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427 Seabees leave for 7 months
Duty calls, troops deployed to Iraq, Africa, Guantanamo
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Photo by Juan Carlo
Star staff
Richard Daniels gives a goodbye kiss to his wife, Jennifer, as Dan Heavener and Vicki Fullington walk toward a waiting bus.
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Photo by Juan Carlo
Star staff
Dan Heavener hugs his girlfriend, Vicki Fullington, before taking off for an overseas assignment for seven months.
Lt. Paul Weyant hugged his wife and then hugged her again. When his 5-year-old daughter, Claire, said she was sad he was leaving, he reached out to her in the back seat of the car and tenderly fluttered the tips of his fingers against hers.
It was departure time Monday at the Grinder, the marching field at Naval Base Ventura County where Seabees traditionally "man-up" and climb into buses for deployment.
Weyant, 37, has been a Seabee a year. Before that, he was civil engineer for the Navy at Lakehurst, N.J.
He became a Seabee because he likes "the humanitarian aspect" of the work.
Weyant was among the last group of men and women from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion No. 4 to head out for flights that will take them all over the world for the next seven months. The deployment, which began Friday, includes 427 Seabees, about one fourth of those stationed at the base.
Weyant will be among those building a bridge at Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba. Other Seabees will be headed to Kuwait. Some will be building housing for civilian contractors working on a base in the Bahamas. Some will be going to Africa for military and humanitarian missions, such as building water wells at the Horn of Africa, where the desperately poor nation of Somalia remains under threat from Islamic extremists.
Leeann Schott, a 24-year-old from Phoenix, has been a Seabee for almost five years.
"It's one of the few opportunities women in the military get to be close to combat," she said.
"I like it. I like it a lot. It's different every day and I know I can't get fired."
Schott, who has served two seven-month tours in Iraq, is headed to the Bahamas. In Iraq, one of her jobs was as a security gunner who helped guard convoys. She also commanded other convoy gunners. Convoy duty is considered one of the most dangerous jobs for American troops in Iraq.
When pressed for details, Schott demurred, and a base public affairs officer said, "We don't need to get into that."
On Monday Schott received an unexpected going-away present. A dog wet her bag.
The dog's owner, 26-year-old Seabee Dan Heavener, came over and apologized, offering to trade his bag for hers. Bandit, a cute mutt with salt and pepper fur, has been with Heavener since he was a puppy.
The dog is usually well-behaved, said Vicki Fullington, 34, Heavener's girlfriend.
"I think he senses the anxiety," she said.
Talking about how she would deal with separation from the man with whom she had started to talk about marriage, Fullington's eyes got misty.
She followed the white bus carrying her boyfriend and his fellow Seabees with her eyes as it moved toward the base gate.
Next to her, Esperanza Lopez also looked at the bus carrying her son, Cristian Diaz. Before departing, Diaz described his work as a Seabee as the "best job I ever had."
"At first I didn't think it was a good idea," Lopez said. "I was afraid of where they might send him. I worried about the danger. But when I saw how happy he was, I accepted his choice.
"I will pray to God that they all come back safe."
Posted by opns on August 5, 2008 at 2:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
HS, oh my gosh your up early, or going to bed late, i woke up too early.....
I pray for a safe return of these men.
Posted by CloudyDaze on August 5, 2008 at 5:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
HS, Me too!
Posted by christafrankmiller on August 5, 2008 at 6:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
thats my bestie and her husband!! i love you jenn and im here by your side every step of the way!! my deployments coming to an end and hers is just starting...were in this together!! god bless our bees and their families!!
Posted by Ms_California on August 5, 2008 at 6:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good luck to all of the soldiers and their families. We have you in our hearts and thoughts! Be safe and return home soon.
Posted by Hueneme_girl29 on August 5, 2008 at 7:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Stop this stupid war............I hope they all return safely. Those pictures always choke me up!
Posted by vickicassidy2 on August 5, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Support the troops. BRING THEM HOME!!!!
Posted by bray on August 5, 2008 at 11:31 a.m.
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Posted by LivinInPoorMansPV on August 5, 2008 at 11:44 a.m.
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Posted by christafrankmiller on August 5, 2008 at 12:16 p.m.
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Posted by bray on August 5, 2008 at 12:24 p.m.
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Posted by christafrankmiller on August 5, 2008 at 12:29 p.m.
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Posted by bray on August 5, 2008 at 12:40 p.m.
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Posted by christafrankmiller on August 5, 2008 at 12:47 p.m.
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Posted by LivinInPoorMansPV on August 5, 2008 at 12:52 p.m.
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Posted by christafrankmiller on August 5, 2008 at 1:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
nope im not a psychic nor am i perfect...its called loyalty and trust...ever heard of it? not all men are pigs nor are all women cheaters...i have been cheated on before and i made my husband fight long and hard for me so i could make sure to not go through that hell again! people cheat regardless of being connected to the military or not...i just think it was an ignorant thing to say- you dont know these people...so you cant judge them! i dont doubt that some of them will cheat, but you cant say 427 anything cause i know for a fact that my bestie and her husband havent and wouldnt cheat on each other...they are high school sweethearts and have been together longer than most people stay at a job... im not nieve to thinking people dont cheat, but to stereotype the military is not fair and very insulting to those that dont fit in your categories...if anything, the military has made my marriage that much better...we appreciate each other and have made it through more than people only dream of making it through...
