From Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Public Affairs
GULFPORT, Miss. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11 conducted a 48-hour mount out exercise (MOX) onboard Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Mississippi, Aug. 21-23.
The MOX simulates the battalion s ability to deploy their 89-person air detachment within 48 hours to support missions required by a supported commander. The mission could range from major combat operations to humanitarian and disaster relief. The MOX requires moving heavy construction equipment and large quantities of support materials to a designated location for air transport.
It allows us to be rapidly forward deployed to any AOR around the world and enables us to streamline personnel, tools, and equipment for our mission success, said Steelworker 1st Class Harry Persadsingh. MOX helps us build upon the basics and prepare us for any NMCB-11 mission.
The embark team conducted a series of tasks, from weighting and balancing, shoring, palletizing materials, collecting data for each piece of equipment, and prioritizing the order of shipment in a staging area.
The evolution requires coordination and teamwork to build pallets and to weigh and measure each piece of equipment to locate its center of balance. Load planners input the information into a computer program called Transportation Coordinators Automated Information for Movements System (TCAIMS) to determine where everything will be placed in the military aircraft. If the load is not properly planned, it could lead to an unbalanced the aircraft and endanger the flight.
At the final stage of the exercise, personnel from Naval Construction Group (NCG) 2 conducted a joint inspection to determine the accuracy of the information for the items to be placed on the aircraft.
[MOX] shows us how important it is to have everyone working together in cohesion to complete a difficult task, said Persadsingh. This exercise displays how every individual role is an essential building block towards the overall success of the unit. Every Seabee involved with MOX holds a key position from E1 - O3.
Homeported in Gulfport, Mississippi, NMCB-11 is part of the Naval Construction Force (NCF). The NCF is a vital component of the U.S. Maritime Strategy and are comprised of deployable battalions capable of providing contingency construction, disaster preparation and recovery support, humanitarian assistance, and combat operations support.
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