OCHAKIV, Ukraine –
Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 turned over three ongoing construction projects to NMCB-11 on a Ukrainian Naval Base, March 3, 2018.
After their arrival in Ochakiv in early February, Seabees from NMCB-11 continued work on a maritime operations center (MOC), which will be used to carry out operations during exercise Sea Breeze 2018. Sea Breeze, which includes the U.S. and Ukrainian navies, is laying the groundwork for a long lasting and strategic relationship between the two nations and military components.
Since the beginning of construction in Ochakiv, the Seabee units have faced many environmental and logistical challenges. Freezing temperatures and snow have resulted in roads being closed and project sites iced over. These challenges have led the Seabees to adapt and learn new construction methods for winter operations; things that they have not typically trained for in the past. The lessons learned will provide a greater level of knowledge to the Naval Construction Force (NFC) for operating in these austere conditions.
Builder 2nd Class Jeffrey Jutz expressed his excitement to begin construction on the MOC. “While this is easily one of my favorite projects, it’s also one of my most challenging,” he said. “This will be an amazing time and learning experience for not only myself but everyone involved. We will be able to use the skills and knowledge we gain from this to teach Seabees on future projects.”
NMCB-11 is homeported in Gulfport, Mississippi, and is part of the NCF. They have personnel assigned to more than 15 locations world-wide performing a variety of missions in support of the Navy and the Department of Defense.
The NCF is a vital component of the U.S. Maritime Strategy and is comprised of deployable battalions capable of providing construction, disaster preparation and recovery support, humanitarian assistance, and combat operations support.
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