Photo courtesy of Midn. 1/C Julius Bratton Two midshipmen volunteers construct a frame at a Habitat for Humanity construction site in Cambridge, Md., Dec. 4. Eleven mids from the Midshipmen Action Group participated in the project.

The midshipmen, all from 1st Company, spent the day working on a house that is part of a redevelopment project through which Habitat for Humanity builds affordable, energy-efficient home, said Midshipman 1st Class Julius Bratton. The construction uses thicker lumber in the walls to increase the amount of insulation, careful placement of windows to take advantage of solar heating, and placement of rooms within the house in order to reduce heating and cooling costs.

The organization sells the houses at no profit with no-interest mortgages to families currently living in substandard or inadequate housing. Habitat families help build homes, and their mortgage payments help provide funding for future construction.

Each house costs about $85 thousand to build, including land and permits, said Rhodona Fields, the Habitat for Humanity construction supervisor.

Fields has worked with Habitat for Humanity for 3 years and has built 3 to 5 houses per year during that time. Because the Chesapeake Habit for Humanity branch is small affiliate, the addition of the mids is a big help, said Fields.

“Working with midshipmen, you get a full day of work, a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and always a lot of competition,“ she said.

The midshipmen were determined to make a noticeable difference in the house’s construction before they finished for the day.

“With midshipmen you always get a distinct change in how the house looks by the end of the day. They are super productive, highly efficient and make a significant accomplishment,“ said Garrett Fehner, an Americorps volunteer who also worked on the Cambridge project.

The midshipmen enjoyed spending the day working together and learning skills they can use in their future as naval officers.

‘‘From a midshipman perspective, this was one of the most rewarding Saturdays that I have spent at the Naval Academy,” said Bratton. ‘‘Not only did we do a great thing for the surrounding community, but we also got to know more about each other.”

The Midshipmen Action Group was established in 1992 as a community relations program to be organized and maintained by the Brigade of Midshipmen. MAG aims to provide reliable, diligent, and enthusiastic volunteers willing to offer their time, talent, and energy. MAG also hopes to better prepare midshipmen for future service by encouraging peer leadership, teamwork, character development, morale, selflessness, and good will towards others.