Navy flag-raising ceremony signals Westover distinction

  • Published
  • By Andre Bowser
  • 439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --  The Patriot Wing recently became host to another large military contingent, which now gives it the distinction of representing all branches of the Armed Forces.

Westover stepped up its military presence in early August with the official arrival of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27, which joins the ranks of the hundreds of Army and Marine Corps tenants already here.

The base now represents all branches under the Department of Defense--including more than 2,200 Airmen, 450 Sailors, 300 Marines and a projected 1,000 soldiers.

"We all serve under the same flag," Col. Robert Swain told the crowd of approximately 80 Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Soldiers gathered around the new building's flagpole on August 6.

The Patriot Wing's commander said the base should now be considered the Navy's new home--with as many creature comforts as possible.

"My pledge to all of you is anything you need -- don't be afraid to ask," he said, pointing to the official flag of the Navy unit, which waved a few feet lower than Old Glory. "We're all made from the same cloth."

CONSTRUCTING JOINT-SERVICE TIES

Leadership of the Navy Seabee unit said the flag raising marked the unit's official move from Brunswick, Maine to Chicopee, Massachusetts.

The Navy unit's commander, Capt. Gary Rouse, told the audience that the site was the ideal place for training hundreds of Seabees who live in and around the New England region.

"This facility is much more than geographically located in a central place," he said of the unit that is part of a celebrated tradition of combat construction workers. "This facility and this central location will help increase command control."

The construction project cost an estimated $10 million and the facility covers about 25,000 square feet, Captain Rouse said.

The flags blew vigorously on the sunny day set aside for the battalion of Seabees to make the official switch of their command's location from Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, to Westover Air Reserve Base.

With their addition to Westover, the base now boasts a more robust joint service presence. But they are not the first Navy presence here.

NAVY 'DOC' IS IN

Navy Hospital Corpsman First Class Petty Officer Marcus Garcia has been on the job at Westover for more than a year. He provides the basic medical needs of more than 300 Marines, also taking care of the mountain of paperwork associated with keeping so many members medically qualified.

Hospital Corpsman Garcia helps to lead a staff of reserve corpsmen when they arrive once a month for drills, but the rest of the time he is the only in-house medical specialist.

Although he says a lot of his work entails administrative responsibilities, such as referring Marines to civilian doctors and ensuring that the members meet their military medical requirements for deployments, he also plays a hands-on roll.

"I do everything you can possibly think of," Hospital Corpsman Garcia said, listing duties including "conducting sick call for hundreds of Marines, managing records, safety, inspections, giving shots, physicals," and much more.

Similar to the longstanding partnership Marines and Navy Seabees share in battle by landing together on beachfronts during wartime, Hospital Corpsman Garcia said corpsmen have a tradition of providing medical support to Marines under fire and during training.

"I like to be on hand when they (Marines) perform their physical fitness tests and exercises, to render medical assistance if needed," he said.

A TIME-TESTED BATTALION

The location of a new Navy facility a few hundred yards from the Marine Corps building -- the second newest facility in use on base -- is appropriate given the standing partnership between the two branches of the Armed Forces.

The mission of Westover's Navy Seabee unit, known as the "Ski Bees" because of their location in the Northeast, boasts of the joint nature between the seagoing service and the Marines.

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27 was commissioned in 1968 and played a supportive role in the actions of the Vietnam War. It has also recently supported operations in Iraq.

"Our roots took hold and continue to grow to meet the challenges of tomorrow," Captain Rouse said.