press releases
U.S. SEABEES, CMRT Complete Relief Missions
03/01/2006
Islamabad – About 150 U.S. military personnel have completed their relief missions and will depart Pakistan tomorrow, March 2. The SEABEES of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 and Sailors and Marines of the Combined Medical Relief Team (CMRT) 3 are returning to Okinawa, Japan.
Since arriving in Pakistan in October, the SEABEES of NMCB 4 and NMCB 74 completed 12 demolition projects and cleared more than 50,000 cubic yards of debris, enough to cover almost 800 cricket pitches. The SEABEES also built 70 temporary shelters and 15 SEA HUTS – transitional shelters now being used as schools. These projects were primarily accomplished in Miani Biani, Kardala and Muzaffarabad, some of the areas hit hardest by the October 8 earthquake.
The SEABEES turned over $2.5 million worth of construction equipment to Pakistan military engineers recently as part of the ongoing transition from relief to reconstruction. The equipment included three D-7 bulldozers, one 15-ton dump truck, nine 20-ton dump trucks, seven 100-kilowatt generators and four generator skids.
The professional medical team of CMRT 3 provided essential medical care to the people of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province during their stay. CMRT 3 treated almost 15,000 patients and performed over 50 life-saving surgeries. The CMRT brought into this remote region essential medical equipment, such as an operating room, x-ray capability, laboratory, pharmacy, and 60 beds for in-patient care. The CMRT provided surgery, dental, in-patient and other medical services for a wide variety of injuries and illnesses.
In the week before departing, the CMRT provided for the long-term needs of the Shinkiari area with a donation of medicine and furniture, donating 900 bottles of pediatric medicines and more than 300 pounds of construction materials to the local relief camp clinic. The donated medicines will treat illnesses such as flu, fever, asthma and the common cold.
The United States has pledged a total of $510 million for earthquake relief and reconstruction to assist the people of Pakistan and to support Pakistani government relief and reconstruction effort.