NAVAL CONSTRUCTION BATTALION CENTER GULFPORT, Miss. — Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport will participate in an annual force protection exercise, January 26 to February 6, 2026.
Led by Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFFC) and Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain (CS-SC26) is an exercise conducted annually at Navy installations across the continental United States.
The exercise begins with Citadel Shield, a field training exercise led by CNIC that focuses on the readiness and response of Navy Security Forces. Solid Curtain takes place the following week and is a command post exercise spearheaded by USFFC. Together, these events test and validate the Navy’s ability to deter and respond to threats in real-time.
The two-week exercise scenarios will emphasize operational protection, surveillance detection, protection of critical infrastructure, and response to potential kinetic attacks, enabling installations to defend against modern and emerging threats.
Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain is a regularly scheduled training event, not a response to any specific threat. Measures have been taken to minimize disruptions within local communities and to normal base operations, but there may be times when the exercise causes increased traffic around the base or delays in base access. Residents near installations may observe or hear security-related activities Advanced coordination has taken place with local law enforcement and first responders.
For information about potential impacts due to the exercise, please follow our social media platforms (facebook.com/NCBCGulfport or instagram.com/NCBCGulfport).
Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, serves more than 10,000 service members, civilian personnel, veterans and family members. NCBC Gulfport is home to the Atlantic Fleet Seabees, the Naval Construction Training Center, the Expeditionary Combat Skills Training Center and nearly 40 tenants from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. The Sailors of NCBC Gulfport personify the "Can-Do" motto of Seabees and are ready to deploy and serve globally. For more information about NCBC Gulfport, visit our website at https://cnrse.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NCBC-Gulfport/