearson 
Private Second Class Rohman Dolezal 

Congratulations to the soldiers of Combat Lifesaver Course class 20-02 (ARMA3) for the successful completion of Combat Lifesaver training! The Combat Lifesaver Course is the official medical training course conducted by the US Army, intended to provide an intermediate step between the buddy aid-style basic life support taught to every soldier. The combat lifesaver is primarily responsible for providing emergency medical treatment at the point of wounding on the battlefield, limited primary care, and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illness.

Graduates:

Specialist Ryan LeFaivre
Private First Class Jake Searer
Private Second Class Alexander Vandle
Private Second Class Kadeem Dawkins

Instructors:

Warrant Officer 1 Rob Paxton
Corporal Steve Klein
Specialist Giancarlo Orsini
Private First Class Hazel McMahon