KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 7 assumed command of construction operations in Afghanistan from NMCB 1 during a transfer of authority ceremony at the Battalion Headquarters at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, Jan. 18. NMCB 7 is one of two Seabee battalions currently deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operation.
“All the Seabees of NMCB 7 are very motivated to begin work to provide engineering support across Afghanistan to assist in counter-insurgency operations and bringing stability to the country,” said Cmdr. J.G. Meyer, NMCB 7 commanding officer.
NMCB 7 deployed to the Combined Joint Operations Area – Afghanistan, from its homeport of Gulfport, Miss., Jan. 9, to provide a highly responsive and maneuverable engineer force and resources to conduct contingency, mobility and general engineering support operations across supported commander’s lines of operation throughout CENTCOM to improve the operational capabilities of coalition forces.
“The Seabees of NMCB 7 have trained very hard in our homeport preparing for this deployment and are ready to execute the mission,” said Meyer. “I could not be prouder of these Seabees, and I have every confidence in their pending success.”
As part of the Naval Construction Force Flow, NMCB 7 was designated as the replacement battalion for the mission and responsibilities previously owned by NCMB 1, with the battalion’s mainbody component located at Kandahar Airfield and several task-tailored detachments operating throughout southern Afghanistan, Kuwait and Bahrain.
As an integral element of the engineer force of Task Force Forager, NMCB 7 will serve under the direction of 30th Naval Construction Regiment, whose homeport is located at Port Hueneme, Calif. Task Force Forager, consisting of Navy Seabees and U.S. Army Engineer Forces, supports the mission of the International Security Assistance Force through direct tactical infrastructure development, improvements and deconstruction, engagement with Afghan Security Forces and Afghan National Army engineers, convoy security support and theater freedom of movement routes and mission-specific construction in support of combat operations.
The highlight of the transfer of authority ceremony came as NMCB 1 lowered its battalion flag to signify the end of their deployment, immediately followed by the raising of NMCB 7’s battalion flag to signify that it assumes authority.
“NMCB 1 provided a great turnover to help us succeed,” Meyer said. “Their hard work and efforts were greatly appreciated to ensure a smooth and successful relief in place / transfer of authority.”
NMCB 1 was deployed throughout the CENTCOM AOR from May 2011 through January 2012 and is scheduled to return to its homeport in Gulfport, Miss.
Following a 10 month deployment to Europe, Africa and the Caribbean in 2010, NMCB 7 commenced a 12-month homeport training cycle that involved the achievement of dozens of skill and general training for the various construction ratings, small-arms and crew service weapons qualifications, operation planning, embarkation and a battalion-level two week field training exercise at Camp Shelby, Miss., that exercised the core capabilities of a Naval Construction Force unit. The FTX also exercised the battalion’s mobilization and demobilization process, camp construction and operation, construction project execution, logistic support and convoy operations, and camp, convoy, and project defense, climaxing with the battalion successfully completing their final evaluation problem portion of the exercise, a graded evolution that ultimately classifies a battalion as “deployable.”
NMCB 7, often referred to as the “Magnificent Seven,” is one of the original 10 Seabee battalions authorized by the Chief of the Navy’s Bureau of Yards and Docks in 1942, and is currently one of nine active NMCBs in the Naval Construction Force, a military engineering force of nearly 17,000 active and reserve component Seabees operating worldwide. Upon completion of their current deployment, NMCB 7 will decommission Sept. 30 as part of the fiscal year 2012 force reduction plan.
| Date Taken: |
01.18.2012 |
| Date Posted: |
01.21.2012 01:37 |
| Story ID: |
82659 |
| Location: |
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF |
| Web Views: |
309 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, NMCB 7 assumes authority in CENTCOM area of responsibility, operations begin, by Yan Kennon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
