Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5

Naval Construction Battalion 5 was commissioned on May 25, 1942 at Camp Allen Va.[2] The battalion went to Port Hueneme and shipped out for the first of two deployments in the Pacific. When the war ended CB 5 was decommissioned in the Philippines. On July 10, 1951 the Battalion was re-commissioned as a MCB and remains an active unit today.

WWII Unit Insignia
5th CB WWII insignia
5th Marine Regiment insignia
CB 5 adopted the Seahorse of the 5th Marines
Battalion insignia since recommissioning
5th MCB 1951 insignia
later MCB 5 insignia
NMCB 5 1970 insignia
5th CB WWII HQ sign. (Seabee Museum)
Midway Atoll airfields. Runway in black remains in use today the ones in gray have been abandoned.
French Frigate Shoals 3,100' x 275' runway was created by NCB 5.
NAS Cubi Point, MCB 5 Seabees helped leveled a mountain that civilian contractors said could not be done. Note the Aircraft-carrier docked adjacent the field. (USN)
MCB 5 constructing an Integrated Wideband Communication System Antenna on Monkey Mountain during the 1966-67 Vietnam deployment. (Seabee Museum)
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5
NMCB 5 1984 insignia
Active15 May 1942 – 1945
10 July 1951 - present
CountryUnited States
BranchUSN
Part of30th Naval Construction Regiment
HomeportCBC Port Hueneme, Ca.
Nickname(s)"The Professionals "
Motto(s)Pride and Professionalism
EngagementsWorld War II
Vietnam War
Gulf War
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Commanders
Current
commander
CDR. Ryan P. Carey[1]

History

US Navy 040510-F-5855M-061 Seabees assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Five (NMCB-5) and Thailand Army soldiers work together to build a community center in Ban Poon Suk, Thailand in 2004
US Navy 060821-N-7770P-002 A team of U.S. Navy Seabees from NMCB 5, attached to Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa (CJTF HOA), set up tents in 2006

WWII

With pressing construction needs in the Pacific, Naval Construction Battalion 5 was "rushed" in its formation. With its ranks full of qualified tradesmen the battalion was quickly given its military indoctrination and processed in less than a month for transit to Port Hueneme, Ca. From there the battalion boarded ship and was the first CB into the Hawaiian Territory.[3] "NAS Honolulu" was actually Naval Air Station Barbers Point and it was on CB 5's work list.[3] Also on the list was Midway Atoll. Sand Island had another airfield in need of attention.[3] Rounding out the first deployment were projects on French Frigate Shoals, Canton Island, Johnston Atoll and Palmyra atoll.[3] At French Frigate shoals an island had to be made for the base and airfield to be constructed upon. CB 5 was rotated CONUS on 19 March 1944, arriving Camp Parks, Ca on March 24.[3] Five's Midway replacement was the 50th CB who arrived on April 4.[4] From Camp Parks the battalion was transferred to Port Hueneme. While there the battalion was given its next assignment and attached to Cub-16. That was canceled with the battalion attached to the 7th Fleet and General MacArthur. On January 10, 1945 CB 5 departed Port Hueneme for Leyte where it arrived February 15. Nine days later the battalion would land at it new job site on Calicoan, Samar. The main projects would be an ABCD,[5] ACEPD,[5] NSD[5] and roads and water supply for all of it.[3] At Calicoan CB 5 had divers doing shallow water work for a seaplane ramp.[6] There were several detachments, one eachval Advance Base Unit 10(NABU-10) and NABU-12. Able Company went to Balikpapan, Borneo to help the Aussies joining Detachments from the 111th and 113th CBs. On 13 August the battalion learned it was assigned Operation Olympic the first element of Operation Downfall. Downfall was the plan for the invasion of Japan. Set to begin in November 1945, Operation Olympic was intended to capture the southern third of the Japanese island of Kyūshū. This was to be followed by Operation Coronet, the second element, which was planned to land near Tokyo. VJ-day terminated these Operations leaving NCB 5 in the Philippines.[3] CB 5 was then listed to be tasked to the Operation Beleaguer mission in China, but received notice mid-October that was canceled too.[3] Naval Construction Battalion 5 was deactivated on December 3 1945.[3]

