NDTA recognizes NCHB 1 & 5 as Navy's 2015 Military Units of the Year

WILLIAMSBURG , VA, UNITED STATES

12.01.2015

Story by Jennifer Cragg 

Navy Expeditionary Combat Command

Navy Cargo Handling Battalion (NCHB) 1 and Navy Cargo Handling Battalion (NCHB) 5, won the Navy's active-duty and reserve categories for the 2015 National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) Military Units of the Year Awards.

According to the NDTA, in 1966 they launched an awards program that honors outstanding military units that have accomplished unusual and outstanding service in the field of transportation and logistics.

"We offer awards to outstanding units on an annual basis to active duty, reserve and national guard components," said Retired U.S. Army Col. Jim Veditz, Senior Vice President, Operations, NDTA, The Association for Global Logistics and Transportation.

In addition to the military unit awards, NDTA also awards the best Reserve Officer Training Command and instructor of the year for each branch of the services. Veditz reflected on what impressed NDTA leadership when reviewing the awards packages for NCHB 1 and 5.

"In both cases what impressed us about the Navy components, specifically for the two cargo handling battalions, were their contributions for real-world contingency operations and rapid response capabilities over the past year," said Veditz.

Cmdr. Paul Melvey, commanding officer, NCHB 1, based in Williamsburg spoke of the discipline and character of the Sailors assigned at his command who accomplish the "unusual" jobs in their typical outstanding manner.

"I couldn't be prouder of them for many reasons and not just winning this award," said Melvey. "This is just emblematic of the type of Sailors we have assigned to NCHB 1."

Currently there are 281 Sailors assigned to NCHB 1 who are required to undergo extensive training to become a cargo handler.

"There is no rating for cargo handlers but everyone assigned to NCHB 1 is a cargo handler," said Melvey who added it takes on average about a year for a first class petty officer to qualify as a hatch caption, which is a senior cargo handling position.

Cmdr. Dennis Collins, commanding officer, NCHB 5 leads nearly 350 reserve Sailors across 11 companies from the Pacific Northwest, to California and Nevada.

"The missions of NCHB 1 and 5 are similar, however we train for those requirements on a part-time basis," said Collins. "Our Sailors might work in an office environment during the week and on the weekend they may be assigned to drive a tractor trailer or operate a heavy shipboard crane, which increases the degree of difficulty to get qualified, and to perform at the level necessary to be recognized for an award like this."

Collins reflected on the caliber of Sailors assigned to NCHB 5 and their valued contributions to accomplish the mission.

"For our reservists who operate on such a high level of performance truly echoes the special environment that our Sailors have created at NCHB 5," said Collins. "Our Sailors regularly contribute far more time than the typical one weekend a month, two weeks a year so it tremendous to see them recognized with this prestigious unit level award."

For NCHB 1 and 5 they have more than 60 years under their belt in providing outstanding service when conducting unusual tasking across the realm of the transportation spectrum to include air and surface cargo handling, fuels, and ammunition.

"The award is actually given to units that do unusual and outstanding service, so for us, we have a 60-plus year history of doing exactly those things across the realm of our mission requirements," said Melvey, who added this marks the third time in recent history that NCHB 1 received an award from NDTA.

Sailors assigned to NCHB 1 and 5, according to Melvey, come from a variety of rating backgrounds to include boatswain's mates, Seabees, and other seagoing ratings that provide expeditionary logistics capabilities to perform unique missions worldwide.

One of those unique missions is in Antarctica. "We are still the only Navy unit that continues to support Operation Deep Freeze and have done so since 1955 when they officially stood up McMurdo Station," said Melvey.

NCHB 1 and 5 support Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, a component of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, which delivers expeditionary logistics capabilities with mobilization-ready Navy Reserve forces and active-duty Sailors. They provide a wide range of supply and transportation functions critical for peacekeeping, crisis response, humanitarian assistance, and combat service support missions.

• Date Taken: 12.01.2015
• Date Posted: 12.01.2015 13:44
• Story ID: 183192
• Location: WILLIAMSBURG , VA, US