NMCB28 Reservists Conduct “Exercise Heartland”

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (NNS) -- Chiefs and officers from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 28 came together at Barksdale Air Force Base Jan. 15-16 to conduct the battalion’s annual Chief and Officer Communications Training, “Exercise Heartland.”

Enlisted Seabees were involved in the training, as well, attaining individual and unit skills needed to ensure quick, capable, and correct set-up of communications equipment and systems in the field, therefore enhancing the unit’s operational readiness.

According to Lt. j.g. Michael Wilkinson, the exercise was a communications success.

“We were using the Navy laptops and NMCI for the first time to send message traffic to simulate the SIPRNET, rather than using the HF and VHF radios,” said Wilkerson. “We were able to identify our shortcomings while dealing with this new technology, thereby better preparing ourselves for future field communication operations.

Chief Builder Darrell McGinty was pleased to refresh some of the skills that get a little rusty between training evolutions, and enjoyed the opportunity to pass on some of his knowledge to those who might not have acquired some of the needed skills yet. He took the opportunity to teach not only about communications protocol on both field phone and computer, but also about plotting on the map, sending out patrols, and how camp communications and chains of command work in theater.

“This is a good training, especially for those who have never had the opportunity to use a compass or a field phone, because they learn the skills under a realistic situation,” he said.

The exercise was run under a terrorist threat of “significant,” force protection condition Charlie, in which reconnaissance teams were sent out from friendly territory into enemy territory to provide timely and responsive engineering and construction support for an offensive operation, giving participants a realistic communications simulation.

“The scenarios played out by Regiment were pertinent to today's operations and gave us some food for thought,” said Wilkinson in conclusion. “Although the tempo was pretty exaggerated from real life or even full-fledged field exercises, where things are a little more spread out over the course of several days rather than 12 to 16 hours. It does make for a long drill day, but the lessons learned always prevail over any discomforts endured.”

For related news, visit the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 28 Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/nmcb28.