1. America's Greatest Generation: Navy Heroes: 121st NCB- SEABEEs',

2. America's Greatest Generation: Navy Heroes: 62nd NCB- SEABEEs',

 3. America's Greatest Generation: Navy Heroes: 25th NCB- SEABEEs',

United States Naval Mobile Construction Battalion ONE has a proud and distinguished history, reaching back to the early days of World War II, when it was first commissioned as Naval Construction Battalion ONE. Since its recommissioning as Naval Mobile Construction Battalion ONE in 1949, NMCB ONE has served with distinction for over 49 years of active commissioned service.

The first Seabee Detachment deployed in early 1942. Originally scheduled for Iceland, it was hastily rerouted to Bora Bora in the South Pacific. In the Pacific, Seabees built more than 100 major airfields, 100 piers, 700 square blocks of warehouses, hospitals for 70,000 patients, storage tanks for one million gallons of fuel, and housing for 1.5 million men. On Tinian, Seabees placed enough asphalt to pave a road from New York to Boston; and at the same time, excavated enough coral to build three Hoover Dams.

Seabees went to North Africa, to Sicily, and to Rome. They built bridges and unloaded ships on the Normandy beachhead. They built the victory road to Berlin and Tokyo, island hopping all the way.

The term Seabee Ingenuity grew from deeds recorded during the Solomon campaign. A Seabee Warrant Officer repurchased equipment from customers to set up shop. Bulldozer head gaskets were fashioned from scraps of metal and paper. Waxed paper and tinfoil from cigarette packages served as condensers while 55-gallon drums replaced worn-out radiators. Tires were filled with sawdust and concrete. One Seabee turned his dozer into a piece of combat equipment and wiped out a gun emplacement in the Treasury Islands. The work accomplished by these new Construction Battalions seemed almost impossible and yet the CAN DO standards set the precedence for the battalions that followed.

So begins the long and prestigious history of U.S. Naval Construction Battalion FOUR. Commissioned on May 11, 1942. The compliment of this first FOUR was approximately 32 Officers and 1,073 enlisted men whose age averaged 37 years. The men of FOUR began WW II constructing advance bases in the frozen Arctic of Alaska and the Aleutians where the Japanese bombed them daily. By 1943 they were constructing more bases on the tropical island of Guam. Twenty-six men landed on Guam on D-day plus 6. The remainder of the battalion landed on 30 August 1944. By 1945 FOUR had moved to Okinawa to build roads, camps and a large ship repair facility in Baten Ko. Effort was also spent cleaning up from the Typhoon of 9 October 1945. Eventually, during the mass demilitarization following the war’s end, USNCB FOUR was decommissioned.

Six years later, President Truman called on the American Armed Forces to lead the vanguard of United Nations troops to repel the North Korean invasion of South Korea. During this new conflict the Navy added the critical word "Mobile" to the battalion’s name. On February 12, 1951, in the middle of the Korean War, the order was given to activate Naval Mobile Construction Battalion FOUR at Norfolk, Virginia. Less than 30 days later the recommissioning ceremony took place on March 9, 1951 at the U.S. Naval Yards and Docks, Norfolk, Virginia. Eight Officers and 282 enlisted men became Naval Mobile Construction Battalion FOUR boarded a ship for deployment. The new battalion FOUR was homeported in Davisville, Rhode Island and deployed to such diverse locales as Bermuda; Port Lyautey, Morocco; Naples, Italy; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Trinidad; Ecuador; Newfoundland; Puerto Rico; Holy Loch, Scotland; and Rota, Spain. After the Spain assignment was completed the battalion was moved to a new homeport.

The Seabees of NMCB FOUR were called into action in 1962 at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, when the threat of attack from the Communist regime Fidel Castro seemed imminent. Throughout the alert, the Seabees of FOUR worked with great speed fortifying the base’s perimeter and assisted the Marines in its defense.

In November 1965, the battalion transferred to the West Coast for permanent duty at Port Hueneme, California. NMCB FOUR conducted four tours in Chu Lai and DaNang, Vietnam, where the largest timber bridge ever built in the country was constructed by the Seabees of FOUR.

