Captain Christopher M. Kurgan, former Commander, Center for Seabees and Facilities Engineering (CSFE) and Naval Civil Engineer Corps Officers School (CECOS) retired during a ceremony held at Seabee Chapel aboard Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC), Port Hueneme, August 27, 2021.

Kurgan, originally from Chicago, retired after 30 years of service.

“Kurgan’s service journey comes to a complete stop,” said Rear Admiral John W. Korka, commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAFAC) and chief of civil engineers. “Over his 30 years of service, Chris Kurgan has demonstrated exceptional competence, unwavering compassion, unflappable adaptability and an extremely wide range of operational, staff and mission missions. commandment.”

Kurgan served in many expeditionary units in many commands. This includes the Camp David Public Works Officer, the Operations Officer of Mobile Naval Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4, the Commander of NMCB 133, the Deputy Commander of NAFAC Pacific, the Commander of NAFAC Northwest, the Commander of CSFE and CECOS, Commodore of Naval Construction. Group (NCG) 1. Kurgan has led theater troops on multiple deployments as a commander or commodore, four times during his career.

“As you can see, he’s a man who never took the easy way out and his service tells the story,” Korka said. “He’s an officer with seawater in his blood. The one who was born to lead.

Kurgan established his reputation for leadership during his 2004 deployment from US Central Command to Iraq in Operation Enduring Freedom, with NMCB 4. During this tour, his leadership contributed to the success of the command and recognition for service members who have received the Battle-E, Peltier Award, Moreell Medal, Marvin Shields Award, Robert D. Stethem Steelworker Award Second Class and Rear Admiral Lewis B. Combs Award.

“NMCB 4 suffered casualties supporting the Marines in the Second Battle of Fallujah,” Korka said. “It was a difficult time, but Chris rallied command to accomplish the mission and established a bond of unity, trust and trust. This propelled Chris’ career for years to come and explains why he has so many following command towers; leaders want Chris Kurgan.

Kurgan took the stage to address the audience with his final remarks in uniform. He thanked people by name, his family and his military colleagues; many who have traveled across the country to wish him goodbye.

“When I think back to my 30 years of service in this country, all that matters is the absence of two sets of fingerprints,” Kurgan said. “It’s because I’ve been carried a lot. I was carried by my faith and by the military community, their leadership, their friendship, their heart and their love. I appreciate everyone who carried me and with whom I served, especially my wife who was responsible for much of the heavy lifting. “

Kurgan graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program in 1990. He received a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2001 and completed Executive Training Program, Kellogg School at Northwestern University in 2012.

“There’s a good reason I can only remember one college professor,” Kurgan said. “I have learned more from the Chief Mess than anything I have learned in higher education institutions. I have learned what is real and what is important in life and am eternally grateful for these lessons.

His awards include Bronze Stars, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Meritorious Service Medals, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, Joint Service Medals and the Presidential Service Badge.

“I believe in the constitution,” Kurgan said. “I believe that a small number can make a big difference, I believe that 56 great souls can change the world, that one great soul can change the landscape. No matter how badly things are in the world, America will be safe because of the minority who sacrifice themselves to protect the majority; and I have been eternally grateful to serve and lead this small group.

Kurgan is arriving for the last time in the era of great power competition, Korka lamented.

NBVC is a multi-dominant mission facility that operates the world’s largest instrumented maritime range. NBVC is home to Point Mugu, Port Hueneme, San Nicolas Island, Laguna Peak, the Pacific Coast Seabees, Westcoast Hawkeyes, 3 War Centers and 80 tenants. It is Ventura County’s largest employer and actively protects California’s largest coastal wetlands through its award-winning environmental programs.

The 169th Fighter Wing hosted another U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) conducted runway repair demonstration from Aug. 16 to Sept. 1. During this iteration, lessons learned from the Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) held at McEntire Joint National Guard Base (JNGB) four months ago have been incorporated this time around into a military utility assessment (MUA).

“What you see here today is the culmination of four years of work for the program. We were here in April for an interim audit and this event here is the highlight, ”said Mr. Kawakahi Amina, Deputy Operational Director for the JCTD of USINDOPACOM J46X.

Over the past two weeks, US Air Force civilian engineers, including several from the 169th Civil Engineer Squadron, have partnered with the US Navy Seabees and US Marine Corps engineers to field test the ability to “just enough, just in time” repair a damaged runway. This new concept of repair is known as Expedited and Expeditionary Aerodrome Damage Repair (E-ADR).

“As our concepts evolve, we learn that speed, agility and flexibility are some of the most important factors that affect our ability to respond. We thought we would have months to fix and those months are now days. [E-ADR] is a method to help reduce this tyranny of distance and time, ”said US Army Lt. Col. Christian Dietz, operational director of USINDOPACOM J44 JCTD.

