Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1
Encyclopedia
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1, is a United States Navy
Seabee
battalion. NMCB 1 has a long, proud and distinguished history that reaches back to the early days of World War II
.
drawing to a close, the Battalion was sent home and decommissioned in June 1944.
In 1949, the Navy began an intense reorganization that included the creation of a new type of construction unit – the Mobile Construction Battalion. On August 8, 1949, U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion One was established at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
, Virginia and was formally commissioned on October 28 of that same year.
Homeport changed for the Battalion in 1951 when it moved from Little Creek
to Davisville, Rhode Island
. During the ensuing years, the Battalion served at Puerto Rico
; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Bermuda; Port Lyautey, French Morocco; Argentia, Newfoundland; and Rota, Spain. In 1956, the Battalion went to Antarctica and participated in Operation Deep Freeze II. During this time, NMCB One with its detachments was simultaneously employed on six continents. NMCB One returned to Antarctica in 1961, this time to assemble a nuclear power plant and work on 17 projects for which the Battalion received the Navy Unit Commendation
.
NMCB One was the first Atlantic Fleet Battalion to take part in the Vietnam War
. From 1966 to 1970, the Battalion made four consecutive deployments to Vietnam. During this time, four NMCB One members made the ultimate sacrifice serving their country. Their names were Constructionman Starkey, Steelworker 3rd Class Williams, Chief Builder McGinn, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Moscrip.
.
NMCB One sent two details in 1990 to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield
and Operation Desert Storm
. The following year, the Battalion provided disaster relief following super typhoons on Guam and American Samoa. Upon returning to homeport in May 1992, the Battalion was again providing disaster relief, this time in South Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. In December 1992, NMCB One redeployed from Rota to Somalia to conduct construction in support of Operation Restore Hope.
A 180-person detachment from NMCB One deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in December 1997 to support Operation Joint Guard. NMCB One returned to the Balkans when a 97-person detachment deployed to Kosovo in December 1999 as part of Task Force Falcon. During their 2000 European deployment, Detail Souda Bay conducted disaster recovery operations in remote Crete villages following torrential rains.
In June 2002, the Battalion deployed to Okinawa, Japan
for the first time since 1987, where it performed various peacetime construction operations across the Pacific. Upon arriving in Okinawa, the Battalion immediately redeployed a 102-person Air Detachment to Basilan Island, Republic of the Philippines, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Under hostile conditions, the Air Det improved roads, drilled water wells, built bridges and base camps and rebuilt a dilapidated timber pier.
During its 2003-2004 Pacific Deployment, “The First and The Finest” made history by being the first NMCB to have deployed to two main-body deployment sites in Rota, Spain and on Guam. NMCB One performed peacetime construction operations in the Atlantic, European, Pacific and Central Command Areas of Responsibility, while simultaneously deploying its Air Det to Iraq in support of Iraqi Freedom. In September 2004, NMCB One performed disaster recovery operations at NAS Pensacola
following Hurricane Ivan
.
For its 2005 European deployment NMCB One and its details served in twelve countries throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, and once again deployed its Air Det to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Immediately upon returning to homeport in August 2005, the Battalion commenced substantial disaster recovery operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
In June 2006, NMCB One deployed to 20 sites in 9 countries as part of their Pacific deployment. The Battalion performed peacetime construction operations in Okinawa, Atsugi
, Sasebo
, Yokosuka
, Iwakuni
, Fuji, Chinhae, Pohang, Diego Garcia
, Camp Pendleton
, and San Clemente Island
, contingency operations in Pohnpei, Indonesia, Philippines, and Afghanistan, and prison detainee operations in Iraq.
In September 2007, following a successful homeport, the Battalion deployed to 16 different sites throughout CENTCOM
, PACOM
, and NORTHCOM
. NMCB One provided contingency construction and engineering in support of both Operation Iraqi Freedom II and Operation Enduring Freedom, in Iraq and Afghanistan. While supporting the mission in CENTCOM, the Battalion also conducted peacetime construction operations in Guam and San Nicolas Island
(SNI), CA. Notably, the 120 Seabees in Guam and SNI redeployed to join the rest of the Battalion in support of the CENTCOM missions midway through deployment.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Seabee
Seabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
battalion. NMCB 1 has a long, proud and distinguished history that reaches back to the early days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History
Commissioned on March 15, 1942 as Naval Construction Battalion One (NCB), the Battalion was soon split into two detachments and sent into service in the South Pacific.World War II through Vietnam
NMCB One operated in the South Pacific for 23 months, mostly in the vicinity of the Tonga and Samoan Islands. During this time, various detachments built runways, base facilities, gun emplacements, fuel and oil storage tank farms as well as various other projects. With operations in the South PacificSouth West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
drawing to a close, the Battalion was sent home and decommissioned in June 1944.
