Gulfport Seabees head to Haiti

GULFPORT, Miss (WALA) - More than 80 Seabees from the Gulf Coast are heading to Haiti as part of earthquake relief efforts. The Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 7 (NMCB 7) prepare to leave this weekend.

The statistics are staggering. The 7.0 earthquake in Port Au Prince has reduced a city to rubble, and created a death toll with estimates from tens of thousands, to half-a-million. Commanding Officer Jayson Mitchell of NMCB 7 said the earthquake ranks among the worst disasters the Seabees have had to cover.

"It's hard to rank them, but when you see the impact in terms of loss of life and total devastation, I think it ranks pretty high," said Cmdr. Mitchell.

The Seabees' mission is to clear roads and repair lines of communication.

"Faciliate the inflow of all the aid, they're trying to get down there. We're not going to provide the aid, we're just going to facilitate the flow of the aid coming in."

Cmdr. Mitchell says getting that aid has been troublesome.

"From what I understand, a lot of that stuff is piling up at the airfields and it's been trouble getting it out on the roads, which are virtually impassible. Hopefully, we'll be able to provide some relief in short order," he added.

The crew heading to Haiti is filled with seasoned veterans, and newbies.

"Folks fresh out of high school, boot camp. The impact on them will be a little different. We're trying to take steps before they go out the door to sensitize them to what they're going to see."

Not even Michell knows exactly what they'll see when they land, but they know they'll be prepared.

"We've asked a lot of questions, we're hoping to get some clarity before we step off, but I think a lot of that's going to be determined as soon as we arrive, adjust to the landscape, and go forth and do great things."

Mitchell estimates the Seabees will be in Haiti for 3 to 6 months.