In December, 1965 the battalion was flown to Chu Lai, Vietnam, for its first Vietnamese deployment. This was the beginning of the battalion’s invaluable work performed in Vietnam during these present hostilities. Chu Lai was the first of three deployments to South Vietnam.

In Chu Lai, Four was assigned the task of repairing airport runways which had been damaged by the monsoon rains. They also installed a runway lighting system at the airfield. In addition the battalion built a helopad. In March a detachment was sent to the Kham Duc airfield near the Laotian boarder to repair the runway. In August 1966 the battalion returned to Port Hueneme for leave and retraining.

The second Vietnam deployment for MCB FOUR was a DaNang East. Here the battalion worked at the DaNang Air Base, dug wells at the Special Forces Camp at Con Thien and built a galley for Marines. "Fabulous Four" remained in Vietnam until October 1967 when they returned to Port Hueneme.

Four months later in February 1968, the battalion returned to Vietnam. This time Quang Tri and Camp Evans. The assignment for this deployment was the building of facilities for the Commander, Naval Force in Vietnam.

In this third deployment, the battalion did near record breaking construction projects along the coast of Vietnam and national highway Route One. Approximately one half of the battalion deployed to DaNang and points near by. The other half of the battalion deployed to Phu Bai and the surrounding area. At Phu Bai it engaged in aircraft revetment construction and laying of 850,000 square feet of steel aircraft matting for the Marine Air Group strip. Also the Phu Bai detachment strung 18 miles of eight-inch fuel line from Wonder Beach through Hai Lang to Quang Tri. This was only a part of the many projects accomplished by the battalion.

In the north the other detachment on 3 June was assigned to Camp Haines to build the Army’s huge Camp Evans. The battalion erected nearly 1000 wooden buildings for the Army. Also, the detachment resurfaced and matted a 2900-foot aircraft runaway. Almost incidentally the battalion constructed a 23 mile 8 inch Petroleum Oil line to the camp. In October the battalion moved back to the United States for more training and refitting after having engaged in one of the busiest deployments for any battalion in Vietnam.

NMCB FOUR completed the fourth tour in Vietnam from April 1969 to December 1969.

NMCB FOUR moved into the 1970's visiting such places as Diego Garcia, Guam, Hawaii and Japan. During the decade the battalion completed over 3,800 structures at the Guam relocation site for Vietnamese refugees known as OPERATION NEW LIFE. The battalion was called into action again after Typhoon Tip destroyed the U.S. Marine Barracks at Camp Fuji in 1979. The Seabees responded by rebuilding the barracks and operated a Military Affiliate Radio Station for the Marines until normal lines of communication were restored.

The 1980's brought the battalion to new countries around the world, including Bahrain, Greece, Crete, Palau and Yap (U.S. Trust Territories), Egypt, Kusco, Panama, Costa Rica, Africa, Korea and Sicily. In 1989, members of the battalion's air detachment participated in TEAM SPIRIT, providing contingency construction support to the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) at Camp Pohang, Republic of Korea. In addition, Seabees boarded USS Robert E. Perry (FF1037) performing civic action support at various ports across the South Pacific.

This decade, NMCB FOUR redeployed from Camp Moscrip, Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico to Camp Rohrbach, Saudi Arabia as part of the U.S.Forces involved in OPERATION DESERT SHIELD. With Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990 the Seabees of NMCB FOUR were called upon to provide contingency construction support to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. The men of FOUR set up a 2,000-man tent camp, built a 3600 foot taxiway, 20 hides (parking stalls) and various other projects necessary to support U.S. and Allied Forces in the Middle East.

On June 15, 1991, the eruption of Mount Pinatubo redirected NMCB FOUR and their entire Table of Allowance from their current deployment site at Camp Shields, Okinawa to the Republic of the Philippines to help the Subic Bay Naval complex recover from the devastation inflicted by the twelve inches of ash that blanketed the area. The battalion worked around the clock clearing roadways and collapsed buildings, restoring utilities and building shelters, these actions allowed the base to quickly resume its vital fleet mission.