In 1949, the Navy began an intense reorganization that included the creation of a new type of construction unit – the Mobile Construction Battalion. On August 8, 1949, U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion One was established at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
The Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek is the major operating base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet. The base comprises four locations in three states, including almost 12,000 acres of real estate. Its Little Creek location in Virginia Beach, Virginia totals...
, Virginia and was formally commissioned on October 28 of that same year.
Homeport changed for the Battalion in 1951 when it moved from Little Creek
Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
The Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek is the major operating base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet. The base comprises four locations in three states, including almost 12,000 acres of real estate. Its Little Creek location in Virginia Beach, Virginia totals...
to Davisville, Rhode Island
Davisville, Rhode Island
Davisville, Rhode Island was the former home of the U.S. Navy SeaBees. It was located at Quonset Point on Narragansett Bay, an area now included in the town of North Kingstown. The Navy acquired the property in 1939 and built Naval Air Station Quonset Point...
. During the ensuing years, the Battalion served at Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Bermuda; Port Lyautey, French Morocco; Argentia, Newfoundland; and Rota, Spain. In 1956, the Battalion went to Antarctica and participated in Operation Deep Freeze II. During this time, NMCB One with its detachments was simultaneously employed on six continents. NMCB One returned to Antarctica in 1961, this time to assemble a nuclear power plant and work on 17 projects for which the Battalion received the Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
.
NMCB One was the first Atlantic Fleet Battalion to take part in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. From 1966 to 1970, the Battalion made four consecutive deployments to Vietnam. During this time, four NMCB One members made the ultimate sacrifice serving their country. Their names were Constructionman Starkey, Steelworker 3rd Class Williams, Chief Builder McGinn, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Moscrip.
1970s through present
In 1974 NMCB One was the last Battalion to deploy from Davisville. When the Battalion returned from Rota, it settled down in its new home at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, MississippiGulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
.
NMCB One sent two details in 1990 to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield
Operation Desert Shield (Iraq)
This article is solely based of 1 article which completely twists and miss-attributes each of the players.al-Qaeda had nothing to do with this and Desert Shield/Storm were US operations.About as accurate as Fox News....
and Operation Desert Storm
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. The following year, the Battalion provided disaster relief following super typhoons on Guam and American Samoa. Upon returning to homeport in May 1992, the Battalion was again providing disaster relief, this time in South Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. In December 1992, NMCB One redeployed from Rota to Somalia to conduct construction in support of Operation Restore Hope.
A 180-person detachment from NMCB One deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in December 1997 to support Operation Joint Guard. NMCB One returned to the Balkans when a 97-person detachment deployed to Kosovo in December 1999 as part of Task Force Falcon. During their 2000 European deployment, Detail Souda Bay conducted disaster recovery operations in remote Crete villages following torrential rains.
In June 2002, the Battalion deployed to Okinawa, Japan
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
for the first time since 1987, where it performed various peacetime construction operations across the Pacific. Upon arriving in Okinawa, the Battalion immediately redeployed a 102-person Air Detachment to Basilan Island, Republic of the Philippines, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Under hostile conditions, the Air Det improved roads, drilled water wells, built bridges and base camps and rebuilt a dilapidated timber pier.
During its 2003-2004 Pacific Deployment, “The First and The Finest” made history by being the first NMCB to have deployed to two main-body deployment sites in Rota, Spain and on Guam. NMCB One performed peacetime construction operations in the Atlantic, European, Pacific and Central Command Areas of Responsibility, while simultaneously deploying its Air Det to Iraq in support of Iraqi Freedom. In September 2004, NMCB One performed disaster recovery operations at NAS Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola , "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits...
following Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season...
.
For its 2005 European deployment NMCB One and its details served in twelve countries throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, and once again deployed its Air Det to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Immediately upon returning to homeport in August 2005, the Battalion commenced substantial disaster recovery operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
In June 2006, NMCB One deployed to 20 sites in 9 countries as part of their Pacific deployment. The Battalion performed peacetime construction operations in Okinawa, Atsugi
Atsugi, Kanagawa
is a city located in central Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 225,622 and a population density of 2,410 persons per km². The total area was 93.83 km²...
