East Rockaway man ‘Sailor of the Week’

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On March 18, the weekly honor of “Sailor of the Week” was given to Builder 3rd Class John Skoblicki, of NAF Atsugi’s Public Works department in Japan.

Sailor of the Week is a title granted to a different Sailor on board Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi who has shown exemplary skill and work ethic within their shop and rate. The Son of Gloria and John Skoblicki, the two year Navy veteran graduated from East Rockaway High School in 2004. He was honored as the guest host of the base’s weekly show, Captain’s Call, with NAF Atsugi Commanding Officer Capt. Steven Wieman and Command Master Chief Carlton Duncan during an on location filming at NAF Atsugi Public Works.

Skoblicki was working in construction before joining the Navy, and after boot camp he completed training as a builder at Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Mississippi.

“I joined because of a lot of reasons,” said Skoblicki. “The biggest thing I wanted was a stable job.”

A builder is one of seven construction specialty rates that make up the Seabees. Skoblicki said his experience as a builder is different from those whom have been in longer as they have worked on larger scale projects, but that his work at Atsugi primarily consists of carpentry, sanding, painting, staining and small building projects.

“What a [builder] does in the Seabees is rough carpentry, throwing up buildings, and doing concrete pads,” said Skoblicki. “My favorite part of my job is probably that I’m in my own little world back there. I have a lot of independence. I can kind of do what I want to do and I guess that is what motivates me.”

“[Skoblicki] assists tenant base commands with various technical knowledge and hands-on guidance in multiple aspects of carpentry,” explained NAF Atsugi Public Works Officer Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Sherwood. “Customer focused, he heads the base’s ‘Self-Help’ program, helping base personnel improve their spaces.”

Sherwood commented that Skoblicki’s recent self-help projects have included the design and assembly of two computer desks, Tori gates, picture frames, shadowboxes and twelve ornamental Tori gates for the 2013 Seabee Ball.

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