OKINAWA, Japan - Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) conducted a 48-hour mount out exercise (MOX) at Camp Shields, Okinawa, Japan, Oct. 6-8.
MOX simulates the battalion’s ability to deploy an 89-person air detachment (AIRDET) with 48 hours to support any mission required by a supported commander. The mission could range from major combat operations to a humanitarian and disaster relief. The mount out requires moving heavy construction equipment and large quantities of support materials.
It begins with the mount out control center (MOCC) directed the different elements required to identify the basic supplies to be palletized, clean vehicles, collect weight and balance data for each piece of equipment and prioritize the order of shipment in a staging area.
Once all the items have been identified, everything will have to go through the Embark crew.
According to Engineering Aide 2nd Class Heather N. Salzam, it starts from the lowest person to all the way up. If the math isn’t correct on their data sheet, it ends with the load planner not being able to place an item on a plane.
“It couldn’t be done if we weren’t on the same page,” said Salzam. “We were all in a well executed group together.”
The evolution requires coordination and teamwork to build pallets and wash, weigh and measure each piece of equipment to locate its center of balance. Load planners input the information into a computer program called Transportation Coordinators' Automated Information for Movements System (TCAIMS) to determine where everything will be placed in the military aircraft. If the load is not properly planned, it could unbalance the airplane and endanger the flight.
“The Embark personnel did very well,” said Equipment Operator 1st Class Francis Villareal. “There were a good amount of experienced and inexperience personnel that worked together that impact the success of the evolution.”
At the final stage of the exercise, personnel from Naval Construction Group (NCG) 1 conducted a Joint Inspection to determine the accuracy of the information matching the items that will be placed on the aircraft.
“It was a definitely a successful evolution,” Engineering Aide 1st Class Adrian Floy, NCG 1 Embark evaluator. “The Seabees were very well trained, the skill sets was evenly distributed, and it was one of the better exercise I’ve seen completed.”
The exercise was based around a humanitarian scenario. NMCB-3's AIRDET was hypothetically ordered to fly to Palawan, Republic of Philippines, to assist in disaster relief efforts following a super typhoon. AIRDET leadership conducted detailed mission planning for tasks such as search and recovery, clearing debris, delivering emergency supplies, constructing a tent camp, and repairing the airport and seaport to open the way for further relief efforts.
NMCB 3 is homeported in Port Hueneme, California, and is currently deployed to Okinawa, Japan. Its mission is to support Navy and joint forces throughout the U.S. Pacific Command with construction projects and humanitarian missions in more than 13 different geographical locations.
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 10.13.2015 02:33 |
| Story ID: | 178731 |
| Location: | OKINAWA, OKINAWA, JP |
| Web Views: | 59 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NMCB 3 successfully completes mount out exercise, by CPO Michael Gomez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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