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30th NCR Approved for Change of Duty Station

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060316-16
Release Date: 3/17/2006 6:55:00 AM

By Journalist 1st Class (SW/FMF) Chad V. Pritt, Commander, 30th Naval Construction Regiment Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- After almost 24 years in Hawaii, and several iterations, the 30th Naval Construction Regiment (NCR) will be leaving the island as part of a change of permanent duty station to the Construction Battalion Center in Port Hueneme, Calif.

The office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) approved the change of duty station Feb. 24, which will occur gradually over the next 18 months, according to OPNAV Notice 3111.

While there are many contributing factors fueling the need to move the 30th NCR, one of the biggest is the need to be near subordinate units, and “Unity of Command.”

The current Pacific Fleet Naval Construction Force (NCF) has four active-duty Naval mobile construction battalions (NMCB), an underwater construction team (UCT), and a construction battalion maintenance unit (CBMU), and with the exception of the CBMU, all are stationed at CBC Port Hueneme. The move will allow the 30th NCR, comprised of about 40 members, to exercise improved command and control over its units.

“For the Pacific Fleet, we’ll be co-located with the commands we serve and command and control,” said 30th NCR Command Master Chief, CMDCM (SCW) Michael Holdcraft. “We’ll have day-in and day-out interaction with them as they prepare for deployment.”

Even though the command is relatively small, the move will take almost 18 months. This will allow for continuity and a decreased cost to the U.S. government, as members won’t be required to execute multiple permanent change of station orders during one tour. Incoming personnel will report directly to the 30th NCR in Port Hueneme as those they replace rotate out of Pearl Harbor.

“It’s a concerted effort designed to maintain optimal manning,” said Chief Navy Counselor (AW) Christopher Cunningham, the command career counselor for the 30th NCR. “The phased transition ensures a smooth move and reduces work stoppage or detriment to operations.”

This isn’t the first time that the 30th NCR, or any of its past incarnations, has moved duty stations. During the island hopping of World War II, the 30th NCR was headquartered on Saipan, Guam, and Danang, Republic of Vietnam.

Since being stationed in Hawaii, the 30th NCR has gone by several names. These include Commander, Construction Battalions Pacific (COMCBPAC) and 3rd Naval Construction Brigade, which changed to 30th NCR in 2002 following a realignment of Naval Construction Forces under the 1st Naval Construction Division.