Navy
‘Can do’ since 1942: Navy Seabees mark their 83rd anniversary
Stars and Stripes
March 5, 2025
Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 place concrete for an airfield damage repair exercise on Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, Miss., on Jan. 28, 2025. (Andrew Waters/U.S. Navy)
When a construction job needs to be done, the Navy can always turn to the Seabees.
Since March 5, 1942, anyway.
The Seabees, known for their expertise in naval construction and engineering, were created 83 years ago Wednesday by Adm. Ben Moreell, chief of the Navy’s Bureau of Yards and Docks and chiefs of the Civil Engineer Corps.
“Since WWII, under the toughest conditions imaginable — danger, harsh terrain, and extreme weather — Seabees have proven to be essential to the most decisive needs of the fight,” Naval Base Ventura County (Calif.) Command Master Chief Kristi Thrift said in a service news release.
During World War II, the Seabees built over 400 advance bases, 111 major airfields, 441 piers, 2,558 ordnance magazines, hospitals to serve 70,000 patients and housing for 1.5 million service members. Nearly 325,00 Seabees joined, serving on four continents, 300 islands, and suffering more than 300 combat deaths, while earning more than 2,000 Purple Hearts.
Seabees provide the Navy an unconventional asset found nowhere else in the U.S. military. They dedicate their highly specialized trade skills and military prowess to protect the nation and are consistently involved in public works projects, disaster recovery initiatives and humanitarian efforts, even in times of peace.
Every enlisted Seabee starts their career after boot camp by attending construction “A” schools managed by the Center for Seabees and Facilities Engineering (CSFE), where they learn the essential skills and knowledge to support their career growth and fleet readiness.
Seabees are trained as builders, construction electricians, construction mechanics, engineering aids, equipment operators, steelworkers and utilities specialists at schoolhouses in California, Mississippi, Texas and Missouri.
U.S. Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme is the home of the Seabees.
The Seabees name comes from the pronunciation of C.B. for “construction battalions.” This inspired the Seabee logo which depicts a buzzing bee holding construction tools and a rifle.
(U.S. Navy)