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UCT 1 Salvages Mississippi Marina During Katrina Recovery Efforts
Navy NewsStand ^ | Sep 19, 2005 | Journalist 1st Class (SW) Rachael L. Leslie

Posted on 09/19/2005 4:44:50 PM PDT by SandRat

PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (NNS) -- Divers from Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 1, based out of Little Creek, Va., continued to clear a marina here Sept. 17 to that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

The team of 15 divers from UCT 1 is on its fourth day of recovery efforts at the small fishing marina, which provides $15 million in oysters and $5 million in shrimp revenue to the communities of southern Mississippi each year.

According to Chief Builder (SCW/DSW) Margaret S. Cooper of UCT-1, the first priority of the team has been clearing the marina of all the debris collected during the storm surge that hit the area Aug. 29.

Before the storm, most people removed their boats from the marina, but 40 had remained to face destruction. “When we got here, there were only two boats left, and because they were destroyed, we had to fish them out of the water,” said Cooper.

An ice-making facility on the marina was also a major priority for the members of UCT 1. “Pieces of machinery were scattered in the water around the marina, and the owner asked us to recover those first so he could get the facility up and running again,” said Cooper. “The facility can make enough ice for the whole community. It’ll provide people with cool drinks and the fishermen with a way to keep their catch fresh.”

After the bulk of debris visible on the surface was cleared, the members of UCT 1 began the painstaking process of collecting debris hidden below the surface of the murky Gulf waters.

“The first thing we did was conduct a side-scan sonar, which fed a sound image to the computer to give us an idea of the condition of the area underwater,” said Cooper. “Once we had the overall picture, we began diving and covering the area inch by inch.”

While the majority of the debris recovered by the team is removed by hand, they use a front-end loader for the largest.

“The team’s been working hard for nearly a week now, and they all volunteered to come help out here,” said Chief Construction Electrician (SCW/MDV) Andrew Burns, UCT 1’s master diver in charge of the recovery operations at the marina. “I think we’re providing the community with a valuable operation which hadn’t begun until we arrived. This marina impacts everyone in the area in one way or another.”

According to Burns, the members of UCT 1 are 75 percent finished with survey operations and 30 percent complete with debris removal, and will continue working until the job is complete.

“One of my guys put it best when he said that we’re here to serve our country, no matter what capacity we’re needed in,” said Burns. “That’s what we’re doing here, taking care of our own.”


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; US: Mississippi
KEYWORDS: efforts; hurricane; katrina; marina; mississippi; navy; recovery; salvages; uct1
“One of my guys put it best when he said that we’re here to serve our country, no matter what capacity we’re needed in,” said Burns. “That’s what we’re doing here, taking care of our own.”
1 posted on 09/19/2005 4:44:55 PM PDT by SandRat
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To: 2LT Radix jr; 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; 80 Square Miles; A Ruckus of Dogs; acad1228; AirForceMom; ..

NAVY Ping


2 posted on 09/19/2005 4:45:18 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: SandRat

Coolness. Thank you.


3 posted on 09/19/2005 4:46:09 PM PDT by condi2008
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To: SandRat
While Cindy Sheehan and her band of idiots are engaged in their seditious behavior real American heroes, like these sailors, are rolling up their sleeves and working to help the gulf coast recover from its devastation. A salute to these sailors and a one-finger salute to Sheehan.
4 posted on 09/19/2005 5:52:12 PM PDT by AlaskaErik (Everyone should have a subject they are ignorant about. I choose professional corporate sports.)
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To: AlaskaErik
It's like I say about Environmentalism and Conservation - Real Environmentalists and Conservationists raise Blisters and Calluses not Law Suits.
5 posted on 09/19/2005 5:58:58 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: SandRat

http://www.seabee.navy.mil/index.cfm/16342


6 posted on 09/19/2005 6:51:54 PM PDT by B4Ranch (The New World Odor is UN-American)
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To: SandRat

Go Navy, Go!


7 posted on 09/20/2005 8:19:24 AM PDT by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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