Seabees From Our Area Going To Haiti

More than 80 military personnel stationed in our area are gearing up to leave for Haiti to do some difficult work.
It's a mission similar to one they carried out in our own backyard not long ago.
They're called Seabees, short for "construction battalion."
Seabees at this Navy center in Gulfport are getting ready to fly heavy equipment to Haiti.
Commander Jayson Mitchell with the Naval Construction Division said, "Our Seabees can go in and clear the roads so the relief organizations can actually come in and do their mission and do their job to help out all these folks."
Rob Mims with the Construction Battalion Center, "We'll bring down a lot of heavy construction equipment: bulldozers, we've got backhoes, heavy dump trucks, you name it, forklifts."
If you think you've heard of Seabees before, there's a good reason.
Mitchell said, "Seabees are no stranger to disaster relief operations: going to Pakistan several years ago, a similar mission. These Seabees have also taken part in disaster relief right here in Gulfport recently with Hurricane Katrina."
The Seabees will get their hands dirty cleaning up in Haiti, but they know they're literally paving the way for mercy missions.
Mitchell said, "I think for the most part it is frustrating for us to see folks in need down there, knowing the kind of capabilities and resources we bring to the table. I think we can provide them with immediate relief."
And Mims said, "People are hurting right now, and Seabees have a huge skill set to offer to help those folks out. If we can do just even a minor part, that's what we train for."
The Seabees hope to leave Saturday.
Their mission is expected to last three to six months.