Spain: NMCB 1 Transfers Authority to NMCB 4

Training & Education

February 15, 2013

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1, homeported in Gulfport, Miss. transferred authority of Camp Mitchell and ongoing Seabee missions throughout Europe and Africa to NMCB 4, homeported in Port Hueneme, Calif., during a transfer of authority ceremony held aboard Naval Station Rota, Spain, Feb. 14.

Cmdr. Chad Brooks, commanding officer NMCB 1, exchanged salutes with Cmdr. Jeffrey Kilian, commander NMCB 4, in front of Capt. Gregory Sandway, commodore, Combined Task Force (CTF) 68, during the ceremony. The ceremony marked the official end of NMCB 1’s deployment to Europe and Africa, which began in August.

Sandway spoke of the work NMCB 1 completed during deployment.

“You guys have definitely made a difference,” said Sandway. “You were robust, adaptive and you were certainly flexible. On behalf of Adm. Pandolfe, you did a superb job affecting a strategic operational tactical level. What is most impressive is you have affected the personal lives of the people you have worked for, the people you have worked with and the partner nations you have worked with. That’s why we all join the United States Navy.”

Sandway also spoke specifically to NMCB 4 during the ceremony.

“You have a very impressive record that you’re coming in with,” said Sandway. “Energize and utilize the expertise that you have. We can enable, do better and do more. It goes right in line with the Seabee ‘Can Do’ spirit that I know you have. We’re not a ship, we’re not a submarine, we’re not an aircraft; but we do everything else. You guys play a vital role in this. I look forward to your expeditionary strength that you bring and your combat enabling. Hooyah.”

Outgoing battalion commander Brooks spoke of the success of NMCB 1 throughout the deployment aboard NAVSTA Rota.

“NMCB 1 had a terrific deployment supporting CTF 68, CJTF HOA and many other supported commanders,” said Brooks. “I’m very grateful from the support from the base, from the various staffs, from the adjacent units that helped us. It’s a collaborative effort here in Rota. I think it is very promising with FDNF coming that all the entities on the base are prepared and work well together.”

Kilian spoke of the projects NMCB 4 will tackle as its deployment in Europe begins.

“It’s time to get started,” said Kilian. “We’ll be operating throughout AFRICOM, CENTCOM and EUCOM, so we have the added COCOM that we’ll be supporting in addition to the two that have been established here already. We’ll be stretched quite a bit, but I know we’re ready for it. The team is ready.

Kilian also said NMCB 4’s goal is to “provide exceptional operations support to our supporting commanders, to be safe and to execute quality construction.”