Korea

On July 15, 1951, CB 5 was reactivated as a MCB.[2] The Korean War had begun and the Navy realized it had a need for an air station in the region. Cubi Point in the Philippines was selected, and civilian contractors were initially approached for the project. After seeing the Zambales Mountains and the surrounding jungle, they claimed it could not be done. The Navy then turned to the Seabees and was told no problem, Can do. The first Bees to arrive were surveyors of CBD 1802. MCB 3 arrived on 2 October 1951 to get the project going and was joined by MCB 5 in November. Over the next five years, MCBs 2, 7, 9, 11 and CBD 1803 also contributed to the effort. They leveled a mountain to make way for a nearly 2-mile long (3.2 km) runway. NAS Cubi Point turned out to be one of the largest earth-moving projects in the world, equivalent to the construction of the Panama Canal. Seabees there moved 20 million cubic yards (15 million cubic metres) of dry fill plus another 15 million that was hydraulic fill. The $100 million facility was commissioned on 25 July 1956, and comprised an air station with an adjacent pier capable of docking the Navy's largest carriers. Adjusted-for-inflation, today's price-tag for what the Seabees built at Cubi Point would be $906,871,323.53. The Philippine government did not renew the base's lease with the United States in 1992. The airfield now Subic Bay International Airport.

Vietnam

From 1965 to 1972, NMCB FIVE made six consecutive deployments to Vietnam.[2]

  • September 1965 - May 1966, Danang ~ Camp Hoover[7]
  • October 1966 - June 1967, East Danang ~ Camp Adenir, assigned to III Marine Amphibious Corps[8]
  • November 1967 - July 1968,Camp Barnes Dong Ha Combat Base, assigned to III Marine Amphibious Corps[9]
  • January - October 1969, Danang ~ Camp Hoover[10]
  • January - October 1970, North Danang ~ Camp Haskins, During this deployment the battalion was visited by many flag officers some of whom visited multiple Detachments multiple times.[11]
    • VADN E.R Zumwalt Jr., Chief of Naval Operations[11]
    • VADM J.H. King Jr., Commander U.S. Naval Force Vietnam[11]
    • RADM J. G. Dillon, Commander 3rd Naval Construction Brigade[11]
    • RADM A.R. Marschall, Commander 3rd Naval Construction Brigade[11]
    • RADM Combs COMSERPAC[11]
    • RADN Bonner NAVSUPPAC Danang[11]
    • RADM W.H.Heman COMCBPAC[11]
    • RADM Adamson, Commander Naval Support Activities, Siagon[11]
    • RADM H.S. Mathews Deputy U.S. Naval Force Vietnam[11]
    • Lt. Gen H. Nickerson Jr. USMC Commander III Marine Amphibious Corps[11]
    • Lt. Gen; Buss USMC Commander FMFPAC[11]
    • BGEN E.P. Yates USA MACVDC[11]
    • Commodore Chou RVN Navy Chief of Naval Operations[11]
  • Mar - Nov 1971, North Danang, Camp Haskins ~ Eight detachments in Vietnam plus dets to the Philippines, Guam , and Alaska.[12] NMCB 5 was the last battalion to deploy to Vietnam March to November 1971.[2] The battalion had numerous incidents with mines on that deployment. NMCB 5 also had an unusual number of flag officer visits again on this deployment.

In 1972, the battalion moved all its troops and equipment to Thailand.[2] The project there was the construction of Nam Phong Air Base.[2]

Seabee Teams

  • 0501 DanPau, Jan 1963[13]
  • 0501 Buom Me Ga, Apr 1963 7th Special Forces airstrip[13]
  • 0502 Tri Ton Jan 1963[13]
  • 0502 Chau Lang ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~5th Special Forces airstrip[13]
  • 0502 Dan Chau, Jun 1963 ~ ~5th Special Forces Camp and airstrip[13]
  • 0503 Minh Thanh, Jan 1964 ~ 5th Special Forces[13]
  • 0503 Moc Hoa, Mar 1964 ~ ~ 5th Special Forces[13]
  • 0503 Bu Gia Map, Jun 1964 ~ 5th Special Forces[13]
  • 0504 Pleiku, Jan 1964 ~ ~ ~ ~5th Special Forces Camp and airstrip[13]
  • 0504 Kannack Special, Feb 1964 5th Special Forces Camp and airstrip[13]
  • 0504 Dong Ba Thin, May 1964 5th Special Forces Camp and airstrip[13]
  • 0504 Nha Trang, May 1964[13]
  • 0505 Quang Tri, Oct 1964[13]
  • 0505 Phar Rang, Dec 1964[13]
  • 0506 Quang Ngai, Oct 1964[13]
  • 0506 Da Nang, Mar 1965[13]
  • 0507 Dran, Nov 1965[13]
  • MTT#5 Pleiku, Oct 1965 (Well drilling team)[13]
  • 0509 Thoai Son, Dec 1966[13]
  • 0510 Tan An, Jan 1967[13]
  • 0511 Bao Trai, Sep 1967[13]
  • 0511 Go Dau Ha, Jan 1968[13]
  • 0513 Tan Son Nhut, 0Dec 1968[13]
  • 0513 Ben Tre, Jan 1969[13]
  • 0514 Phu Vinh, Feb 1969[13]
  • 0517 Ben Tre, Apr 1970[13]
  • Det. Ba To 1970 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Special Forces Camp runway upgrade
  • 0518 Soc Trang, Mar 1971[13]