, Sasebo
United States Fleet Activities Sasebo
U.S. Fleet Activities Sasebo is a United States Navy naval base, in Sasebo, Japan, on the island of Kyūshū. It provides facilities for the logistic support of forward-deployed units and visiting operating forces of the United States Pacific Fleet and designated tenant activities.- History :Sasebo...
, Yokosuka
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
, Iwakuni
Iwakuni, Yamaguchi
is a city located in Yamaguchi, Japan.On March 20, 2006, the old city of Iwakuni absorbed the towns of Kuga, Mikawa, Miwa, Nishiki, Shūtō and Yū, and the village of Hongō, all from Kuga District, to form the new, expanded city of Iwakuni.- History :...
, Fuji, Chinhae, Pohang, Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is a tropical, footprint-shaped coral atoll located south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean at 7 degrees, 26 minutes south latitude. It is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory [BIOT] and is positioned at 72°23' east longitude....
, Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base...
, and San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island
San Clemente Island is the southernmost of the Channel Islands of California. It is owned and operated by the United States Navy, and is a part of Los Angeles County. Defined by the United States Census Bureau as Block Group 2 of Census Tract 5991 of Los Angeles County, California, it is long and...
, contingency operations in Pohnpei, Indonesia, Philippines, and Afghanistan, and prison detainee operations in Iraq.
In September 2007, following a successful homeport, the Battalion deployed to 16 different sites throughout CENTCOM
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
, PACOM
United States Pacific Command
The United States Pacific Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States armed forces responsible for the Pacific Ocean area. It is led by the Commander, Pacific Command , who is the supreme military authority for the various branches of the Armed Forces of the United States serving...
, and NORTHCOM
United States Northern Command
United States Northern Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States military. Created on 1 October 2002 in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks, its mission is to protect the United States homeland and support local, state, and federal authorities...
. NMCB One provided contingency construction and engineering in support of both Operation Iraqi Freedom II and Operation Enduring Freedom, in Iraq and Afghanistan. While supporting the mission in CENTCOM, the Battalion also conducted peacetime construction operations in Guam and San Nicolas Island
San Nicolas Island
San Nicolas Island is the most remote of California's Channel Islands. It is part of Ventura County. The 14,562 acre island is currently controlled by the United States Navy and is used as a weapons testing and training facility, served by Naval Outlying Field San Nicolas Island...
(SNI), CA. Notably, the 120 Seabees in Guam and SNI redeployed to join the rest of the Battalion in support of the CENTCOM missions midway through deployment.
Awards
A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. The NMCB 1 has been presented with the following awards: World War II Victory Medal |
 Asiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal The Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was... |
 Joint Meritorious Unit AwardJoint Meritorious Unit Award The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is a military award that was established on June 4, 1981 by Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and was implemented by Department of Defense Directive 1348.27 dated July 22, 1982... |
 Navy Unit CommendationNavy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944... |
 Meritorious Unit CommendationMeritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation is a mid-level unit award of the United States military which is awarded to any military command which displays exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service, heroic deeds, or valorous actions.... |
 Battle Efficiency AwardBattle Effectiveness Award The Battle Effectiveness Award , commonly known as the Battle "E", is awarded annually to the small number of U.S... |
See also
- Seabees
- Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 is a Navy Seabee battalion based out of Port Hueneme, California. Nicknamed the "Fabulous Four", it is one of the oldest active NMCBs in the Navy.-History:...
- Naval Mobile Construction BattalionNaval Mobile Construction BattalionThere are 9 active-duty Naval Mobile Construction Battalions — known as C.B.'s — in the United States Navy, split between the east and west coasts...
(all NMCBs) - Naval Construction Battalion Center Port HuenemeNaval Construction Battalion Center Port HuenemeNaval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme is the West Coast homeport of the Navy’s Seabees . Port Hueneme , supports the training and mobilization requirements for more than 2,600 active-duty personnel. The CBC also operates Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme...
- Amphibious Construction Battalion OneAmphibious Construction Battalion OneAmphibious Construction Battalion One is an amphibious construction battalion in the United States Navy based in Coronado, California. Amphibious Construction Battalion Two is its sister unit based in Little Creek, Virginia.-Mission :...
(ACB-1) - Amphibious Construction Battalion Two (ACB-2) – Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek #Major shore commands (at "Naval Construction Force")