160 Seabees Are Deployed to Middle East : Port Hueneme: It is the largest number of troops yet to ship out from Ventura County to the Persian Gulf, but 1,370 more are expected to be called within weeks.

In the largest troop deployment yet from Ventura County to the Middle East, 160 Seabees based at the Naval Construction Battalion Center at Port Hueneme left Monday evening for Saudi Arabia.

The members of Battalion 5 will join about 270 other Port Hueneme Seabees already building facilities for U.S. forces participating in Operation Desert Shield.

Within the next few weeks, 1,370 additional Seabees from Port Hueneme are expected to be sent to the Middle East, the largest deployment from the base since the Vietnam War. Altogether, 1,800 of the approximately 3,000 Seabees in Ventura County have been assigned to Mideast duty. Their average age is 21.

“We’re ready to go,” said Battalion Cmdr. Dave Walsh, a 20-year member of the Navy. “We’ve all been waiting for this, and it’s time.”

Dressed in fatigues, the 160 Seabees filed onto the chartered Hawaiian Airlines plane at the Pacific Missile Test Center at Point Mugu. Their sunset departure was marked by feelings of excitement and apprehension.

“I’m scared. Who wouldn’t be?” said Terrence O’Brien, 20, of San Diego. “But I’m doing my job. I guess I never anticipated this when I first signed up.”

Alan Charpentier, 23, of Rhode Island was philosophical. “I’m just trying to look at this as another deployment,” he said. “That’s all I can do.”

The Seabees are a uniformed force of civil engineers and construction tradesmen with a rich tradition of building military bases from scratch within weeks.

Navy officials declined to specify the Seabees’ mission in Saudi Arabia, but they said they are prepared for a wide range of construction tasks, including building or repairing airstrips, installing underground fuel tanks and making berths for ships.

According to Navy officials, the Seabees are prepared to fight, if necessary. “The motto is, ‘We build, we fight,”’ Lt. Cmdr. Jim Gustafson said.

In addition to routine military gear, each member of the all-male battalions is equipped with a gas mask and a special chemical-resistant suit.

“I worried about the threat of the chemical weapons,” said Jasen Mattingly, 22, of Seattle. “I’m just trying to get my mind off that.”

Michael Maxcy, 24, of Bryan, Ohio, agreed.

“I guess that’s what bothers me the most,” Maxcy said of the chemical threat. “But that’s something we’ve got to deal with.”

Ted Anderson, 21, added: “I’d rather get shot than get sprayed with that stuff.”

Walsh said he was not surprised that his men expressed concerns about chemical weapons. “The threat of chemical warfare would scare anyone,” Walsh said. “But we’re trained for it.”

The first cargo ship left Port Hueneme for Saudi Arabia two weeks ago with 200 pieces of heavy-construction equipment, including bulldozers and cranes painted tan to blend with the country’s miles of sandy desert. The vessel is expected to arrive early next month.

Navy officials said they are not sure how long the Seabees will be in Saudi Arabia.

“It’s something that has to be done,” said Todd Metzgar, 21, of Phoenix. “We have an obligation. I just hope it gets over quick.”