Post Vietnam, Iraq

NMCB 5 history[14]

Suspension bridge built by NMCB 5 CCAD in Timor-Liste 2015(Seabee Museum)
US Navy 081014-N-1205P-121 Chiefs and officers of NMCB 5 practice setting up a triple-strand concertina wire fence during 5's field exercise at Camp Pendleton in 2008.

Disaster recovery

List of commanding officers

Commanding officer Period Deployed to Detachments
Lt Cmdr Edgar S. WinhamJun 42- Mar 44Island XMidway atoll, Palmyra atoll, Canton Is, Johnson Isl, French Frigate Shoals, Kauai, NAS Honolulu, T.H.[16]
" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -"Jan- Dec 45Calicoan IslandCebu City, Iloilo City, Parang, Mindanao, Balikpapan, Borneo[16]
Cmdr. Irwin M. SmithOct 51-Jul 53Subic Bay[16]
Cmdr. Irwin M. SmithSep 53 - Oct 54Subic Bay[16]
Cmdr. Irwin M. SmithJan 55 - Oct 55Subic Bay[16]
Cmdr. H.W. Whitney1959-60Guam[16]
Cmdr. D.E.Kean1960-61Okinawa[16]
Cmdr John Richey1961-62Okinawa[16]
Cmdr. James S BurfieldNov 62 - Mar 64Guam[16]
Cmdr W.F. Russell1964-65Okinawa[16]
Cmdr W. F Russell1965 - 66Vietnam[16]
Cmdr. E. J. Williams Jr.1966-67Vietnam[16]
Cmdr. E.J. Williams Jr.1967-68Vietnam[16]22 detachments in support of the Marines throughout the northern I Corps region
Cmdr. Robert A. Schade Jr.1968-69Vietnam[16]
Cmdr. Robert A. Schade Jr.1969-70Vietnam[16]
Cmdr. Robert A. Schade Jr.Nov 70- May 71VietnamVietnam dets Bronco, Maverick, Mustang, Pinto, & Stallion, Adak, Guam, Philippines[16]
Cmdr. Robert J. McHugh Jr.May 72- Nov 72OkinawaNam Phong, Thailand
Cmdr. Robert J. McHuch Jr.1973-74OkinawaPhilippines, Taiwan, Sasebo, Iwakuni, Yokosuka, Seabee team 0522 USS Sanctuary[16]
Cmdr. R W. AuerBach Jr1974-75Puerto Rico[16]
Cmdr. David C. de Vicq1975-76Diego Garcia[16]
Cmdr. David C. de Vicq1976-77Rota SpainGreece, Crete, Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, Scotland
Cmdr R.E.BrownDec 77 - Sep 78Puerto RicoGuantanamo Bay, Eleuthera, Keflavick, Diego Garcia
Cmdr.J.T. PattersonsMar-Nov 79Diego GarciaClark AB, Philippines
Cmdr. J.T. PattersonMay 80 - Jan 81GuamDiego Garcia, Yokosuka Japan, Midway, Pearl Harbor, Seabee team Palau
Cmdr K.C.KellyJul 81 - Mar 82Rota SpainDiego Garcia, Nea Makri Greece, Sigonella NAS, Naples
Cmdr K.C.KellyAug 82 _ Apr 83Puerto RicoGitmo, Bermuda, Andros Isl., Vieques Isl., Seabee team Yap Isl.
Feb-Oct 86Subic BaySigonella & Lappedusa Italy
Cmdr. F.W DewMay 87 - Jan 88Puerto RicoGuantanamo Bay, Andrus Isl., Camp David, Damneck Va., Vieques Isl., Panama, Honduras, Haiti
Cmdr. D.F. WalshOct 89 - May 90Puerto RicoNAS Rodman Panama, NAS Bermuda, Abdros Isl., NAVFAC Antigua, Camp David, Hurricane Hugo
Cmdr. D.F. WalshAug 90 - Apr 91Saudi ArabiaOperations Desert Shield and Storm
Cmdr. H.B. Wittaker IIJan - Aug 92OkinawaAdak and Kodiak, Alaska, Pohang and Chinhae, Korea and Saaebo, Fuji, Iwakuni, Yokoauka and Ataugi, Japan
Cmdr. R.L PhillipsMar - Oct 93Puerto RicoEl Salvador, Belize, Columbia, Grenada, St. Kitts, Trinidad
May - Dec 94OkinawaAdak and Kodiak, Alaska, Camp Hialeah, Pohang and Chinhae, Korea and Saaebo, Fuji, Iwakuni, Yokoauka and Ataugi, Japan
Cmdr. J. M. BarrettJul 95 - Aug 96Guantanamo BayPuerto Rico, Vieques, Panama, Little Creek Va, Key West Fl, Norfolk Va
Cmdr. D.P. KingNov 97 - Sep 98Puerto RicoAndros Isl., Guantanamo Bay, Jacksonville Fl., Norfolk Va., Vieques Isl.
Cmdr. M.A. HandleyJan-Aug 1999OkinawaPohang & Chinhae So. Korea, Atsugi, Iwakunhi, Sasebo, & Yokosuka Japan
Cmdr. D.L.FleischMay-Dec 2001OkinawaPohang & Chinhae So. Korea, Atsugi, Iwakunhi, Sasebo, & Yokosuka Japan
2002Rota SpainKuwait Operation Enduring Freedom[14]
2005Island X[14]Special Operations support. Site locations remain "classified" information.
Aug 09AfghanistanCamp Leatherneck[14]
2010AfghanistanI Marine Expeditionary Force
Feb 2015OkinawaJapan, South Korea, Diego Garcia, Cambodia, Timor Leste, Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, San Clemente Island, Ca., Philippines[14]

