The 140 US Sailors of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 74 Friday returned to their homeport in Gulfport, Mississippi, after completing their relief operation in the destroyed capital of Pakistan-administrated Kashmir. NMCB 74 is returning after successfully completing their seven-week humanitarian mission in Pakistan. They are being replaced by NMCB 4, a contingent of 40 Seabees from Port Hueneme, California.
At the request of the Pakistani government, NMCB 74 deployed on October 27, 2005, to provide additional engineering and construction capability in the city of Muzaffarabad. During the past seven weeks, they have assisted in reconstruction projects around the city to include removing more than 32,539 cubic yards of debris equal to 1,627 dump truck loads from seven school sites. Additionally, the Seabees built community centers, housing shelters, field kitchens, sanitation facilities, four new school structures and assisted the Pakistan Military and local homeowners in rebuilding 40 shelters. |