Navy Cargo Handling Battalion Deploys with CTF-75

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Dominique Lasco | Construction Electrician 1st Class David Jackson, assigned to Navy Cargo Handling Battalion (NCHB) 1 Det. Guam, watches a crane latch lower to a container during cargo handling operations onboard Naval Base Guam, March 8, 2018. NCHB-1 Det. Guam, assigned to Commander, Task Force 75, is the Navy’s only active duty cargo handling battalion, and is a rapidly deployable operating unit of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, capable of loading and discharging ships and aircraft in all climatic and threat conditions. (U.S. Navy Combat Camera photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Dominique M. Lasco)  

NAVAL BASE GUAM, GUAM

03.14.2018

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique Lasco 

Commander Task Force 75

Navy Cargo Handling Battalion (NCHB) 1, homeported in Williamsburg, Virginia, deployed the battalion’s first detachment of Sailors to Guam as a component of Commander, Task Force (CTF) 75 on March 5.

The detachment establishes a forward-deployed cargo handling force, providing vital capabilities to missions throughout the 7th Fleet area of operations.

NCHB-1 is the Navy’s only active-duty cargo handling battalion and is a rapidly-deployable operating unit of U.S. Fleet Forces capable of loading and discharging ships and aircraft in all climatic and threat conditions.

“We are here to be an organic cargo handling capability,” said Lt. Cmdr. John Wilkes, NCHB-1, Det. Guam officer in charge. “We brought out the first wave of Sailors from our command to assist CTF-75 operations where the environment may be uncertain.”

According to Wilkes, the detachment will also provide Sailors an opportunity to participate in local training as well as supporting larger operations, helping each Sailor work toward more qualifications and experience.

“We will be able to work toward more qualifications as we travel,” said Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Ryan Schultz. “We can qualify in handling ammunition, land base cargo, and to operate most of the heavy vehicles, such as tractor-trailers or forklifts.”

The detachment kicked off its maiden deployment offloading 57 containers from a Military Sealift Command Air Force pre-positioning container ship USNS Grand Canyon State (T-ACS 3) onboard Naval Base Guam.

CTF-75 provides expeditionary combat capabilities in the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet area of operations. CTF-75 provides the fleet with diverse expeditionary warfighting capabilities that are combat-ready and able to deploy anywhere in U.S. 7th Fleet in response to any contingency. The Navy's expeditionary forces exist first and foremost to support the fleet's warfighting operations and are the Navy's sea-to-shore interface.

• Date Taken: 03.14.2018
• Date Posted: 03.13.2018 22:15
• Story ID: 269279
• Location: NAVAL BASE GUAM, GU