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NMCB 4 Chiefs and Officers Get Their FEX

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS040407-05

Release Date: 4/7/2004 11:29:00 AM

By Journalist 1st Class Catherine Roberts, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 Public Affairs

FORT HUNTER-LIGGETT, Calif. (NNS) -- Chief petty officers and officers from U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4, homeported in Port Hueneme, Calif., travel to U.S. Army Fort Hunter-Liggett in Southern California every year to hone their battle skills and improve their efficiency before the "rubber meets the road" during a battalion-wide Field Exercise (FEX).

Hard work during training can mean greater success during real-world deployments, where weapons don't fire blanks and convoys are ambushed daily.

"We're focusing on four things," said NMCB 4's Executive Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Chad Lee. "We're strengthening our knowledge of convoys, patrols, defense, and command and control."

"This practical application training offers just the basics. From here, chiefs and officers learn where they need to study further to be more effective leaders in the field," said Chief Builder Eric Davis, an instructor monitoring training during this mini-FEX.

And learn they did. Many chiefs and officers looked at this training as an opportunity to work the rust out of skills acquired many field exercises ago, in addition to passing that knowledge on to chiefs and officers new to the field, and what it takes to succeed there.

"This exercise certainly gave me a stronger understanding of and respect for the knowledge that young troops must demonstrate during field exercises and on deployment," said Chaplain (Lt. j.g.) Carl Rhoads, an officer new to NMCB 4 and battalion life. "I also found it challenging to find a place for myself as a non-combatant within a combat atmosphere. Keeping young troops motivated and positive in a stressful battle environment will definitely keep me busy."

Chiefs and officers weren't the only ones surmounting challenges during this exercise. Keeping an air of realism within all training evolutions seemed paramount to the instructors.

"With blanks and endless scenarios, it's difficult to keep realism and seriousness within this training environment," said Davis. "When I hear people say, 'this is only training,' I know that I haven't reached them. They will not take this training back to their troops, who depend on these skills to survive."

Taking training seriously comes easy to chiefs and officers of NMCB 4 who put their skills to the test last year during contingency operations in Iraq and Kuwait while in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Davis mentioned, "NMCB 4 seems very prepared for this training. Their heads are in the game."

NMCB 4 will continue preparing for their Battalion FEX coming up at the end of April. With that hurdle complete, NMCB 4 will take its place as the "ready Battalion" until it departs on deployment at the end of the summer.