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Seabees Survive Jungle Warfare Training in Okinawa

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS120507-07
5/7/2012

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist Michael B. Watkins, Naval Mobile Constuction Battalion 40 Public Affairs

OKINAWA, Japan (NNS) -- Seabees assigned to U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) FORTY successfully completed Jungle Warfare training, Apr. 18, in Northern Okinawa, Japan.

Ten Seabees currently forward deployed to Camp Shields, Okinawa, took to the jungle of what is known as the Northern Training Area (NTA) at the remote Marine Corps Jungle Warfare Training Course (JWTC) at Camp Gonsalves to participate alongside Marines in the Basic Skills Course. The rigorous eight-day course teaches the skills necessary to sustain combat operations in the jungle environment.

Classes focused on practical application of skills such as first aid, communications, booby traps, knot tying, rappelling, land navigation and patrolling.

"Jungle warfare training on Camp Gonsalves was a demanding, yet rewarding experience for the Seabees and Marines who got to experience it," said Intelligence Specialist 3rd Class Ryan Roe, of NMCB 40. "The training is truly one-of-a-kind. It teaches mission-critical skills necessary to successfully operate as a cohesive unit within the jungle."

The JWTC occupies 17,500 acres of jungle in the NTA. The hilly and rugged terrain, topped with single and double canopy forest has been challenging Marines and Sailors in the art of jungle warfare for more than 50 years. Today JWTC is the only Department of Defense jungle training facility in existence.

"The nearly four miles of unforgiving terrain and obstacles, is designed to push our team to its limits, and we had to find a way to overcome it. It was tough, but Seabees never quit, and it was that mentality that carried us to the finish line," Roe said.

"When you look back at what we battled through, it's really quite an accomplishment, and it's something we're all immensely proud of," Roe continued. "Those of us who went through the training forged some pretty special memories that we'll carry with us the rest of our lives. Looking forward, we now have the opportunity to take we learned back with us, and teach it to others."

NMCB FORTY is the Naval Construction Force's 2011 Pacific Fleet Battle "E" and Peltier award-winning Seabee Battalion. The Battalion deployed throughout the U.S. Pacific Command in November 2011, and is scheduled to return to Port Hueneme, Calif., in the summer 2012. Fighting 40 deployment locations include Okinawa, Sasebo, and Yokosuka, Japan, Guam, Korea, the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, Timor Leste, Diego Garcia, and Palau.