In the wake of Hurricane Andrew on 24 August 1992, the battalion mounted out a 150-man Air Detachment and the largest ever Seabee airlift to provide disaster relief efforts in the communities of Homestead and Florida City, Florida-two of the hardest hit areas by the Hurricane. NMCB FOUR's Air Det along with nine other Seabee units, all part of the TWENTY SECOND Naval Construction Regiment Forward, came in force to make a local school safe and operational by tearing down collapsed buildings, clearing debris, restoring utilities, repairing roofs, putting up downed fence and general cleanup. The Seabees also worked in the community clearing debris from private residences in the area, government facilities, military units, and volunteer organizations.

The main effort in Cuba, in December of 1994, was Operation "Sea Signal" during which Joint Task Force 160 constructed facilities to improve and stabilize the quality of life of migrants at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. When the project concluded, two tent cities were constructed that were capable of housing almost 20,000 people. As a part of this multi-national joint-service effort, Seabees completed an astonishing 100,000 man-days of construction in a harsh environment.

The battalion was honored as the Best of Type battalion twelve times, six as an East Coast Battalion and six as a West Coast Battalion. NMCB FOUR has received three Peltier Best of Best awards, three Navy Unit Commendations, the Joint Meritorious

Unit Award, four Golden Anchor and three Silver Anchor awards for retention excellence.

The Seabees of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion FOUR have excelled through the course of three major wars and many contingencies around the world since first commissioned in the spring of 1942. They personify a tradition of excellence because they successfully and enthusiastically confront the challenges that lie ahead.

NMCB-14 History

The battalion is a rebirth of the 14th Mobile Construction Battalion which was commissioned at Camp Allen, Norfolk, Va. in July, 1942. Mobile Construction Battalion-14 (MCB-14) saw action in World War II in New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Guadalcanal and Okinawa. MCB-14 was disestablished in April 1946.

NMCB-14 was commissioned on July 1, 1961. The mission of NMCB-14 is to be mobilization ready in the event of war, conflict, natural/man-made disaster or other event which should require the activation of all or part of the battalion personnel for construction, combat, relief or related participation. Commissioned during WWII, NMCB-15 was part of the island-hopping campaign of American forces in the Pacific. Seabees cleared beaches, built air strips, and established logistical installations on several significant islands.

Legend has it that a Marine commander in the Pacific praised the battalion's hard work by observing that the Seabees were "going like a bat out of hell." The comment soon became 15's motto.

The bat logo was developed after the war. Another story says that the child of a unit member drew the first prototype U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion SEVENTEEN was commissioned on August 9,1942, in Norfolk, VA. They received quick training in Virginia and Mississippi on skills such as Quonset Hut erection, pontoon assembly, welding, pipe fitting, diesel mechanics, and demolition. The Battalion was then split into two sections for deployment overseas.

Section One departed to Argentia, Newfoundland, on September 30, 1942, to work on a large Naval Station/Air Base complex. By April 1943, after absorbing Construction Battalion Detachment 1004, they were mustering over 1000 men, both enlisted and officers. Section Two landed on November 7, 1942, as part of the North Africa Invasion Force, establishing detachments in Morocco and Algiers. On February 19, 1943, Section Two merged with CB-53 to form CB-120.

CB-17 returned home for ten months, first stationed at Davisville, RI, then at Port Hueneme, CA. On September 12, 1944, CB-17 deployed to Saipan (Marianas Islands) along with three other battalions. Working sometimes under Japanese attack, they built a naval base, three hospitals (Navy and Army), a mine assembly plant, supply depots and warehouses, wells, roads, and other projects. CB-17 departed on June 20, 1945, aboard five amphibious tank landing ships (LSTs). They arrived in Okinawa on June 27th and proceeded to build Chimu Air Field. Construction also included an 80-foot timber bridge over the Ishikawa River, roads, camps, and medical facilities on Okinawa and two neighboring islands. Soon after the Japanese surrendered in August, 1945, the battalion began demobilizing. NMCB 17 was formally de-activated on Okinawa on November 24, 1945.

In August, 1962, the battalion was reborn as Reserve Naval Construction Battalion SEVENTEEN and headquartered in Port Hueneme. In January 1990, NMCB 17 prepared for mobilization for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Active and Reserve Seabee units were integrated into a unified organization in the fall of 1993, dropping any "Reserve" designations. The re-organized NMCB 17 moved their headquarters to their current location at Fort Carson, Colorado, on February 1, 1995. Presently made up of ten Detachments over six western states, NMCB 17 is known as "The Desert Battalion."

