Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, September 19, 2002

Russell Conn REED of Grand River, a 2002 graduate of Mount Ayr Community high school, recently qualified and enlisted in the United States Navy for guaranteed training as a builder.

REED, the son of Gary REED of Grand River, enlisted under the Delayed Entry Program. He will report to Great Lakes, IL for active duty in September 2002. There he will undergo basic training to prepare for Navy life.

Upon completion of basic training, REED will begin 13 weeks of schooling in Gulfport, MS to prepare for a job in the Navy's builder field. Builders make up a large segment of the Navy's construction force. They work as carpenters, plasterers, roofers, bricklayers or cabinet makers.

After successfully completing advanced training, REED may go on to additional schooling or be assigned to any one of the Navy's duty stations around the world.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2012

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, February 10, 2005

Navy Constructionman Russell C. REED, a 2002 graduate of Mount Ayr Community high school, recently embarked on a routine scheduled deployment at sites throughout the world in support of national and theater operations in the Western Pacific while attached to the Navy Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 40, the Seabees homebased in Port Hueneme, CA.

The unit arrived in Okinawa, Japan, in mid-December and has been operational at several different locations in Japan, including Atsugi, Fuji, Iwakuni and Sasebo, as well as Pohang and Chinhae in South Korea, Diego Garcia and San Clemente Island.

REED'S unit consists of 700 personnel who specialize in advance base construction, battle damage repair, contingency engineering, humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery support around the world.

REED joined the Navy in September 2002.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, September of 2012

Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, October 27, 2005

Navy Constructionsman Russell C. REED, a 2002 graduate of Mount Ayr Community high school, participated in Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief efforts while assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Batallion 40 based in Port Hueneme, CA.

REED'S unit helped a private school in Jefferson Parish, LA, recover from damage caused by the hurricanes.

The Seabees cleared wind-blwon debris, removed broken glass, cleaned classrooms, put up plywood on broken windows, and even mowed the school's lawn, all the while working independently so school staff personnel could concentrate on academic tasks.

NMCB 40 conists of 700 personnel who specialize in advance base construction battle damage repair, contingency engineering, humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery support around the world.

REED joined the Navy in September 2002.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, September of 2012