Seabees let their hair down at anniversary ball

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Tonnette Thompson
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  In a hotel ballroom, a bride and groom sent their audience of well-wishers cheering as they suddenly halted their quaint, proper waltzing and began shaking it to Sir Mix-A-Lot's "Baby Got Back." 

About an hour later, across the hall from the Fincher-Pena wedding reception, dozens of twenty-somethings, clad in sailor's dress blues and evening gowns, worked up a sweat to that same song.

The Center for Seabees and Facilities Engineering Detachment at Sheppard proved they know how to throw a party at the Navy Seabee Ball March 3. The event, held at the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel, began celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Seabees and the 140th anniversary of the Civil Engineer Corps at 6 p.m., and didn't call it a night until well after midnight.

"This is fabulous," said Navy Rear Adm. Mark Handley, deputy commander of Navy installations, Washington, D.C., and guest speaker for the ball, almost yelling to be heard over the music. "It's a great opportunity for the students and instructors to blow off some steam and socialize."

As with most official military functions, the evening began in a very formal manner. A social hour of polite chitchat ended with announcements to be seated; a posting of the colors by the Navy Honor Guard; a Prisoner of War/Missing in Action ceremony, complete with a recitation of the names of each Seabee killed in action in the War on Terror; a message from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and even a brief history of the Seabees' accomplishments from World War II to today.

But it wasn't until after the dinner and Admiral Handley's speech that the party truly began. The disc jockey, who until then had been playing gentle, instrumental jazz as the attendees dined, suddenly switched to a beat that had students, instructors and Admiral Handley himself flocking to the dance floor to do the "Electric Slide."

From there the DJ kept the party going with a selection of current dance hits, mixed with classic samples of hip-hop, funk and rock-n-roll, and offered door prizes for those who knew their music trivia. As a testament to the timelessness of music and its expressions, students were break dancing, swinging and "moonwalking" to the likes of "Everybody Dance Now," "Rock Around the Clock," "Billie Jean" and "Play that Funky Music" - songs and dances that had their heyday before most of these partygoers were even born.

"This is a much-needed break," said Seaman Anthony Grow, watching from the sidelines as Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" inspired the last of the apprehensive dancers to completely shrug their shyness. "This party is wild - in a good way," he said.

Seabees are highly-trained construction workers who follow the Marine Corps in times of war, providing the ability to quickly build whatever the Marines might need - airstrips, bridges, roads, hospitals, housing, etc. Though fighting is not their primary objective, the Seabees also have the training to defend themselves in hostile territory.