As Navy Reserve Capt. Robert C. Jackson concentrates on providing vital construction projects needed by the Marines in Kuwait and Iraq, he knows he can't ignore the hotspots in the Pacific -- namely the Korean peninsula and the Philippines.
Isle Seabee reservists must
be able to provide support
in two arenas at onceBy Gregg K. Kakesako
gkakesako@starbulletin.com
The 50-year-old Jackson commands the only U.S. Seabee asset in the Pacific, the 1st Naval Construction Regiment. Jackson and his 2,100 Seabees support all Navy and Marine Corps units and operations in the Pacific, providing rear-area support, which includes camp construction, messing, hospitals, bridges, roads, airfields and waterfront support units.
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"My perception is that we are very prepared," said Jackson as he reviewed his unit's preparation for the Iraqi war just before the first strikes were launched. "The training has been very good. Morale is high and we are ready to go."
Jackson said he has to constantly review what may be needed if the situation changes in South Korea and the Philippines.
"I have to be looking 30 days, 60 days, 90 days and even two years from now and I have to keep asking where do we need to concentrate our efforts," said Jackson, whose headquarters are across the street from Pearl Harbor in Makalapa.
Lt. Mark Dietrich, the unit's acting operations officer, said the plan has always been to be prepared for two major wars occurring at the same time.
"The potential is real," said Dietrich, a 14-year Navy veteran, referring to problems on the Korean peninsula. "We might see it this time and that's unique, a very unique challenge."
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Albert MacDougall, left, Kevin Cullen, Russell Green and Robert Jackson are among the Seabees who support all Navy and Marine Corps units and operations in the Pacific.
Jackson's reserve unit made history in January when it was mobilized and placed on active duty during the Iraq war buildup -- marking the first time that a reserve Seabee unit has been activated since the 1991 Persian Gulf War. More than 230 of his Seabees, including 30 from Hawaii, have been sent to Kuwait
Hawaii's Seabee reservists had been placed on active duty following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to fill security positions while also doing maintenance and other military construction work at Pearl Harbor.
The Hawaii reservists are part of the more than 1,000 Seabee contingent in the Persian Gulf region and are based at Camp 93, a desert camp of tents named in honor of the passengers who fought hijackers aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001. Seabees is a nickname for Construction Battalions, or CBs.
In northern Kuwait, the Pearl Harbor Seabees helped build an airfield and aviation ordnance storage facilities, described by Marine Maj. Gen. James Amos as "probably the largest ... aviation ordnance storage area since Vietnam."
Jackson, who has been in the Navy for the past 23 years, was last recalled to active duty for nine months during the 1996 Bosnia conflict. He was recalled again in September when members of the 30th Naval Construction Regiment (NCR) were sent to the Persian Gulf from Pearl Harbor.
With so many of the active duty Seabees from the 30th NCR in Southwest Asia, the Navy in January decided to activate Jackson's reserve Seabee unit and move them from their headquarters at Port Hueneme in Southern California to Pearl Harbor.
Jackson's command includes Seabee units deployed to Guam and Okinawa and nine construction battalions on the mainland. In civilian life, Jackson is responsible for project development at Sempra Energy Resources, overseeing the development, engineering, construction and initial operation of power plants.
"For me, personally," Jackson said, "it was not a big deal to be mobilized. We train as a regiment and so what we are now doing on active duty is what we have been working towards ... Many of the people in my unit have jobs that parallel what they do in the Seabees."
Cmdr. Albert MacDougall left his job in New Mexico as the head of a group responsible for the safety of nuclear weapons stockpiled there to take on the job as the 1st NCR's chief staff officer.
"These are very interesting times," said MacDougall, who has been in the Navy for 19 years. "We have the unique opportunity to be in the position to put our training in good use to make good decisions that support our troops on the ground."
"Our job is to execute what we have been training to do."
Jackson acknowledged that many of Seabee reservists are "making significant financial and personal sacrifices, leaving families and jobs. But to a person, they are placing that aside and are doing their jobs."
During the Gulf War, 4,000 active duty and 1,000 Seabee reservists built 10 camps for more than 42,000 personnel and laid down 6 million square feet of aircraft parking apron in Saudi Arabia.
In World War II, Seabees built 111 major airstrips, 441 piers, 2,558 ammunition magazines, hospitals for 70,000 patients, tanks for storing 100 million gallons of gasoline and housing for 1.5 million men.
More than 10,000 Seabees fought on the Korean peninsula during the Korean War, landing at Inchon with the assault troops and building causeways.
Seabee teams in the Vietnam War fought alongside Marines and Army soldiers and also built schools and infrastructure and provided health-care service.
Last week the number of citizen-soldiers on active duty climbed to 212,617.
The Army National Guard and Army Reserve have activated 148,612 members. The Naval Reserve has activated 9,875. The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve has activated 30,783. The Marine Corps Reserve has called 19,711, and the Coast Guard Reserve 3,636.
30th Naval Construction Regiment
1st Naval Construction Regiment
