Poseidon’s Watchtower 21 | NMCB-4, UCT-2 and 9th ESB conduct littoral engineering reconnaissance on Ukibaru Island

Photo By Sgt. Dalton Payne | U.S. Marines and Sailors with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron (HMH) 462, 9th Engineer Support Battalion and Navy Mobile Construction Battalion 4, offload equipment and supplies from a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter as part of Poseidon Watchtower, on Ukibaru, Okinawa, Japan, June 8, 2021. Poseidon Watchtower is a joint operation between the U.S. Marines and U.S. Navy to enhance capabilities of expeditionary advanced base operations in the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dalton J. Payne)  

OKINAWA, JAPAN

06.10.2021

Story by Lt. Winston Young 

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4

CAMP SHIELDS, OKINAWA, Japan – Sailors from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 and Underwater Construction Team (UCT) 2 along with Marines from 3d Marine Logistics Group (MLG) conducted littoral engineering reconnaissance on Ukibaru Island, located near Okinawa, Japan, as part of NMCB 4’s unit exercise Poseidon’s Watchtower, June 8-10, 2021.

On Ukibaru Island, Sailors from NMCB-4 and UCT-2, and Marines from 9th Engineer Support Battalion (ESB) and 3d MLG Intelligence conducted a landside and waterside engineering reconnaissance of key maritime terrain. The Engineering Reconnaissance Team (ERT) collected data through terrestrial obstacle surveys, bathymetry and beach surveys using organic capabilities and transferred the data in real time to the Construction Operations Integration Center (COIC) aboard Camp Shields, Okinawa. This data will be used by engineers at the COIC to design conceptual Littoral Transition Points to rearm, refuel, and resupply future naval platforms such as the Light Amphibious Warships and Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles. These activities refine the naval integration and engineering skills required by Naval Expeditionary Combat Forces to enable fleet operational maneuver in a distributed and contested maritime environment.

As the officer in charge of the ERT, Ensign Darek Ditto emphasized the importance of naval integration in establishing Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) in littoral environments.

“Having the opportunity to work alongside 9th ESB and UCT-2 personnel for exercise Poseidon's Watchtower 2021 has proven to be an extremely valuable experience,” said Ditto. “Each team has provided a unique skillset that has enhanced our overall capability to perform engineering reconnaissance to gather key information required for fleet decision makers. Our ability to seamlessly integrate as a force plays a crucial role in our success during littoral environment operations."

Poseidon’s Watchtower, led by NMCB-4, serves as an opportunity to rehearse both naval integration and EABO by exercising the ability of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Forces and Marines to establish simulated expeditionary advanced bases on the islands of Ukibaru and Irisuna off the coast of Okinawa. This exercise builds on the success from 9th ESB’s unit exercise Pacific Pioneer, April 8-23, 2021, which honed in EABO capabilities.

“Demonstrating our flexibility to our nation’s adversaries is a key component to force deterrence and reiterates the close relationship Navy and Marine Corps share while operating in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command AOR” said 1st Lt. Brandon Cavil, officer in charge of 9th ESB’s ERT Marine component.

NMCB-4, based out of Port Hueneme, California, is forward-deployed throughout the Indo-Pacific region ready to support major combat operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and to provide general engineering and civil support to U.S. and joint forces.

UCT-2, also based out of Port Hueneme, CA, provides a capability for construction, inspection, repair, and maintenance of ocean facilities in support of Navy and Marine Corps operations across the Pacific region.

• Date Taken: 06.10.2021
• Date Posted: 06.11.2021 01:38
• Story ID: 398550
• Location: OKINAWA, JP