AFCEC’s E-ADR concept uses locally sourced materials and reduced manpower and equipment to expedite a temporary runway repair designed to support tactical and mixed combat operations up to so that a permanent repair can be carried out.

The MUA wrapped up on Tuesday with a Distinguished Visitors Day designed to showcase the new concept of track repair from start to finish. On DV day, visitors were able to walk through 10 stations from the very start of cleaning up debris around a crater to the end where the temporary cap is anchored to the concrete above the repaired hole. Senior military and defense ministry officials spent several hours observing the joint engineering teams in action as subject matter experts briefed the DVs on a walking tour led by a docent in each. demonstration stations. Some of the demonstrations included assessing the damage, cutting the concrete with diamond-tipped saws, breaking and excavating the damaged area, treating and compacting the backfill and finally covering the repair with a carpet. of fiber reinforced polymer.

For MUA, US Air Force engineers were mainly drawn from the bases of the American Indo-Pacific Command, including Kadena Air Base, Misawa Air Base and Yokota Air Base in Japan, Andersen Air Base. , in Guam; Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska; Joint Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; More Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, SC and finally the 169th Civil Engineer Squadron. US Navy Seabees traveled from the Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Mississippi, while US Marine Corps engineers traveled from the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, SC

“We are the only Guard unit here. We are here at the forefront and on the cutting edge of something that is evolving and that is going to affect the entire joint force and the way we use combat air power. And not just the Air Force. We have the Navy here, the Marines here, and you have the Army here. The entire joint force has a role to play in recovering damage to the airfield, ”said US Air Force Col. Tim Dotson, commander of the 169th Mission Support Group.

Like last time in April, the first week started with the blasting of 18 craters in the old trail. Then, engineers from the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps were split into two teams to tackle several capabilities to be tested. After receiving classroom instruction, the two teams proceeded to the field where they pursued several noted and timed goals. Objectives included rapid cutting and removal of debris in craters, filling and compacting craters with material, plugging craters, and performing a repair quality assessment.

What makes this cycle different are the lessons learned from April that have been incorporated into this MUA.

“Operationally, it’s the same thing. We have fine-tuned the [equipment] kit based on things we first learned in April. There are TTP modifications (tactics, techniques, procedures), material modifications and different tools depending on what we learned the first time. We try to be lighter, lighter, lighter and more expeditionary. The idea is to refine the toolkit down to what is needed for the mission, ”Amina said.

What the E-ADR concept offers compared to traditional runway repair operations is a small footprint in personnel and material. Essentially, the E-ADR is a scaled-down version of the existing Airstrip Damage Repair (RADR) concept currently in use, but with much leaner logistics. Each temporary repair must withstand the weight and stress of tactical and cargo aircraft potentially tens of times before a permanent repair can be made later.

“The equipment you are going to see is much smaller than traditional airfield repairs. He wants to be light and expeditionary. It is intended to align with emerging combat concepts that take us away from major bases of operations, ”said Amina.

While the traditional RADR concept might require dozens of C-5 Galaxy planes to transport material and equipment for a runway repair, the E-ADR concept has been reduced to just four C-130 Hercules planes from a equipment and material value, explained Dr Bobby Diltz, E-ADR Technical Manager, AFCEC. And instead of having weeks or months to fix a track, the E-ADR target is ready to be reached within 48 hours, according to Diltz.

In times of war, the ultimate goal is to resume combat as quickly as possible. This is what makes E-ADR so attractive.

“Savings are logistics. It’s not a big logistical footprint. We can use materials on site in the hopes of getting the planes back in the air as soon as possible, ”Dotson said.

During DV Day, USINDOPACOM and AFCEC representatives expressed appreciation for the support and assistance provided by the 169th Fighter Wing over the past year.

“I have to say thank you to Colonel Akshai Gandhi the Wing Commander here and also to Colonel Tim Dotson for supporting the mission. [group] commander. Thank you both gentlemen for your support. You really kissed us, ”said Diltz.

August 29

1969: Seabee 0314 team traveled to Guam, Mariana Islands, for orientation.

2005: Hurricane Katrina hits the Gulf Coast. Over 3,000 Seabee from NMCB 18, 40, 133, Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 202, Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2 and Mobile Utility Support Equipment Technicians (MUSE) participated in the clean-up operations.

2013: Capt John Adametz, Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), relieved Captain Darius Banaji, CEC, as Commanding Officer, Naval Construction Group (NCG) 2 during a ceremony at the Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) Gulfport, Mississippi.