Posted by countygirl on August 5, 2008 at 1:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
First off this article is about Seabees leaving their families to go over seas and not their spouses cheating! Lets stick to what this article is about! Yes infedility happens in many relationships but not in every military marriage.... Be respectful to those who are without their spouse for the next seven months, these soldiers risk their life for our freedom! I hope they all come home safely!
Posted by bray on August 5, 2008 at 1:14 p.m.
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Posted by countygirl on August 5, 2008 at 1:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why are you being so rude to a woman whose husband just left for seven months? What have you done for our country? Unlike you, her husband is fighting for our Freedom!
Posted by bray on August 5, 2008 at 1:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm just stating the facts.
Posted by countygirl on August 5, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I didn't know that there was a book about military wives cheating on their husbands? What is the source of your information?
Posted by bray on August 5, 2008 at 2:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
personal experience.
Posted by countygirl on August 5, 2008 at 2:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Not everyone is like you or had your experience. You shouldn't judge just because it has happened to you! In the future you should stick to the topic at hand instead of insulting people.
Support our troops!
Posted by bray on August 5, 2008 at 2:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I support all the volunteers that go into the services. I never said that I didn't support the volunteers that fight abroad. I brought up a case of infidelity and I must of hit a nerve.
christafrankmiller, The previous poster spoke of infidelity and those are facts.
Don't cry for those who choose there career path in the military. Part of their job is leaving home and family. They chose this lifestyle.
Posted by christafrankmiller on August 5, 2008 at 2:57 p.m.
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Posted by bray on August 5, 2008 at 3:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
christafrankmiller
We do not allow the following:...Threats, whether obvious or veiled.
Posted by christafrankmiller on August 5, 2008 at 3:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i didnt threaten you...not in the least
i figured since you know the facts so well, you might want to tell them to those the facts are about...there was and is no threat.
maybe if you feel threatened it cause you know youre wrong and know you dont know any "facts" about the military...
theres no threat at all....i just offered to make arrangements for you to educate the people you know everything about...
Posted by christafrankmiller on August 5, 2008 at 3:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
oh bray....since were so into following rules...
Discussions should not stray from the subject of the story or editorial.
so...back to the topic...
i hope everyone has a safe deployment!! god bless our bees and their families!!
Posted by bray on August 5, 2008 at 3:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
christafrankmiller "i have been cheated on before and i made my husband fight long and hard for me so i could make sure to not go through that hell again!"
Hmmmm! Facts?
Posted by christafrankmiller on August 5, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
THAT WAS AN EX BOYFRIEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YES...FACTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AGAIN...YOU DONT KNOW ME, MY HUSBAND OR ANY OF THESE PEOPLE YOU ARE ACCUSING OF CHEATING!!! THEY ARE NOT FACTS JUST BECAUSE IT HAPPENED TO YOU!!! DO YOU NOT SEE HOW STUPID YOU SOUND!?
Posted by countygirl on August 5, 2008 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
People are fighting and dieing for our country. Why doesn't anyone see the big picture? The military life is completely different then the civilian world. I am completely honored that these men and women chose this lifestyle. This article wasn't titled "The cheating lives of wives and husbands of the military". It was about 427 men and women that left their family to do something amazing so why don't we keep the comments supporting that. This is very upsetting that such an amazing story got turned into something so wrong. These people that have to go through separation deserve more respect! If you consider yourself patriotic and support our military then do not stereotype the military. Each person is different and has to account for their own actions not the actions of others. Please for the sake of the men and women that left and the families involved lets stop this nonsense argument and focus on bringing home ALL military safely!
Posted by BabyzDaddy_01 on August 5, 2008 at 4:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bring the troops home and send Dubya over there to fight his own war!!!
Posted by rwheighes on August 5, 2008 at 5:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sometimes it is best not to answer those who choose to always focus on the negative...just ignore them.
It is time to get back to the story. THANK YOU to all of our Seabees and their families. You guys rock. May God Bless you and yours and may the time go quickly.
Posted by breathe_romance21 on August 5, 2008 at 9:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It really hurts how some of you people can say such hurtful things. One of those Seabees is my husband, who left to defend YOUR country and to fight for YOUR freedom. Its a real shame that some of you can be so disrespectful to some one you dont even know, yet he is still willing to die for you. It really makes me sick, and i think i can say that for several military wives.
To everyone that has been supportive about this, i greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much for having respect for those men, and standing up for them while they are off fight for us.
Posted by LivinInPoorMansPV on August 6, 2008 at 10:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
In all reality I dont care how "faithful" your partner is, I'd still have him/her tested upon there return, before being intimate.
And I do know for a fact that married men have returned with std's. So open your eyes, it is REALITY. Or take the chance that your loved one is pure as the driven snow.
Fact: Humans are NOT a monogamous mammal
For those of you who's loved ones have deployed, be strong. I feel for you, and pray for the soldiers safe return.
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