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NMCB 4 Chiefs and Officers Conduct Field Training Exercise

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080408-27
Release Date: 4/8/2008 4:13:00 PM

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SCW/SW/AW) Steve Bansbach, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 Public Affairs

FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, Calif. (NNS) -- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4's officers and chiefs participated in their annual chief and officer field training exercise March 24 through March 28 at Fort Hunter Liggett.

More than 50 officers and chiefs grabbed their gear and trained for four days in the field experiencing what junior troops will be required to do during the battalion's two-week long exercise scheduled for mid-April.

Chiefs and officers practiced day and night land navigation, tactical operation center procedures, patrols and set up defensive perimeters. These tasks enabled them to experience training from a troop's perspective.

"This training helped teach junior officers about the difficulties of being a squad or fire team leader," Chief Construction Electrician (SCW) Alex Bradshaw said. "This exercise also serves as a refresher for the chiefs and senior officers."

The exercise was designed to polish senior enlisted combat skills, develop teamwork between chiefs and officers, and heighten the situational awareness of junior officers so they can lead Seabees into combat.

One of the main building blocks of the field exercise was teamwork. Throughout the training, chiefs and officers exchanged ideas and let each other know what worked and what did not. Even when the training ended for the night, subject matter experts gave individualized squad training highlighting certain topics such as camp maintenance, alpha yard operations and field sanitation.

"I think the most important things I got from this training were the general leadership instruction and how to communicate more efficiently," Lt. j.g. Paul Weyant said. "By learning this it will better help me lead, enabling NMCB 4 to be more capable of completing construction tasks."

For more news from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, visit www.navy.mil/local/nmcb4/.