Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 conducted a relief in place/transfer of authority (RIP/TOA) ceremony at Camp Mitchell on board Naval Station Rota, Spain, August 16.

After a weeklong turnover, NMCB 133 has turned over charge of the Seabees’ Europe and Africa Naval Construction Force missions to NMCB 11. 

NMCB 133 wrapped up a very successful deployment, completing 13 tasked projects with a combined value of more than $11 million.  Main body Rota made strides with the cliff erosion repair project, street lights at Tow Way Street led lighting project and military working dog rehabilitation facility. The NMCB 133 Air Detachment completed a tensile fabric structure for truck inspections at the NAVSTA Rota entrance gate. Air Det also supplemented Resolute Castle in Poland with direct labor before forward deploying as part of an adaptive force package in support of exercise Sea Breeze.

Elsewhere in the Europe Command area of operations, DET Israel completed two dormitory buildings and DET Ukraine completed a maritime operations center and a boat maintenance facility. Additionally, DET Poland completed two CMU buildings at the Drawsko Pomorskie training area while a second Poland detachment in Zagan completed a k-span in support of Resolute Castle 2019, and a concrete pad in preparation for 2020.

In AFRICOM, DET Gabon completed exercise-related construction of a maritime operations center while DET BMA answered the call to provide camp improvement and SMEs in the Horn of Africa. All of this was accomplished while 133 executed a historic retrograde of all NCF CESE in Africa. Finally, NMCB-133 Seabees boarded the USNS Carson City as a part of the Africa Partnership Station to produce potable water while underway and during port calls in five countries along the West African coast.

NMCB 133 also deployed Sailors to the CENTCOM and INDOPACOM AOR.  DET Bahrain maintained an NCF presence in CTF 56 with Airfield Damage Repair support and also completed an equipment maintenance pre-engineered building as well as various tasking in support of CNIC and NAVCENT. In the INDOPACOM AOR, DET Guam finished a restroom and shower facility for and continued to strengthen partnerships with several OICDs and community projects. The Civic Action Team in Palau did an outstanding job as US Navy ambassadors, completing three projects and spearheading numerous community engagements initiatives.

Back home in Gulfport, two ongoing projects were completed while the remain-behind element continued the traditional role of reach-back support to the deployed elements. In addition, they maintained Table of Allowance readiness, provided direct labor support to Fleet Logistics Com, ASF, NCBC Gulfport and equipped new Seabees for the upcoming homeport.

NMCB 11, like NMCB 133, is a part of the Naval Construction Force, which is a vital component of the U.S. Maritime strategy to provide contingency constructions, disaster responses and humanitarian assistance.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

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