An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : Media : News : News Article View
NEWS | June 24, 2020

U.S. Navy Seabees Complete 100th Construction Project in Timor-Leste

By Rosario Maia, Media Specialist U.S. Embassy, Dili, Timor-Leste

U.S. Embassy, Dili, Timor-Leste -- U.S. Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Former President and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate José Ramos Horta, Education Minister Dulce Soares, Defense Minister Filomeno da Paixião, and F-FDTL Chief of Staff Colonel Coliati celebrated the 100th project of the U.S. Navy Seabees in Timor-Leste. Together, they cut the ribbon on a new 2-room classroom constructed by the Seabees built at the Fatumeta Pre-Secondary School. The new facility, valued at $163,000, will benefit over 1,300 students of Ensino Basico Central Fatumeta Pre-Secondary School. The U.S. Navy Seabees have had a continuous presence in Timor-Leste since 2009, rotating groups of American military engineers every six months to improve educational facilities and health clinics. This is the current Seabees detachment’s third completed project in their deployment, and the Seabee’s 100th project in total.

“It is exciting to announce that the U.S. Navy Seabees have completed their 100th project in just over 10 years of hard work in Timor-Leste. The American women and men of the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Five truly put their hearts and souls into this project, working long hours to make sure this school was completed both safely and with excellence. The U.S. Navy Seabees work is just one of the many ways that the United States supports Timor-Leste, in both good and challenging times.” Ambassador Fitzpatrick said.

The global COVID-19 pandemic extended the current group of Seabees’ deployment and presented unique challenges to be overcome. In order to reduce personnel at the worksite, the Seabees prefabricated most of the construction on their camp. During this time period, the Seabees also found time to support the Timor-Leste National Police by building benches to allow officers an opportunity to rest after long shifts of enforcing the State of Emergency.

The current group of U.S. Navy Seabees (Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Five) will depart Timor-Leste soon and be replaced by Seabees Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Three. The incoming group will immediately start construction of a 3-room school in Baucau with an estimated cost of $350,000. They will also construct the new security perimeter fence in Baucau Airfield as part of a broader $10 million agreement to co-develop the airfield.
CONNECT WITH USINDOPACOM
Facebook

Like Us
X
363,185
Follow Us

ENGAGE & CONNECT MORE WITH PACOM

                                                 

IN THE USINDOPACOM NEWS
Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Call with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
Graphic intended for use as a placeholder for Statements and Press Releases without accompanying imagery.
March 27, 2024 - Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout...

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Lindsey Ford Concludes Visit to Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines
Graphic intended for use as a placeholder for Statements and Press Releases without accompanying imagery.
March 27, 2024 - Department of Defense spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners provided the following readout...

DIU Partners With AUKUS Pillar II for International Prize Challenge
Graphic intended for use as a placeholder for Statements and Press Releases without accompanying imagery.
March 26, 2024 - The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is launching the first trilateral prize challenge through AUKUS Pillar II— a defense and security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (U.S.)— to...

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Andrew Winternitz Concludes Trip to Japan for Pacific Islands Defense Dialogue
Graphic intended for use as a placeholder for Statements and Press Releases without accompanying imagery.
March 26, 2024 - Department of Defense spokesperson Lt. Col. Martin Meiners provided the following readout...

Marines, Sailors Participate in Holi Festival and Community Events at Tiger TRIUMPH
U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Maxwell Gallahan, center left, a platoon commander assigned to Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, participate in musical chairs at a community relations event during Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH in Visakhapatnam, India, March 22, 2024. Tiger TRIUMPH is a U.S.-India tri-service amphibious exercise focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief readiness and interoperability. Tiger TRIUMPH enables U.S. and Indian Armed Forces to improve interoperability and bilateral, joint, and service readiness in the Indian Ocean region and beyond to better achieve mutual regional security objectives. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by 1st Lt. Robert Nanna)
March 26, 2024 - Marines and Sailors of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit embraced India's culture during celebrations, athletic exchanges, and community relations engagements as they participate in Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH 2024...