Seabees Depart for Field Training Exercise

By Chief Mass Communication Specalist Yan Kennon, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 7 Public Affairs

GULFPORT, Miss. (NNS) -- Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7 Air Detachment departed Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport July 21, for Operation Bearing Duel aboard Joint Training Facility Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The scheduled three week evolution will test the battalion's capability to survive independently in the field. Upon successful completion of the field training exercise (FTX), NMCB 7 will become the Atlantic Fleet Seabees' Independent Unit Ready for Tasking.

"The FTX is the culminating exercise of the Battalion's training thus far in homeport," said Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Shinka, NMCB 7 operations officer. "Our Seabees have been busy with classes, unit-level training, and specialty organization, and other certification exercises. We have succeeded magnificently in our mission so far and are motivated for more of the same on FTX. I am very proud of what NMCB 7 has accomplished."

Operation Bearing Duel takes place in various phases, to include Receipt, Staging, Onward-Movement and Integration (RSO&I); Operations (Field Training Exercise), Sustainment (Final Evaluation Problem), and Retrograde phases.

The FTX will allow the battalion to hone its skills in various areas, with assistance and guidance from 20th Seabee Readiness Group (SRG). This evolution will afford the battalion the opportunity to assess its operational and administrative strong points, as well as areas of improvement. After tactical feedback from the supporting SRG, and the application of correctional measures, the battalion will enter the Final Evaluation Problem (FEB) portion of the exercise, a graded evolution, which if successfully executed, will certify the battalion for deployment.

"Operating in the summer months at Camp Shelby, while in full battle dress, is a very demanding task," said Chief Construction Electrician Erik Dries, NMCB 7 safety officer. "Heat stress presents the largest obstacle for our Seabees in his environment. Our training, throughout this homeport period, has prepared us for this very moment, and our goal is to ensure that we take the necessary precautions to mitigate and safety concerns while meeting the many challenges of this exercise. No matter how many projects or scenarios we complete successfully during FTX and FEP, personnel safety is paramount."

Comprised of 89 highly-skilled Seabees, and often referred to as the 'Tip of the Spear', the battalion's Air Detachment's primary mission is to move in advance of the battalion's mainbody, secure and occupy forward operating base (FOB) objectives, prior to the battalion's mainbody move execution. A Seabee battalion's air detachment must be able to deploy within 48 hours of receiving orders, and remain self-sufficient for 30 days; a unique capability that allows a Seabee battalion to respond to our nation's call when needed.

The Seabees of NMCB 7 will use this training and experience from FTX as a mental and physical preparation tool for its upcoming scheduled deployment to U.S. Forces Central Command area of operations (AOR).

NMCB 7 is one of the original ten Seabee battalions authorized by the chief of the Navy's Bureau of Yards and Docks in 1942.