Photo By Chief Petty Officer Justin Stumberg | U.S. Navy Seabees, assigned to Naval Construction Battalion 27, construct an Alaskan...... read more read more
As U.S. and allied forces prepare for Northern Viking 26 across Iceland, Reserve Seabees from Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) 27 are working alongside the expeditionary force to provide construction capability throughout the exercise.
Their work began before the exercise started.
Beginning Aug. 16, six days before the exercise was scheduled to begin, NCB 27 Seabees helped establish an expeditionary camp at Keflavik Air Base for participating forces, constructing Alaskan tents and installing lighting, power distribution and environmental control systems. The large expeditionary shelters provide temporary living and working space for personnel operating in austere environments.
For NCB 27, however, setting up the camp is only one part of its role during Northern Viking.
Throughout the exercise, Reserve U.S. Navy Seabees will participate in Naval Construction Force (NCF) training and construction activities that include airfield damage repair and construction of an Arctic-modified expeditionary structure known as an “Arctic Bee Hut,” designed for cold-weather environments.
The variety of missions allows NCB 27 personnel to apply their construction skills while working alongside other elements of the NCF in an operational training environment.
Senior Chief Constructionman Heather Christian, 22nd Naval Construction Regiment, naval construction project lead, helped plan the NCF support for Northern Viking and said incorporating NCB 27 across several training events was part of the exercise design.
“From the beginning, we wanted NCB 27 involved as much as possible,” said Christian. “They’re helping establish the camp, they’ll be part of the Arctic Bee Hut build and they’ll train on airfield damage repair.”
Airfield damage repair prepares Seabees to rapidly assess damage, clear debris and repair damaged runway surfaces so aircraft operations can resume.
“The biggest thing NCB 27 gives us is capacity,” Christian said. “They’re not here just to fill spots. Having the Reserve component here allows us to take on more training and more construction than we could with the active-duty force alone.”
NCB 27 is a Navy Reserve construction battalion composed of Seabees throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic who maintain military construction and engineering skills alongside their civilian careers. Exercises such as Northern Viking give those Sailors an opportunity to apply their training while supporting a larger operational requirement.
That involvement also reflects the role Reserve Seabees can play in increasing the NCF’s construction capability, said U.S. Navy Capt. Stephen Fuentes, NCB 27 commanding officer.
“Our Seabees maintain these capabilities so that when the NCF needs additional forces, we are ready to integrate and contribute,” said Fuentes. “Northern Viking gives our Sailors the opportunity to work through several different mission sets while operating as part of a much larger force.”
For the Seabees doing the work, the exercise provides experience that can be difficult to replicate during normal Reserve training.
Builder 1st Class Shawn Johnson, assigned to NCB 27, said working in Iceland gives Reserve Seabees the chance to put their training into practice alongside Sailors they may not normally work with.
“You can practice this stuff at [weekend] drill, but coming out here and actually doing the work is different,” said Johnson. “You get your hands on it and learn from the other Seabees out here.”
That ability to bring different elements of the force together is part of Northern Viking, which brings U.S. joint and allied forces to Iceland to strengthen readiness and improve their ability to operate together.
For NCB 27, that integration also builds on years of maintaining the people, skills and readiness needed to support the broader Naval Construction Force.
NCB 27 Command Master Chief Jason Marino has spent much of his career with the unit and has seen the battalion evolve through changes in personnel, training and operational requirements.
Marino said exercises like Northern Viking 26 provide an opportunity for the unit to continue building on that experience.
“I’ve been around NCB 27 for a long time, and I’ve seen this battalion grow,” Marino said. “Our Seabees put a lot of work in throughout the year, but coming somewhere like Iceland gives them a chance to put it all together.”
Nicknamed the “Skibees,” NCB 27 is a Navy Reserve construction battalion headquartered at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. Established in 1968, the battalion is one of the Navy’s Reserve Seabee units trained to provide expeditionary construction capability in support of operational requirements.
Northern Viking 26 is a U.S. European Command-directed, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-led exercise executed by U.S. Sixth Fleet. The exercise strengthens interoperability and force readiness among the United States, Iceland and allied nations while preparing participating forces to operate together in the defense of Iceland and the strategic lines of communication across the North Atlantic.
| Date Taken: | 08.24.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2026 10:00 |
| Story ID: | 573245 |
| Location: | KEFLAVIK, IS |
| Web Views: | 25 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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