Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11


Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11 is a United States Navy Construction Battalion, otherwise known as a Seabee Battalion, presently home-ported at the Naval Construction Battalion Center. The unit was formed during World War II as the 11th Naval Construction Battalion at Camp Allen on 28 June 1942. On 1 July, she moved to the new Seabee base Camp Bradford. Seabee battalions were numbered sequentially in the order they were stood up. The battalion lost one man during the war to an accident. The 11th NCB was inactivated on 1 December 1945, at Subic Bay, Philippines.
The unit was reactivated as Mobile Construction Battalion 11 in the fall 1953, only to be decommissioned again in December 1969. However, MCB 11 made four tours in Vietnam. Eleven's fourth Seabee Technical Assistance Team was sent to a Special Forces camp near the junction of two jungle routes, one called the Ho Chi Minh trail. It was the main route for the Viet Cong into South Vietnam, and lead to the most decorated group of Seabees in Seabee history. The battalion's 1967 tour exposed the men to the most severe combat the Seabees had seen since World War II. They came under fire 128 times, costing them 12 KIA. There were construction fatalities as well. In addition, the battalion suffered 102 wounded. NMCB 11 had one man make all four tours, getting a ribbon that matches the battalion's battle streamer. The battalion was deactivated in 1969.
Reactivated in 2007, NMCB 11 has since deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. It has also undertaken international engagement activities in the Pacific, and has supported relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Homeport for NMCB 11 is NCBC Gulfport Mississippi

History

WWII

From Camp Bradford, the battalion caught a train to the Advance Base Depot, Port Hueneme. NCB 11 was the very first CB to embark from that port for the Pacific. In the early record, 11th's first assignments are referenced by their code-names: Straw-hat, Straw-stack and Fetlock. "Straw-hat" was Upolo, Samoa, "Straw-stack" was Tutuila, Samoa, and "Fetlock" was Pago Pago. Eleven's primary projects were the construction of a Cub destroyer base and harbor facilities at Tutuila, fuel tanks, pump system, and fuel dock. A detachment was also sent to assist the 2nd NCB on Upolo. From Samoa, 11 NCB was transferred to Nouméa, New Caledonia when CBMU 506 relieved them on Samoa. Noumea was Hq for SOPAC. The main project on there was Naval Mobile Hospital 5. There were 3 detachment sites: Magenta, Ducos, and Ile Nou. They were then sent to New Zealand for R&R. The next stop was Banika Island in the Russells to build a dock for Acorn.
Afterwards, the battalion boarded USS Wharton for the Admiralty Islands campaign to build a home-base for the 2nd NCR on Los Negros Island and work on a Lion for the 7th Fleet. Also with them on AP 7 was the 58th NCB. At Milne Bay, Los Negros 11 CB and 58 CB joined the 71st CB. Projects the 11th CB had were the construction of three repair bases on Seeadler Harbor for seaplanes, landing craft, and fleet. The seaplane base became home for VPB-52 that flew PBYs. From Los Negros eleven returned to the States. After a long R&R the battalion shipped out along with the 35th and 80th CBs for Subic Bay, Philippines. At Subic Bay, the 11th took over some projects that the 115th CB had started as well as co-worked with the 115th on others. These included the completion of an Amphibious Training Center, Advance Base Construction Depot, a 400' marine railway. and a 1,200-foot timber pier to serve the supply depot. On 1 December 1945 the battalion was inactivated. The record does not give the date that the men reached CONUS.
In August 1953, the battalion was reactivated as Mobile Construction Battalion 11 at Port Hueneme, CA. The battalion did not deploy to Korea. Instead, her first deployment returned the battalion to its last World War II duty station, Subic Bay. The project was constructing Naval Air Station Cubi Point with its adjacent pier. Along with CBs 2, 3, 5 and 9 MCB 11 was involved in the leveling of a mountain that civilian contractors said could not be done. It cost of $100,000,000 in 1956. Adjusted-for-inflation, the cost in today's dollars would be $934,229,168.10. In November 1955 MCB 11 landed on Kwajalein to build Department of Defense housing totaling 78 buildings. On Halloween 1959, the battalion relieved MCB 9 on Okinawa. The job was building base infra-structure: five 100'x400' warehouses, four shops, plus supply and administration buildings. Sent to Midway Island in December 1961, the battalion worked on a seaplane ramp, the station's roads, as well as civilian and military housing. However, MCB 11 had three atypical projects for the Atomic Energy Commission on Kwajalein, Eniwetok, and Nevada. The battalion repaired massive damage caused by the 11 November 1962 arrival of Typhoon Karen on Guam; an advanced party left for the island just days after the storm on 15 November, followed by the main body on 5 December.

Vietnam

CM3 Marvin Glenn Shields Mobile Construction Battalion 11.
Seabee Technical Assistance Teams
Seabee Teams
NMCB 11 was recommissioned on 14 September 2007 in order for the Naval Construction Forces to carry out the increasing construction projects it was being tasked with throughout the world. Eleven was classified as the first "SMART Battalion", and instituted many of the initiatives and changes being implemented to improve NCF operations. According to the battalions webpage, "NMCB ELEVEN is tasked with providing advance base construction, battle damage repair, contingency engineering, humanitarian assistance and disaster recovery support to our fleet and unified commanders."
Like most CBs, 11 does not use the unit insignia from WWII. When the battalion was reactivated the first time, a pair of dice showing eleven was adopted for the unit insignia That design had no Seabee on it. The cover of the 1955–56 Cruise-book has an insignia on it exactly like the one used today, minus the phrase "Remembering the Past". For an unknown reason, the dice were removed from the unit insignia on the cover of the 1969 cruise-book.

Unit awards

NMCB 11 has received several unit citations and commendations. Members who participated in actions that merited the award are authorized to wear the medal or ribbon associated with the award on their uniform. Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces have different categories, i.e. Unit, Campaign, Service, and Personal. Unit Citations are distinct from the other decorations. The following unit awards are 11's:
Campaign and Service Awards
|Vietnam Service NMCB 11's Battle Streamer for Vietnam has one silver star and two bronze stars: the streamer alone counts as the first award. MCB 11 made 4 tours of Vietnam. The conflict was divided into 18 award periods and the battalion qualifies for eight.
11's Seabee Teams
  • 1101 – Navy Unit Commendation
  • 1104 – Navy Unit Commendation
  • 1108 – Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
  • 1113 – Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
  • 1114 – Navy Unit Commendation
  • * A complete listing of NMCB 11s Vietnam: Unit, Individual, and letters of commendation: see appendices 2–6
  • * Complete Seabee Teams Report by: Commander Naval Construction Battalion U.S. Pacific Fleet, Tân Sơn Nhất, Republic of Vietnam, Completion Report 1963-1972.
Unit Letters of Commendation'''