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion SEVENTEEN has earned the following unit citations:

American Campaign Medal Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal Occupational Service Medal Battle Efficiency Ribbon (three awards) 1996 RADM John R. Perry Award NMCB 17 is proud of the legacy built with the "Can Do!" spirit. The Seabees continue to be the military construction force of choice.

The 23rd Battalion was commissioned on 1 September, 1942 as Naval Construction Battalion 23 (NCB 23). A month later, it was sent to the West Coast for embarkation for the war in the Northern Pacific, building and defending numerous bases in the Aleutian Islands chain including Kodiak Navla Base and Naval installations at Adak, Kiska, and Dutch Harbor. NCB 23 eventually moved to Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, and Guam, its final wartime destination. In 1945, after the war ended, NCB 23 was decommissioned.

The 23rd was recommissioned in 1961 as Reserve Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 23 (RNMCB23). Its first commanding officer was Commander Jerome Wyble ant its first Permanent Drill Site (not call Readiness Support Site) was located at the U. S. Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland. RNMCB 23 remained at this site until its move to Fort Belvoir, Virginia in November, 1977. Its new headquarters buildings were decicated in 1979 and have serve as the "homeport" for the battalion ever since.

After its recommissoning in 1961 as an RNMCB, the 23rd repeatedly distinguished itself in both military and civilian service achievement while preparing for its military construction mission. Over the years, the 23rd was recognized as "Best of Type" by the Commander, Reserve Naval Construction Force and the SECOND Naval Construction Brigade a total of nine times - more than any other NMCB. The 23rd has also won the coveted RADM John R. Perry Award, a distinction making the best of 17 reserve battalions, seven times.

The 23rd's record, combined with its high state of mobilization readiness, led to its recall to active duty status in direct support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. At this time RNMCB 23 became Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 23 (NMCB 23), without the "Reserve" in its name. The 23rd mobilized at Camp Hueneme, California to once again embark for the Pacific Theater. The 23rd deployed to Camp Covington, Guam, and subsequently to Camp Shields, Okinawa from November, 1990 through June, 1991. Details were also deployed to Adak, Alaska, Midway Island, Sasebo, Misawa and Kami-Seya, Japan and Pohang, Korea. As a NMCB, the 23rd again served with distinction, providing contingency construction, disaster recovery, and community service supporting the Pacific Region. NMCB 23 was was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal as a unit for its assistance to Typhoon Russ victims on Guam in December, 1990 while deployed there.

Those who have served with NCB 23, RNMCB 23, and NMCB 23 in the past and those continuing to serve today share a common bond to devotion to duty to their country, and to their fellow SEABEEs. THe 23rd will continue to exemplify the "Can Do" Spirit as it continues to preserve its distinct place in the history of Naval Construction Forces.

"The Old Pros"

The original Mobile Construction Battalion 28 (MCB) was activated during World War II. MCB 28 was at La Havre Harbor, France right after D-Day for the reconstruction of harbor after it was destroyed by retreating Wehrmacht Armies. In the aftermath of the war, the battalion was recommissioned as a reserve battalion and was homeported in the Northwest region of the United States. Some time in the 1950’s after Korea, the Battalion was decommissioned. In 1962 the Battalion was reconstituted as RNMCB 28, one of six at Port Hueneme, California. RNMCB 28 was awarded best of type in the six week recommissioning training. Following the 1968 call up of Reserve Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 22 to Vietnam, the southeastern United States battalion area of responsibility was divided and filled in with RNMCB 28. It’s area of coverage were Seabees in Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

The headquarters of RNMCB 28 moved around several times in it’s early years as a southern battalion. The initial location was the Naval Ammunition Depot McAlester, Oklahoma, then located at Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Mississippi, and finally to its current location at Barksdale Air Force Base, Shreveport, Louisiana. Ground breaking for the current location at 5731 Range Road was held in September 1978.

