NMCB 25 Seabees participate in deployment, contingency exercise 

Equipment Operator Second Class Rod Workman, NMCB 25 at Fort McCoy, provides cover during a simulated terrorist incident. (Photo by PH1 (AW/NAC) Michael Moriatis)

      The FEX was designed to prepare the battalions and certify them as "ready" for future deployments and contingency operations to areas outside the Continental United States.

     According to Senior Chief Builder (SCW) Charlotte E. Romine, NMCB 3 battalion operations chief, this particular field exercise is unique from previous field exercises in that each battalion established its own Logistics Support Area (LSA) and then moved out to a common Forward Operating Base (FOB).

      "For this exercise the battalions are continuously mobile, deploying a number of detachments, reconstituting them, and then relocating to another area again, making the scenarios as realistic as possible, putting the 'mobile' in Naval Mobile Construction Battalion," she said.

Seabees assigned to NMCB 25 stand guard at a logistics support area during a training exercise. (Photo by PH1 (AW/NAC) Michael Moriatis)

      During the 18-day field exercise, the Seabees trained in tactical movement and combat operations, as well as force protection, CBR (Chemical/Biological/Radiological) drills, reconnaissance and patrols, and learned to operate in a hostile field environment while sustaining construction and security operations through various contingency environments.

      Simultaneously, the battalions engaged in a variety of projects, including a water purification project, construction of a medium-girder bridge, and building a timber tower and security bunker at the FOB.

      During the course of the exercise, both battalions ran dozens of convoys with the constant threat of incursions and attacks by 'enemy' forces.

      "This has been a very good FEX," said Cmdr. (select) Jessie Mills, NMCB 25 executive officer, "There's been so much more emphasis on 'real-life' situations that the troops need to be exposed to and engage in, in order to make them more effective in completing a successful mission."

      NMCB 25 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Don Hedrick, of Tulsa, Okla., agreed.

      "This new scenario gives us a greater opportunity to identify lessons learned and an ability to identify challenges and gaps, as well as a chance to recognize our accomplishments, the things that we're good at," Hedrick said.

      NMCB 3 is an active-duty battalion headquartered in Port Hueneme, Calif., and is one of eight active battalions tasked with providing advance base construction, battle damage repair, contingency engineering, humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery support to fleet and unified commanders.

      NMCB 25 is a reserve battalion, with detachments at Naval Reserve Centers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota.

      Its mission is to provide and maintain a trained, ready, and immediately available organized reserve force capable of responding to the requirements of the Naval Construction Force.

(Kuzlik is a U.S. Naval Reserve journalist with the 1st Naval Construction Division Public Affairs.)