Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Waters | 250423-N-PI330-1098 YIGO, Guam (April 23, 2025) Seabees, assigned to Naval Mobile...... read more read more
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam - Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 participated in the U.S. Air Force's Silver Flag exercise, held April 21-25, 2025, at Andersen Air Force Base, where they trained side-by-side with over 100 members of the Air Force's Red Horse unit in a realistic, large-scale expeditionary engineering environment.
The five-day exercise, led by the Air Force's Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE), tested participants on essential wartime task standards specific to their career fields. Chief Utilitiesman Cole Johnson, operations chief for NMCB 133 in Guam, emphasized the unique value of the exercise in strengthening joint service capabilities.
"Silver Flag is a training exercise designed to teach expeditionary engineering wartime task standards," said Johnson. "For example, equipment operators focused on runway repair, construction electricians on power generation, utilitiesmen on water purification, and builders on carpentry."
NMCB 133 deployed seven Seabees to the exercise: three equipment operators , one construction electrician, two builders , and one utilitiesman. These specialists fully integrated with their Air Force counterparts to tackle mission-critical scenarios ranging from airfield damage repair to camp infrastructure support.
The culminating event of Silver Flag involved a simulated base attack, during which participants were tasked with restoring operations swiftly to enable the arrival of inbound aircraft-a test of both
technical skill and unit cohesion.
Johnson highlighted the broader purpose of the training: "We are investing in interoperability with our sister service to learn and exchange techniques. These shared experiences increase our skills, capabilities, and allow us to bring valuable lessons learned back to the battalion."
This collaboration echoes previous joint efforts between the Seabees and RED HORSE, including projects like Polaris Point and the K-Span construction initiative. "When we train together, we gain a better understanding of each other's capabilities and build relationships that are critical to mission success," Johnson added.
During the exercise, Seabees contributed to expedient airfield damage repair, water purification, and power distribution for camp sustainment, as well as carpentry projects essential to base infrastructure. The training ensured all tasks met strict time requirements, mirroring real-world operational demands.
Silver Flag not only sharpened technical proficiencies but also reinforced the bonds between naval and air expeditionary engineering forces-bonds that are vital for future joint operations around the globe.
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.01.2025 11:53 |
| Story ID: | 496697 |
| Location: | YIGO, GU |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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