Seabees Participate in IRT Projects to Improve Operational Readiness
By Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Public Affairs
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) — Reserve and active-duty Seabees assigned to Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) are utilizing Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) opportunities to attain and maintain critical skillsets in various construction disciplines across the United States.
Keith Frederick, IRT program manager for NECC, discussed the importance of this unique training opportunity for the Seabee forces.
“The IRT program is a win – win for communities and the military services. The program provides all services with invaluable training opportunities in medical and engineering specialties while helping communities attain their goals.”
IRT is a Department of Defense program that partners with all branches of the military supporting various medical and civil projects providing vital services to communities and real-world military training to improve operational readiness. The U.S. Navy’s IRT program is managed by Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command’s N7 (Training and Education).
Chief Builder (SCW) Andrew Buckingham, who is assigned to NECC, discussed a variety of building projects the Navy’s construction forces are spearheading from California to Maine. Buckingham serves as the liaison between the Seabee construction teams and the Reserve Force leadership to ensure training is conducted and a project is completed.
“The uniqueness of this training is the valuable leadership opportunities, experience and mentorship that Seabees gain from participating in these various IRT opportunities,” said Buckingham.
One of the projects active and Reserve Seabees assigned to Naval Construction Group (NCG) 1 are building is for the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation in Santa Paula, California.
“Seabees are building structures that simulate destroyed buildings to train search dogs,” said Buckingham. “This area is modeled after a town devastated by a natural disaster, such as an earthquake or tornado.”
While Seabees are building facilities to train search dogs in California, reservists from Navy Operational Support Centers and NCG-2 are building a Yurt Village at the YMCA’s Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, Colorado.
“Reservists are performing a very important role at this construction project that provides training opportunities for a wide-scope of Seabees who work on projects for six months to a year,” said Buckingham. “This type of project provides an exceptional opportunity to bring together all of the different trades within the Seabee community to build structures communities can use.”
In Harlem, Montana, Seabees from NMCB 133 recently began working on a seven-phased home construction site. Buckingham added that Seabees will construct more than 160 homes on 100 acres of land for a local Indian community.
NECC is an enduring warfighting force providing sea-to-shore and inland operating environment capabilities across the full range of military operations that is focused on delivering combat effective expeditionary forces ready for worldwide operations now and into the future.