Joint Task Force-East Press Release

JTF-E Volunteers Join Seabees in Renovating Children's Center

Joint Task Force-East
Public Affairs Office
Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base
Tel: 0040-241-60-8288
DSN: 770-8288

October 13, 2007
No. 20071005-1

Volunteer service members at Joint Task Force East made home a better place for 60 handicapped Romanian children. A fresh coat of paint and some spackle went a long way when Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion - 40 headed an effort to improve the Horizon Community Service Center, a facility for handicapped children, Oct. 13 and 14. "If I see repairs needed at home, I fix them. I treat this as if it were my home; I want it to be up to my standards," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Richard Stansbury, NMCB-40 lead builder (pictured). The effort fell in line with one of the Seabees' JTF-E missions to conduct humanitarian civic actions projects, according to Navy Lt. Brad Coleman, officer-in-charge of NMCB-40's mission in Romania. Coleman learned of the opportunity when Seabees and U.S. Army Europe civil affairs and engineer officials with JTF-E met with the local director of social work services, who requested the manpower. Horizon provided all of the materials. "Seeing that smile on (the children's faces), that's why I do it," Stansbury said, adding that one resident, who has no family of which she is aware, stole and broke his heart. "She's just a little girl ... I have a 2-year-old daughter, you know?" NMCB-40 will be deployed to Romania until February. Other humanitarian projects on the Seabees schedule here include work at a retirement home, a kindergarten and a medical clinic. The Seabees are also tasked with base support construction and establishing a Seabee compound for future missions in Romania, Coleman said.

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