August 30

[1945LejourdelaVJle14août194513bataillonsdeconstructionettroisbataillonsspéciauxattendaientd’êtreaffectésauJaponoùilsdevaientaiderlesforcesnavalesaméricainesàHiroshimaKabayanaYokosukaOmuraNagasakiSaseboetKureCejour-là16officierset541hommesdubataillondeconstructionnavale136ontembarquésur12naviresdedébarquementmoyensàGuam;signaléàIwoJimale21août;etsontarrivésàlabasenavaledeYokosukale30aoûtEntantquepremiersSeabeesàdébarquerauJaponilsontétablileurcampsurlesitedel’écoledenavigationauseindelabasenavalejaponaiseAprèslaconstructiond’unecuisineetd’unréfectoirelesSeabeesesontvuconfierdenombreusesautrestâchesIlsontréparéleslogementslessystèmesélectriquesettéléphoniquesetlesroutesdelabasenavaleontnivelélesterrainsetrénovélesbâtimentsdelazonedeloisirsdelaflotteetontréparéleslogementsetfaitsurfacerunepisted’atterrissageàl’aérodromedeKisarazuEnplusdu136thNCBleCBMU602estégalementarrivéauJaponle30août1945L’unitédemaintenanceestarrivéeàYokosukaenprovenancedeGuamSatâcheconsistaitàentretenirlespistesetleairbaseroutesoftheMarineCorpsEnoutrelesSeabeeshavebuiltakitchenof2000menrestorationsofthetankersandpersonalfacilitiesbuiltachapelandrecreationalfacilitiescompletedunitsstorageofthepublicscontainerstorage[1945:LejourdelaVJle14août194513bataillonsdeconstructionettroisbataillonsspéciauxattendaientd’êtreaffectésauJaponoùilsdevaientaiderlesforcesnavalesaméricainesàHiroshimaKabayanaYokosukaOmuraNagasakiSaseboetKureCejour-là16officierset541hommesdubataillondeconstructionnavale136ontembarquésur12naviresdedébarquementmoyensàGuam;signaléàIwoJimale21août;etsontarrivésàlabasenavaledeYokosukale30aoûtEntantquepremiersSeabeesàdébarquerauJaponilsontétablileurcampsurlesitedel’écoledenavigationauseindelabasenavalejaponaiseAprèslaconstructiond’unecuisineetd’unréfectoirelesSeabeesesontvuconfierdenombreusesautrestâchesIlsontréparéleslogementslessystèmesélectriquesettéléphoniquesetlesroutesdelabasenavaleontnivelélesterrainsetrénovélesbâtimentsdelazonedeloisirsdelaflotteetontréparéleslogementsetfaitsurfacerunepisted’atterrissageàl’aérodromedeKisarazuEnplusdu136thNCBleCBMU602estégalementarrivéauJaponle30août1945L’unitédemaintenanceestarrivéeàYokosukaenprovenancedeGuamSatâcheconsistaitàentretenirlespistesetlesroutesdelabaseaérienneduCorpsdesMarinesEnoutrelesSeabeesontconstruitunecuisinede2000hommesrestaurédescasernesetdesinstallationspourlepersonnelconstruitunechapelleetdesinstallationsdeloisirsachevéunescieriedesateliersdetravauxpublicsuneusinedestockageàfroidetuneusinedechlorationpourletraitementdel’eauetinstallé-desdouchesd’eaudanstouteslescasernes
1954: In Korea, the Seabees of CBMU 101 are given the task of replacing a 22-foot bridge. The bridge was an ancient Korean structure of hand-driven logs and piles that was rapidly deteriorating. This created a dangerous situation for heavily loaded military vehicles. The problem encountered by the Seabees was to remove the old bridge as quickly as possible and replace it with a structure capable of supporting loads of up to 30 tons. The Seabees, using heavy I-beams and wooden beams, fitted out and completely prefabricated the new bridge. All the material has been pre-cut and pre-drilled. The structure has been assembled and each part has been marked. The Seabees then dismantled the bridge and loaded the parts in order onto a low bed trailer. At seven in the morning on August 30, 1954, all equipment was moved in order to the old bridge. The rain fell in the form of downpours throughout the day. At four in the afternoon, however, the old bridge was removed, the approaches broken, the I-beams laid, the concrete abutments poured, the cross beams bolted, the studded decking, and the approaches filled and leveled. The road was reopened to traffic that evening.
1967: During a Viet Cong mortar attack on the Phu Bai combat base, the battalion camp (NMCB 3) is hit by a 105mm howitzer from friendly artillery. The bullet hit the enlisted docking area, killing Construction Mechanic 1st Class JW Wilkinson and Yeoman 3rd Class DC Coker, and injuring nineteen others.
1967: The NMCB 5 pre-deployment team arrives at Camp Barnes for a five-day visit with the NMCB 11.
1969: Seabee Team 0313 deployed to Cao Lanh, RVN via government aircraft.
1970: The precursor group of NMCB 1 leaves CONUS by air for Camp Moscrip, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.
1971: CBU 415 established at NAS Oceana, Virginia.

