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NMCB 7 Seabees Deploy to Support Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS081004-17

Release Date: 10/4/2008 8:47:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SCW) Michael B. Lavender, Naval Mobile COnstruction Battalion 7 Public Affairs

AL ANBAR PROVINCE, Iraq (NNS) -- Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7 deployed Sept. 28 to U.S. Forces Central Command to carry out construction operations in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

The battalion will be deployed to various locations throughout the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We will provide contingency construction to our supported commands within our assigned areas of responsibilities," said Lt. Aaron Allison, NMCB 7's assistant operations officer. "Our primary goal is to support the warfighter in this theater of operations with quality and timely construction."

The battalion will have seven detachment sites, each tailored and equipped with the personnel needed to do the jobs correctly.

"We deal with projects of various levels of intensity and detail," explained Allison. "Some of our projects include quality of life improvements for military personnel of all U.S. branches while other projects focus on the identified base requirements supporting coalition forces."

NMCB 7 will conduct construction operations with several projects per detachment site, most of which will be completed prior to their return home.

"We are striving to complete all our projects safely and efficiently to uphold our status as the premier engineering force among the U.S. armed forces," said Allison. "We also want to uphold the 'Magnificent' reputation of NMCB 7's history as a hard-charging and professional Seabee battalion."

The Seabees are expecting to work closely with coalition forces while deployed, bringing improvements to both established bases and forward operations bases as needed.

"This is a true test of our abilities as far as task tailoring project requirements, the mobilization of personnel and equipment assets to various job sites, and operations throughout an extensive geographical area," said Allison. "Essentially, our battalion is spread across two combat theaters: Iraq and Afghanistan. All operations face difficulties at times, but our extensive training executed during a demanding homeport cycle and field training exercise has proven our readiness to face future challenges this deployment, and to overcome them both safely and successfully."

NMCB 7 has prepared for the U.S. CENTCOM deployment since the beginning of their homeport nine months prior.

"There was an ample amount of training to prepare us for this deployment," said Construction Electrician 3rd Class (SCW) Steve Lockman, a NMCB 7 Seabee. "I know that our convoy security elements did a lot of training throughout homeport and just prior to leaving. Additionally, everyone in the command got the training they needed to complete their specific mission. There was a lot of in-rate training on top of the tactical training to help prepare us for the demands of a project site."