CNO Visits Naval Construction Battalion Center Seabees

By MC1 Nicholas Lingo, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 Public Affairs

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead conducted an all hands call, Jan. 10, aboard Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) Gulfport. The CNO was in Gulfport as part of an eight-day trip in which he will visit shipbuilders, Sailors and academics throughout the United States. Roughead lauded the importance of the Seabees and the invaluable resources they provide to the Navy, other maritime activities and joint commands the world over.

"I've seen the Seabees not just here, but in Iraq and in Kuwait," said Roughead. "I've seen the work that they do and it is superb. The reputation that our Seabees have around the world, not just in our military, no other organization carries the reputation like that of our Seabees." The CNO opened the floor to junior and senior Sailors alike discussing the basic allowance for housing rates, advancement exam waivers and the current trend for deployments among Seabee battalions. "For the near term, I see the tempo that we are on, the involvement in the War on Terror, particularly in CENTCOM (U.S. Forces Central Command) to be about the same," said Roughead. "We're trying to get as much time in (homeport) for the units as they cycle back and forth."

Roughead stated that the War on Terrorism is a fight that will continue on in the future due to the ideological origins of the war and the youthful population that embraces these beliefs. "But we're in for the long haul, and the Navy's going to be there," he added.