Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 20 Details
The 20th Naval Construction Battalion (NCB) was commissioned at Camp Allen, Virginia, on August 20, 1942. Aiding the efforts of the nation during World War II, the 20th NCB operated at various locations throughout the Pacific theater including Noumea, New Caledonia; Woodlark Island, New Guinea; Oleana Bay, Vangunu Island; Viru Harbor, New Guinea; Kirwana; and the Russell Islands. The battalion was called on to build camps, roads, air strips, docks, barges, bridges, warehouses and even a building to house an Army Coca Cola plant when they were later deployed on Saipan.
While some of the battalion's Seabees were working on repairing the U. S. S. Fort Snelling (LSD-23), during the Battle of Okinawa, 1 April 1945 - 30 June 1945, the ship was hit by a kamikaze plane, injuring six Seabees. In another action, the battalion participated in air and group defense and shot down a Japanese plane with 20mm anti-aircraft fire.
The 20th Naval Construction Battalion was operating as a component of the 39th Naval Construction Regiment on Okinawa when the war ended in August. On November 8, 1945, the battalion was deactivated.
In July, 1961 Reserve Mobile Construction Battalion 20 was officially established at Naval Training Center, N&MCRTC, Youngstown, Ohio. A unit roster was sent from COM 4, Philidelphia, PA, effective 15 August 1961 showing the assignment of a staff of 18 officers to the newly formed Reserve Mobile Construction Battalion 20. CDR L. D. Harrison, CEC, USNR, Worthington, OH, was assigned as the Commanding Officer..
Battalion unit active duty for training for Fiscal Year 1962 was interrupted during the Cuban Missile Crisis (October 1962) and reserve battalions did not train as units on annual training in the period July 1962 to June 1963.
The battalion made its first active duty training deployment to the Construction Battalion Center at Davisville, R. I., from 22 October - 4 November 1961, with emphasis on organization training. Some construction projects were also undertaken and completed. A complement of 20 officers and 289 men attended.
The battalion was comprised of a headquarters staff and 12 Naval Reserve CB Divisions operating from their supporting Navy Reserve Centers:
CB Division 4-4 Pittsburgh, PA
CB Division 4-9 Erie, PA
CB Division 4-11 McKeesport, PA
CB Division 4-16 Cincinnati, OH
CB Division 4-17 Cleveland, OH
CB Division 4-18 Cleveland, OH
CB Division 4-19 Columbus, OH
CB Division 4-20 Youngstown, OH
CB Division 4-21 Toledo, OH
CB Division 4-23 Mansfield, OH
CB Division 4-24 Dayton, OH
CB Division 4-25 Akron, OH
During the period 10 March - 24 March 1963, the battalion made its second deployment - to Camp Geiger at the U. S. Marine Corps Base at Camp Lejeune, N. C. During this period, battalion personnel received their first defensive military training by the Marine Corps Infantry Training Regiment. The men were organized into fire teams and squads in each company. Lectures, close-order drill, practice on the rifle range and similar activities were carried out. CDR Harrison was the Commanding Officer.
During the period 5 April - 19 April 1964, the battalion made its third deployment this time to the Construction Battalion Center, Davisville, R. I. During this period, battalion personnel the effectiveness and construction ability of the battalion were put to the test. CDR Harrison was the Commanding Officer.
During the period 14 February - 28 February 1965, the battalion made its fourth deployment this time to the Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Norfolk, VA. During this period, battalion personnel were introduced to amphibious operations including additional combat training by the Marine Corps.
During the period of 1966, the battalion made its fifth deployment. No additional information is available on this deployment.
During the period of 1967, the battalion made its sixth deployment. No additional information is available on this deployment.
The SIXTH Reserve Naval Construction Regiment was formed in July 1967 as part of the Reserve Naval Construction Regiments authorized at that time. The Regiment originally included three battalions (Reserve NMCB 20, -21, & -23) and was headquartered at Alexandria, Virginia (Jones Point).
