Mike Rowe, show host of CNN’s Somebody’s Gotta Do It, is known for his own hard work and appreciating hard work. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he praised one of the hardest working groups (and often the most overlooked) groups around– the Navy Seabees.
Do you know about the Navy Seabees? If not, no worries. Their work is rarely on the front pages of magazines (unless it’s their own - Seabee Magazine), and it’s one of the many reasons Mike Rowe is trying to get the word out about them. A little background:
Seabees are the Navy’s construction workers, with a history of bulldozing and paving thousands of miles of roadways and airstrips, building bases, building and rebuilding infrastructure, and several other accomplishments dating back to World War II. They have a “Can Do” attitude with a motto of “We Build We Fight.” Not only stateside, Seabees are deployed across the world in efforts to help with natural disasters. For this and many other reasons, the Seabees are unique. (I am also proud to say that I had the pleasure of working with the Seabees at a previous position, and they certainly live up to their “Can Do” attitude.)
Rowe recently traveled to Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Miss., where he was “showed the ropes” during Operation Bearing Duel. Operation Bearing Duel is a field training exercise held in preparation for Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1’s upcoming deployment.
Of his experience, he wrote on his Facebook page:
Here at Camp Shelby, the rain has been relentless, and the temperature’s been stuck in the thirties for the last few days. Not pretty – unless of course, you want to test the mettle of a few hundred Seabees.
As many of you know, Seabees are the Navy’s construction workers. They dig wells, build bridges, arrange communications, and when necessary, erect a city. But they’re also trained to defend whatever they construct. That’s the fun thing about the Seabees – they can build anything, and then shoot your ass off if you try to take it away.
He explained an “ordinary” day in the life of a Seabee and of the bridge he helped construct:
Pictured here are a few of the men and women I worked with today. They’re standing on a bridge I had the privilege to help build, looking very much like the competent and determined servicepeople they are. They’ve been here for the last few weeks, getting certified to ship off to parts unknown.
That’s code for sleeping in the mud, working round the clock, eating delicious MRE’s, and assembling a bridge while people shoot at you. Good times!
Rowe admired their strength and fortitude, and their unwillingness to complain:
I was going to tell you about the many physical challenges of the day, and rave about the skill and work ethic of these extraordinary people. But at the moment, I’m preoccupied by their physical toughness and refusal to complain…And if tomorrow is anything like today, there will be no quarter, and no complaining.
With so many celebrities using their voices for personal gain, it’s nice to see someone selflessly acknowledge the hard work and determination of others, especially our military.