August 31

1842: The Bureau of Yards and Docks is created, one of five offices created as part of the reorganization of the US Navy. Captain Lewis Warrington, an expiring senior member of the Board of Naval Commissioners, has been appointed the first chief of the board. William PS Sanger, appointed Commission Civil Engineer in 1836, was transferred to become the Bureau’s first staff civil engineer. The new office was given responsibility for the shipyards, then numbering seven.
1944: The 3rd NCB is inactivated (dismantled on July 12, 1944).
1970: NMCB 7 is discontinued as an active unit of the Naval Construction Force (NCF) in Davisville, Rhode Island; NMCB 121 was decommissioned at Gulfport, Mississippi.

September 1st

1942: Officers and men of the 6th NCB land at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. They were the first Seabees to land on an island held by the enemy during World War II and the first to engage the enemy in combat. The 6th Seabees tackled their most important task: repairing the airstrip then named Henderson Field. It was endless work, because as quickly as the builders leveled the strip and laid the Marston mats, the Japanese were sending bombers overhead to drop explosive bombs on the strip. As the fighting around the island intensified, the Seabees developed a system to repair the damaged airstrip within minutes. Less than 40 minutes after the Japanese bombers plunged and strafed the terrain, the Seabees, waiting with already loaded trucks, rushed down the runway and completely filled the bomb holes. Several times the Seabees worked hard to mend the ground as crippled US Navy interceptors circled overhead as they waited to land. Several times while dodging bullets, the Seabees worked at one end of the field making repairs as the Japanese infantry fought with the defenders of the US Marines at the other end. On several occasions, the Seabees fought alongside the US Marines in hand-to-hand combat against Japanese troops.
1943: The 1st Naval Construction Regiment (RCN) is inactivated.
1944: establishment of the Port Directors School in Davisville, Rhode Island; it was abandoned on December 31, 1944.
1965: Captain Nelson Anderson, CEC, relieves Captain Harold Liberty, CEC, as commander of the 30th RCN.
1969: The first reserve shipbuilding brigade is established under the command of Rear Admiral George Reider, CEC.
1969: Seabee 0705 and 0706 teams are deployed in the RVN to be assigned to the Officer in Charge of the Pacific Construction Battalions (CBPAC) for service at Thu Duc and Lai Thieu.

September 2

1942: The 22nd NCB is commissioned at Camp Allen, Norfolk, Virginia.
1943: The 128th NCB is activated at NCTC Camp Peary, Magruder, Virginia; The 131st NCB was commissioned at NCTC Camp Peary.
1968: Lt. Cmdr. HW Filbry, CEC, relieved Lt. Cmdr. Mr. H. Harper, CEC, as the Commanding Officer of CBMU 302. CBMU 302 received the Navy Unit Commendation at the Change of Command Ceremony for the period ending January 1, 1968.
1969: Typhoon Doris severely damaged the Quang Tri camp of Mobile Shipbuilding Battalion 74 and various other camps and civilian communities in the Republic of Vietnam. A whim of fate, some would say, because half of the main body of the battalion was still at the home port of Gulfport, Mississippi, when the Gulf Coast was hit by Hurricane Camille on August 19, 1969. After Camille, this half joined the other already in Vietnam just in time to encounter Typhoon Doris. For example, nearly half of the Battalion’s Seabees suffered two severe tropical storms within two weeks, each from a different side of the world.

September 3

1967: In Dong Ha, RVN, eight kilometers south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a combined rocket attack by the Vietnamese Army Viet CongNorth detonated 20,000 tons of ammunition and 40,000 gallons of fuel. air force near Camp NMCB 11. Explosions rocked the base for eight hours, the largest ammunition disaster in recorded history. Miraculously, no Americans or South Vietnamese were killed.

September 4

1942: 23rd Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) commissioned at Camp Allen, Norfolk, Virginia. 24th NCB fielded at Camp Bradford, Norfolk, Virginia.
1943: Camp Lee-Stephenson established in Eastport (Quoddy Village), Maine.
2009: Captain Allen M. Stratman, CEC, relieves Captain Jeffrey T. Borowy, CEC, as commanding officer of the 25th Naval Construction Regiment (RCN), at the Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC), Gulfport, Mississippi.