Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Waters | 250917-N-PI330-1071 SANTA RITA, Guam (September 17, 2025) Lt. Cmdr. Nicolas Vicchio,...... read more read more
CAMP COVINGTON, Guam- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 marked a milestone in Seabee history by conducting a unique internal turnover of Camp Covington, transitioning deployed operations from one half of the battalion to the other.
Traditionally, Seabee battalions deploy for six months before turning over their camps and details to the next unit in the rotation. This year, NMCB 133 became the first battalion to execute a 12-month deployment and hand off responsibilities mid-cycle to its own personnel.
“Rather than the traditional six-month deployment, NMCB 133 is executing a 12-month deployment as a battalion. In order to meet [personnel tempo] requirements we are turning over with ourselves halfway through,” said Lt. Cmdr. Heidi Lawrenz, the officer-in-charge for the first half of the deployment.
With this being a new format for the deployment cycle it has presented unique challenges. NMCB 133 had to execute command and control for multiple homeport projects in Gulfport, Miss., as well as managing operations and projects on the other side of the world in Guam.
Lawrenz explained that through communication, prioritization, careful assignment of roles and responsibilities, and risk management, a lot of this was able to be mitigated and noted that one of the biggest advantages was seeing people you know and trust stepping off the plane to turnover to.
Reflecting on lessons learned, Lawrenz added, “The close communications you get and efficiencies gained by turning over with your own battalion has been great. It has been an extremely smooth transition in execution, and I’m looking forward to seeing how much further the next team can move the ball forward.”
For Lt. Cmdr. Nicolas Vicchio, the officer-in-charge for the second half of the deployment, the approach represented a shift in culture.
“Historically we’ve seen Battalion Staffs spend turnover proving their accomplishments to the incoming Battalion,” said Vicchio. “However, in these past few weeks, we’ve seen two groups of Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and Airmen come together to make sure that everyone is better informed to accomplish their tasking over the next six months.”
He noted that steady communication kept the battalion on track because historically, projects wind down before and during turnovers to allow for the new battalion to get acclimated, but with this turnover, since each group uses the same tactics, techniques, and procedures and has maintained good communication throughout the deployment cycle things moved more efficiently.
The September 18 turnover underscored NMCB 133’s adaptability and mission focus in the
Indo-Pacific. With half of the unit returning home and the other half pressing forward, the “Runnin’ Roos” remain positioned to deliver quality construction, enable Fleet maneuverability, and strengthen interoperability across the region.
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2025 04:24 |
| Story ID: | 548699 |
| Location: | SANTA RITA, GU |
| Web Views: | 223 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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