Four Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11 deployed from Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Mississippi, to Camp Cobra, Israel, for exercise-related construction at the beginning of February.

The small detachment of NMCB 11 Seabees are supporting exercise Juniper Cobra 2018, which is a joint ballistic missile defense exercise between the United States European Command and the Israel Defense Forces.

Along with the Seabees, U.S. Air Force Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) are also on site for camp related construction.

Equipment Operator 1st Class John Thompson, officer in charge, said that "They aren't just helping the Air Force, but they are enabling the entire mission of Camp Cobra."

In the first few weeks at Camp Cobra, the Seabee detachment completed a wide range of tasking that is integral to smooth, daily operations on site.

Thompson explained, "We are helping maintain drainage and roads to help exercise personnel park their vehicles and transit to and from anywhere on base without the worry of flooding or mud on the roadways."

Currently the rainy season in Israel, the Seabees have been tasked with establishing the water drainage system for the site. They excavated several ditches to help establish drainage across the camp and graded the site to allow water to flow from the wash rack to a retention pond. They have also cleaned culverts and replaced broken rock to slow the flow of mud and debris, and prevent erosion.

NMCB 11 will continue to receive tasking while deployed to Camp Cobra, to improve the infrastructure for future exercises.

NMCB 11 is homeported in Gulfport, Mississippi, and is part of the Naval Construction Force (NCF). They currently have personnel assigned to more than 15 locations worldwide, performing a variety of missions in support of the Navy and the Department of Defense.

The NCF is a vital component of the U.S. Maritime Strategy and is comprised of deployable battalions capable of providing contingency construction, disaster preparation and recovery support, humanitarian assistance, and combat operations support.

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