Positivity: Navy Seabees Assist Katrina-Damaged Private School

From The Navy Newsstand (reproduced in full):

Seabees Help School Recover, Prepare to Reopen
Story Number: NNS050930-03
Release Date: 9/30/2005 12:58:00 PM

By Journalist 1st Class (SCW/SS) James G. Pinsky, Navy News Service

JEFFERSON PARISH, La. (NNS) — Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40, deployed to the Gulf Coast region in support of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita relief efforts, are helping a private school here to recover from damage caused by the hurricanes.

Students at Saint Louis King of France Catholic School are on schedule to meet their self-imposed Oct. 10 deadline to be back in the classroom, thanks to the Seabees.

“The hurricane affected everybody, and that includes the [repair] contractors,” said Pam Schott, Saint Louis King of France’s principal. “So there’s no one here to help us get our school back on track, especially by Oct. 10. But the Seabees are here, and they have answered all our prayers.”

The Seabees cleared wind-blown debris, removed broken glass, cleaned classrooms, put up plywood on broken windows, and even mowed the school’s lawn, all the while working independently so school staff personnel could concentrate on academic taskings.

“I kept offering the Seabees help, tools, and just about anything I could think of to make their job easier,” said Schott, “but they really didn’t need me to do anything.”

In addition to keeping the school on pace to reopen their doors in early October, the Seabees’ humanitarian assistance saved the school an estimated $50,000 that Schott said would have had to come out of the students’ yearly budget.

“Doing work like this for these kids is great,” said Chief Hospital Corpsman (SW/FMF) Cecilio Liwanag. “This is what Seabees do. We help those who can’t help themselves.”

While the work necessary to have Schott’s school up and running was considered basic to the Seabees, their work ethic and “Can Do” Seabee ingenuity left quite an impression on Schott and her staff.

“The Seabees work 10-12 hour days, never complain, and always show up to do what they say they’re going to do,” said Schott.

But Seabee sweat wasn’t the only thing Schott noticed.

“These Seabees are the most polite people I’ve ever met,” said Schott. “My own kids don’t say ‘yes, ma’am’ to me, but these guys do. They’re all business.”

Schott is more than pleased with the final product. “Our school looks better now than it did before the hurricane thanks to the Seabees,” she said.

For the latest Navy news on hurricane relief efforts, visit www.news.navy.mil/local/hurricane/