By Lt j.g. Sam Stoffels, NMCB 25 Public Affairs Officer
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 25’s Seabees paved the way to make an impactful annual training event for 2020. The battalion had teams training at three different locations Aug. 2-14: Fort McCoy, Wisconsin; Naval Support Activity (NSA) Crane, Indiana; and through the virtual realm over the DOD’s approved virtual collaboration platform with Seabees signing on from home over the internet. All three sites also participated in a Battalion Command Post Exercise (CPX) utilizing the software to stay in sync.
Over 200 Seabees participated in this unique annual training opportunity offered in a year of uncertainty with COVID-19. For the onsite and in-person sites, the Seabees had to take some extra precautions like separate berthing, sanitization, social distancing, daily temperature checks and surveys. The precautions put some extra burdens on the training sites but it didn’t stop the Seabees from accomplishing impactful training and projects at their training sites.
The Wisconsin site completed on-site training involving framing for a gazebo and concrete work on the Fort McCoy base. The Indiana detachment was also able to complete on-site construction framing training with an outdoor shelter while also completing weapons familiarization training. All sites completed various general military training (GMT) requirements that have been difficult to accomplish with the current drilling restrictions from COVID-19 since most naval operational support centers (NOSC) are closed for in-person training.
For the third site, the virtual option for Seabees not close enough to attend an in-person AT and unable to travel due to restrictions, Seabee Combat Warfare (SCW) training and GMTs were completed as well as participation in the CPX. Conducting training over the virtual realm was new for the Seabee battalion but 25’s Seabees took to it with their “Can-Do” attitude, accomplishing training in virtual classrooms utilizing the features of the online platform like screen share and presentation mode which make collaboration easy even over a distance.
Overall, attendees and leadership agreed the evolution was a huge step forward for the Seabees, showing that the current restricted COVID environment can’t stop a reserve battalion from conducting training.
Hoorah Seabees!
Date Taken: | 08.14.2020 |
Date Posted: | 10.15.2020 16:19 |
Story ID: | 381004 |
Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
Web Views: | 60 |
Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Seabees Exhibit Can-Do Mindset in Challenging Training Environment, by CPO Jacquelyn Childs, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.