From its humble beginnings on 10 acres of wetland, which was used by the Army Air Force during World War II as a bombing range, RNMCB 28 "bootstrapped" its headquarters out of the muck to encompass 10 harden structures within a secured fence line. It has been consistently selected as one of the best Readiness Support Site (RSS) in the Naval Construction Force (NCF).

Today, NMCB 28 consists of one of the largest geographic coverage areas in the United States consisting of over 500 Seabees from the seven states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. NMCB 28 and her sister battalions NMCB 15, NMCB 22 and NMCB 25 are part of the Ninth Naval Construction Regiment (NCR), headquartered at Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas; formerly Carswell Air Force Base. The Ninth NCR in turn reports to the First Naval Construction Division (NCD), Naval Amphibious Base (NAB), Little Creek, Virginia. First Naval Construction Division Detached Headquarters: 1NCD (-), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii administers the Pacific wide Seabee Theater through the 30th Naval Construction Regiment.

Over the years NMCB 28 has provided mobilization training and contributory construction support in Europe, the Atlantic realm and the Pacific rim, including Iceland, Spain, Panama, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Guam, Japan, Okinawa, and Adak, Alaska. In Stateside construction support "The Old Pros" have left their mark at Kilauea Military Camp, Barbers Point, Hawaii, Camp Pendleton, California, and various Arkansas locations. NMCB 28 has earned the nickname "The Old Pros" for carrying on the proud Seabee tradition of "Can Do" and navy professionalism over a long period of time. In 1993 NMCB 28 was awarded Best of Type in the Third NCB. In FY02 NMCB 28 was again awarded Best of Type, the last one in the decommissioned Third NCB. Also in FY02 the battalion was awarded the RADM Perry Award for outstanding NMCB in the Naval Construction Force (NCF). This past year NMCB 28’s Air Detachment was forward deployed to the US Territory of Guam in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

United States Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 74 was activated April 28, 1943, at the Naval Construction Training Center in Camp Perry, Williamsburg, VA. LCDR Fremont G. Elliot assumed command and led the battalion through most of World War II.

"Fearless 74" served its country well in the dangerous island-hopping campaign to reclaim Japanese-held territory in the South Pacific. Often landing with Marine Corps combat troops and operating under heavy enemy bombardment, the battalion constructed support facilities on Tarawa, Kwajalein and the Berlin Islands. For its outstanding achievements, NMCB 74 received the Navy Unit Commendation Medal before being inactivated Oct. 31, 1945, while in Okinawa.

Two decades later, the U.S. Navy called upon NMCB 74 again. The battalion was recommissioned Dec. 6, 1966, at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, MS, and adopted the motto "Does More." From 1967 to 1970, the battalion made four deployments to Vietnam. NMCB 74 served in various locations, including DaNang, Cam Lo, Dong Hoa, Quang Tri, Quang Nagi, Chau Doc and Bien Hoa. During this time, the battalion was involved in constructing numerous base camps, a 575,000 square foot airfield, a 102 acre heliport, three Army Special Forces camps and a 730 foot bridge. NMCB 74 received a second Navy Unit Commendation Medal following its first Vietnam deployment. On Aug. 17, 1969, just before the battalion was scheduled to return to Vietnam, Hurricane Camille struck the Gulf Coast. The battalion received its third Navy Unit Commendation Medal for recovery actions following the storm.

Following the Vietnam War, NMCB 74 continued to serve her country. The battalion participated in peacetime construction efforts around the globe, including deployments to Diego Garcia; Guam; Okinawa, Japan; Puerto Rico; Rota, Spain; and Sigonella, Sicily. In April 1986, the battalion was awarded the Coast Guard Unit Commendation Citation for supporting the construction of a new Loran C station in Guam during a nine-month deployment.

On Dec. 3, 1990 NMCB 74 was sent to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. The battalion initially deployed to Suman Air Base, Bahrain, then redeployed in mid-December to Ra’s Al Mish’ab in northeastern Saudi Arabia. Detail sites included Al Jubail, Al Kibirt, and Al Khafji in Saudi Arabia and Suman Air Base in Bahrain. Among the battalion’s projects were the construction and maintenance of 30 miles of the 200-mile long main supply route, building one of the largest ammunition facilities in the world, a 1,500 foot stabilized soil runway for C-130 aircraft, two large camps for Marines, and support for NMCB 5 in building a 15,000-man camp known as "Wally World." The battalion’s most notable achievement, however, was Bravo Company’s construction of tank and artillery mock-ups in support of Task Force Troy, Commanding General Norman Schwarzkopf’s successful decoy that was deployed to disguise the main thrust of the allied assault on Iraq.

