The CTX, which was completed by 16 Reserve Seabees, is a readiness assessment that consists of four core building tasks: mechanical construction, electrical construction, vertical construction and horizontal construction.
“Construction is the most important thing we do,” said Lt. j.g. Brian Crone, the officer in charge of the CTX. “Our motto is, ‘We build, we fight.’ We really have to be able to take that ability downrange to execute and provide a satisfactory product to the customer.”
To demonstrate the core tasks, the Seabees placed a concrete slab, put up a concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall, wired two different strands, and plumbed a sink and a toilet. The Seabees selected to complete the CTX had a variety of backgrounds and skillsets. Construction Electrician 1st Class Patrick Clontz, the project supervisor for the CTX, said this helped them to succeed during the evolution.
“The Navy Reserve always have the people who are cross-trained in multiple facets of construction to get the job done,” he said. “They’re able to share their knowledge with their fellow Seabees, which makes them better as individuals and makes us better as a team.”
Crone said he is impressed with the way the team performed during the graded exercise, and credits all its success to them.
“This group made leading them absolutely easy,” he said. “Clontz did a phenomenal job of getting together the project package, which gave us a clear plan to execute when we got here. That’s just one of the ways the Seabees work together to get the job done from start to finish.”
This training exercise is one of multiple graded evolutions NMCB 14 must complete before being eligible for a deployment overseas. The final graded evolution will be the field training exercise, the final culminating exercise that tests the battalion on all aspects of the Seabee mission. The FTX is scheduled to be completed early 2020.