Seabees in the Joint Fight

The Naval Construction Force (NCF), also referred to as the SEABEEs, constitutes a significant asset to the joint fight in the Global War on Terror (GWOT). The NCF has a legacy of adapting to change and rising to meet new mission challenges. The lessons of this history, in combination with a review of recent changes in organization and tasking, and examples of the developing role of SEABEEs in a post-9/11 environment, offer a robust picture of the face of the NCF today and provide insight into ways it can best contribute now and in the future. Significant changes within the NCF reflect the shifting demands that the SEABEEs are adapting to meet. Organizational and procedural changes at the Navy and DOD levels describe the vision driving these demands and offer opportunities and challenges to the NCF. One important example is the relatively new Global Force Management (GFM) process which has improved the method by which US commanders can request engineering support and has provided broader exposure for NCF capabilities to the other services. Additionally, incorporation of the NCF within the new Naval Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) provides evidence that the Navy recognizes the unique and important role SEABEEs can play within the new maritime vision. Recent history provides ample evidence of the NCF's impressive capabilities, especially in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). All of these indicators of an improving landscape and successful employment paint a compelling picture of the high value role of the SEABEEs.