During recent years, NMCB 74 has continued to live up to its superb reputation. The battalion received the Battle "E" award as Best of Type among Atlantic Fleet battalions in 1993 following an outstanding Okinawa deployment. In May 1994, while deployed to the Caribbean region, the battalion sent Air Detachments to Grand Turk Island and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to support the construction of migrant processing facilities. Once the mission in Grand Turk was complete, the first Air Det was transferred to Cuba, putting just over 200 of NMCB 74’s finest in support of Joint Task Force 160. The battalion bore the brunt of constructing facilities to house 70,000 Cuban migrants. After returning to homeport in 1995, the battalion was selected to receive the Peltier Award, a highly prestigious honor given each year to the best active duty battalion among the eight mobile construction battalions.

In March 1998 the battalion readopted its original "Fearless" motto. In September 1998 the battalion provided cleanup assistance at the Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, MS, and throughout the Mississippi Gulf Coast due to damage caused by Hurricane Georges. Secretary of Defense William Cohen presented more than 200 members of the battalion the Humanitarian Service Medal.

Deployed to the Caribbean again in 1999, NMCB 74 assisted the Special Operations Command South (SOCSOUTH) in its relocation from Panama to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. Buildings were constructed from the ground up and renovations made to already-existing facilities. The battalion also responded to the Kosovo refugee crisis, constructing shelter for 500 displaced civilians in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. For its efforts the battalion was again presented the Peltier Award as the best active duty battalion.

During its 2000 deployment to Okinawa, NMCB 74 sent a DFT to the Philippines and the Kingdom of Thailand as part of Cooperation and Readiness Afloat (CARAT) exercise 2000. The battalion also participated in recovery efforts after Typhoons Jelawat and Saomai on Okinawa, and set records for rock blasting as part of a joint construction operation on Annette Island, Alaska. In recognition of its superb construction efforts throughout the Pacific Rim, NMCB 74 was once again selected to receive the Battle "E" award, its fourth in eight years.

In 2001, NMCB 74 became the final battalion to deploy a mainbody to Camp Moscrip in Puerto Rico, with detail sites at Andros Island, Bahamas; Camp Lejeune, North Carolina; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Jacksonville, Florida; New London, Connecticut; Norfolk, Virginia; and Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. The battalion also sent DFTs to Great Inagua Island, Bahamas; Concepcion, Paraguay; and Salta, Argentina. The battalion completed substantial construction tasking throughout the Atlantic region and provided security support at Camp Garcia on Vieques in response to anti-Navy protests during several Composite Unit Training Exercises. On September 11, 2001, the United States was attacked by terrorists. Security measures were increased, and NMCB 74 was challenged with dispatching crew served weapons teams, constructing force protection barriers and establishing a Command Operations Center. While maintaining these measures, the battalion was simultaneously assigned to realign and consolidate Camp Moscrip facilities and equipment in preparation for a new six-month deployed/ten-month homeport rotation cycle. By deployment’s end all facilities were either reassigned to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads or reconfigured for Detachment spaces.

NMCB 74 has been selected "Best of Type" among the Atlantic Fleet battalions eight times during its history. It was awarded this honor under CDR Gordon W. Schley for fiscal year 1968, CDR James E. Bodamer in 1973, CDR Daniel B. Leonard in 1976, CDR Arthur W. Fort in 1978, CDR B. Daniel Neal in 1993, CDR Ronald W. Hertwig Jr. in 1994, CDR William M. Peacock III in 1999 and CDR Francis P. Castaldo in 2000. The battalion also received the Society of American Military Engineers’ Peltier Award, honoring the best active duty battalion, in 1978, 1994, and 1999.

We're the Seabees of the Navy, We can build and we can fight. We'll pave our way to victory and guard it day and night. And we promise to remember the 7th of December. We're the Seabees of the Navy, 'Bees of the Seven Seas

They can fight or they can build.

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