During the modern era, Seabee units have supported US and allied combat operations on numerous occasions. The US Navy Construction Battalions have deployed around the globe in recent years, and sporadic unrest in the Middle East has brought the Seabees and their specialised skills sharply into focus.
In the autumn of 1983, US Marines were serving with a Multinational Peacekeeping Force in Beirut, Lebanon, as the country was wracked by civil war. On 23 October, the Marine barracks in the Lebanese capital were targeted by Hezbollah terrorists driving trucks laden with explosives, and 241 US service personnel were killed in the ensuing blast. After the attack, Naval Construction Battalion 1 was deployed from Rota, Spain, and its 42-man
