The new CH-53K maintenance hangar aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River received its final roof beam in a special “Topping Out” ceremony commemorating the construction milestone on October 25, 2023.Contractor of record, Archer Western of The Walsh Group, hosted the event for OICC Florence and Marine Corps representatives to gather and sign the beam before it was lifted into place at the top of the new structure. The tradition of topping out a building goes back hundreds of years, and was a means to either bring luck or ward off evil spirits for the new occupants. The original tradition adapted from placing a branch atop the highest part of the building to securing the final steel beam when steel became the dominate material.Marines,
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For Officer in Charge of Construction Florence Civilian Engineer of the Year Joel Roberts, simple decisions for over a decade have provided many unique opportunities and a rewarding career.After five years in the Marine Corps working on communications gear as an air traffic control technician, Roberts decided to transition to civilian life in North Carolina and attend North Carolina State University. That decision was easy, because his wife is from Raleigh and they wanted to be close to family.“I was a little undecided about what I wanted to do” said Roberts. “The engineering career field leaves your door open to a ton of opportunities.”He knew he wanted to pursue a career in a technical field since he had been working with electronics, but
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PUBLIC COMMENT NOTICE FOR THE PROPOSED ADDITION TO BUILDING 2, MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, ONSLOW COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) gives notice, per the National Historic Preservation Act, and its governing regulations of 36 Code of Federal Regulations 800, that Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is being prepared to mitigate adverse effects to historic properties at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune (MCBCL) in Onslow County, North Carolina. The proposed action is to construct an addition to the rear of Building 2. The proposed action is needed to accommodate the required footprint for the 2D Marine Division Headquarters and to enhance command and control. The project factsheet provides a brief description of the project, the
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“I realized I wasn’t prepared for a hiccup like this, I had only snacks and a gallon of water,” said William G. White, an off-duty assistant chief with the French Creek Fire Station, Fire and Emergency Services Division (FESD), Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune. On Sept. 3, 2023, when the mechanism to turn the swing bridge leading from Onslow Beach to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune was down for nearly five hours, White knew just who to call, his fire captain. When the main driving piston underneath the bridge had sheared from its mount, it left the bridge unable to turn with approximately 2,000 Marines and civilians stuck on the beach. During this time, White observed an elderly couple stressed about getting to their medications and a
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CAMP LEJEUNE, NC. — “I honestly just want to change people's lives and let them know that no matter where they come from, they have the potential to do great things,” said Master Sgt. Joshua Gonzalez. Gonzalez, a Dos Palos, California native, and distribution management specialist, previously with 2nd Supply Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, was awarded the 2022 GEICO Service Member of the Year Award in recognition of the impacts that he has made in the community throughout his Marine Corps career. One of Gonzalez’s first major impacts on his community was in 2017 when he contributed to the creation of an anti-bullying campaign in Los Angeles, California while on recruiting duty. “I met with a couple of schools that I was a
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It’s been five years since Hurricane Florence brought devastating wind and rain to Eastern North Carolina, causing billions of dollars in damage to facilities across Marine Corps installations in Eastern North Carolina. Today, those installations are teeming with military construction sites and renovation projects that are setting a new resiliency standard to help withstand future destructive weather events.To assist with rebuilding efforts, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic stood up Officer in Charge of Construction-Florence (OICC Florence) and assigned it the mission of executing the billion-dollar budget to repair and replace facilities across MCB Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River and Cherry Point. The command provides
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In the heart of Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, an often-forgotten group of Marines stands ready to bridge the gap between the frontlines and home, as across the base, mailrooms buzz with activity as postal clerks process and deliver packages, letters, and tokens of home. Yet, it's the personal touch that sets this group apart."The best part about our job is delivering mail to that single service member, especially those living in the barracks, and most importantly Marines that are forward deployed in those austere locations," Chief Warrant Officer 3 Steven McGahee, postal operations officer at the Base Post Office, Marine Corps Installations East-MCB Camp Lejeune explained. "When we’re able to deliver a package to
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abc“A mile of roadway takes you a mile, a mile of runway takes you all over the world.” The Albert J. Ellis (OAJ) airport, a small but mighty facility located just outside of Jacksonville, North Carolina in Richlands, is nearing completion of a runway rehabilitation project to restore its surface and original load-bearing capacity. The project cost was supplemented by a $2 million grant under the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program (DCIP).As one of the first sights a Marine experiences after earning their title in bootcamp and making their way to Camp Geiger for additional training, OAJ proudly supports service members, families and other military-connected passengers making their way to Eastern
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The Justice Department and the Department of the Navy (DON) today announced the finalization and publication of a voluntary process, called the “Elective Option,” to help veterans and others more quickly resolve qualifying claims under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) of 2022. This option supplements other processes currently available under the CLJA, which remain in place.The CLJA is a provision of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, which was signed into law on Aug. 10, 2022. The CLJA allows those who file claims and lawsuits to potentially recover for injuries caused by exposure to contaminated water at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from mid-1953 through 1987.Established jointly by the Justice Department
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