Unit Awards

Campaign and service awards Vietnam Service MCB 5 saw service in 13 of the award periods.

See also

References

  1. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion FIVE, The Official website of the Naval Construction Force, Commanding Officer NMCB 5, 2600 Dodson Street, Suite 3, Port Hueneme, CA 93043.
  2. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion FIVE: History, The Official website of the Naval Construction Force, Commander, Naval Construction Group ONE, 1436 Pacific Road, Port Hueneme, CA 93043-4301
  3. NCB 5 history file, Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme, Ca
  4. Midway Bases, World War II Database, C. Peter Chen of Lava Development, LLC.
  5. US Navy Abbreviations of World War II, Naval History and Heritage Command, 1022 O Street SE, Washington, D.C.
  6. NCB 5 Cruisebook, NHHC, Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme, Ca
  7. MCB 5 Completion Report 1965-66, NHHC website, 1022 O Street SE, Washington, D.C.
  8. MCB 5 Completion Report 1966-67, NHHC website, 1022 O Street SE, Washington, D.C
  9. MCB 5 Completion Report 1967-68, NHHC website, 1022 O Street SE, Washington, D.C
  10. NMCB 5 Completion Report 1969, NHHC website, 1022 O Street SE, Washington, D.C
  11. NMCB 5 Completion Report 1970, NHHC website, 1022 O Street SE, Washington, D.C
  12. NMCB 5 Completion Report 1971, NHHC website, 1022 O Street SE, Washington, D.C
  13. Commander Naval julimpletion Report 1963–1972. Seabee Teams
  14. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion FIVE History, Seabees Official Navy webpage, Commanding Officer, NMCB 5, 2600 Dodson Street Suite 3, Port Hueneme, CA 93043
  15. SERT, SEABEE ENGINEER RECONNAISSANCE TEAM, ANDREW G. WRIGHTof the ENGINEERING NEWS-RECORD, SEABEE MAGAZINE SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE DOUBLE ISSUE 2003, Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Attn: SEABEE Online (Code PA), 1322 Patterson Ave., S.E., Bldg. 33, Suite 1000, Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5065, p. 58.
  16. NMCB 5 Cruise book 1974-75, Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme, Ca, p. 7/200
  17. Battle "E" Peltier Perry Awards, Seabee Museum Archives, Port Hueneme, CA 93043
  18. This Week in Seabee History: Dec. 9-15, Dr Frank A. Blazich Jr., Seabee Museum Archives, Port Hueneme, CA
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