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Seabees Take Part in RSOI 06

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060621-01
Release Date: 6/21/2006 6:53:00 AM

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

POHANG, Republic of Korea (NNS) -- Active-duty and reserve Seabees from across the United States took part in exercise Reception, Staging, Onward-movement and Integration (RSOI) 2006 here March 25–31.

RSOI, paired with Exercise Foal Eagle, is an annual exercise that tests the United States' and Korea’s ability to respond to military contingencies on the Korean Peninsula.

While most of the exercise pertained to Navy afloat units and Army and Marine Corps ground forces, the Seabees’ abilities were also tested by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea (CNFK) through Commander, U.S. Naval Engineer Forces Korea (CNEFK). The Seabees were tested on their ability to successfully execute immediate taskings that resulted from simulated battle damage. These included rapid runway repair (RRR), pier assessments, and route reconnaissance.

A detachment from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 had the chance to work closely with Republic of Korea (ROK) sailors on an RRR demonstration in front of the Pohang base commander and U.S. Navy officers. The 20 American Seabees worked with 62 ROK sailors to fill a simulated ballistic missile crater and cover it with M19 matting.

While Seabees worked in the field, there were others that were moving the simulated Seabees around the country. Third Naval Construction Regiment (NCR), a reserve staff command out of Marietta, Ga., practiced their ability to orchestrate Seabee battalions throughout the country. They were able to hone the abilities they’d need later this year as they prepare to deploy to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. They did this by working closely with the 30th NCR, their active-duty counterpart out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The 30th NCR returned in September from Iraq.

“As a staff command that just got back from Iraq, we offered a reserve regiment the opportunity to use knowledge expertise we had,” said Marine Corps Capt. Timothy Barba, the 30th NCR’s training officer.

During the week-long exercise, 10 members from the 30th NCR acted as subordinate units, including two Naval Mobile Construction Battalions, an Underwater Construction Team, and Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit; a force of more than 1,500 Seabees. They did all of this on one computer, using a different e-mail address for each command.

“The biggest challenge in this exercise was keeping prompts, action requests, and replies separately identified for each of the four fictional subordinate commands, and two ‘higher’ commands,” said Chief Navy Counselor (AW) Chris Cunningham, a command operations center watch officer for 30th NCR in Iraq. “If we were to confuse the 3rd NCR personnel receiving the training, we’re no longer teaching them anything useful for their regimental objectives.”

Because the notional Seabees couldn’t actually conduct the work they were being tasked with, the training focused mainly on movement control and fragmented order writing. Movement control is the act of moving people and equipment around the battle space using carefully scheduled convoys and air transportation.

“Accountability is the most important thing we do,” said Master Chief Utilitiesman (SCW) Cristen B. Owoc, the 30th NCR’s operations chief. “Movement control is very important because it allows you to know where your people are at. Wherever you go in the world, you do movement control. If movement control isn’t locked in, nothing else is, either.”

Commander, 3rd NCR, Capt. John Miller II was thankful for the chance to work with the 30th NCR personnel, and saw it as a chance to glean firsthand knowledge of the situation in Iraq from the subject matter experts.

“This is the first time any NCR has had this level of involvement in RSO&I, and we’re just thrilled to be here,” Miller said.

The 3rd NCR is scheduled to deploy to Iraq this August in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

For related news, visit the Commander, 1st Naval Construction Division Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/1ncd/.