During the period 10 March - 24 March 1968, the battalion made its seventh deployment this time to the Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, MS. During this period, battalion personnel completed construction projects. CDR Jack Roberts, CEC, USNR, was the Commanding Officer.
On 1 July 1969, CAPT Robert G. JACKSON, CEC, USNR, relieved CAPT WYBLE as SIXTH Regimental Commander. A month later 1 August 1969 the Navy established the First Reserve Naval Construction Brigade (1st RNCB) assigning RNMCB-23 and 26 to the SIXTH Regiment and RNMCB-20 and 21 to the EIGHTH Reserve Naval Construction Regiment (EIGHTH RNCR), Naval & Marine Corps Reserve Training Center, Pittsburgh, PA.
During the period 5 April - 19 April 1969, the battalion made its eighth deployment this time to the Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, MS. During this period, battalion personnel conducted training involving construction practices, along with the EIGHTH RNCR. CDR Richard H. Henderson, CEC, USNR, of Powell, Ohio, was the Commanding Officer.
During the period 22 January - 7 February 1970, the battalion made its ninth deployment this time to the Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, MS. Construction of a base camp in the DeSoto Forest was completed while coordinating the work with the other two battalions in the EIGHTH RNCR. Defense had to be maintained, including at night, against a Marine detachment assigned as the aggressor force.
The Clinton County Air Force Base at Wilmington, OH, was designated as the Reserve MCB 20 Permanent Drill Site (PDS). CDR William D. Ashton, CEC, USNR, assumed command of the battalion in July 1970 relieving CDR Henderson. A year later the Wilmington base was closed and the battalion was reassigned to its new Readiness Support Site at Rickenbacker Air Force Base, Columbus, OH.
The designation of a battalion as an "MCB" was changed to "NMCB", Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, to avoid confusion with the abbreviation of a Marine Corps Battalion during the later part of the Vietnam Conflict. As a result, in 1970, active and reserve MCBs were re-designated as NMCB and RNMCB, respectively.
In July 1971 the EIGHTH RNCR Commander was CAPT H. P. Cahill, CEC, USNR, of Butler, PA. The EIGHTH RNCR consisted of Reserve MCB-20 and Reserve MCB-21, NAEC, Lakehurst, NJ. The Commanding Officers were CDR W. D. Ashton, Youngstown, OH, and CDR F. A. Richardson, Washington Crossing, PA, respectively.
The detailed year-by-year unit history of Reserve NMCB 20 for the period 1971 to 1993 is generally unavailable. For this period refer to the history of the SIXTH NCR.
During the year of 1971, the battalion made its annual deployment. No additional information is available on this deployment.
During the year of 1972, the battalion made its annual deployment. No additional information is available on this deployment.
During the year of 1973, the battalion made its annual deployment. No additional information is available on this deployment.
During CAPT TORGERSON's tour of duty (FY74-75) with the SIXTH Reserve Naval Construction Regiment, the SIXTH was again reorganized. RNMCB-23 was reassigned to an East Coast Regiment and RNMCB-20 rejoined the SIXTH RNCR as the sister battalion to RNMCB-26, NAS Glenview, IL.
During the year of 1974, the SIXTH Regiment and the battalion completed Readiness Duty (REDDU) at CBC Gulfport, MS. No additional information is available on this deployment. CDR Robert L. Purdum, CEC, USNR, was assigned as Commanding Officer.
During the year of 1975, the battalion Readiness Duty (REDDU) for Fiscal Year 75 again took place at CBC Gulfport, MS. No additional information is available on this deployment.
In January 1976 the Regiment and RNMCB-20 along with RNMCB-26 completed Readiness Duty "REDDU-76" at CBC Gulfport, MS. CDR Walter P. Bruen, CEC, USNR, Carmel, Indiana, relieved CDR Purdum as Commanding Officer on 30 September 1976.
In January 1977 RNMCB-20 and a portion of the Regimental staff deployed to Fort Drum, NY, for two weeks of cold weather indoctrination. Daily snowfall sometimes exceeded two feet, as the Blizzard of ‘77 engulfed the Northeastern United States and trapped the Seabees four days beyond their scheduled departure date. This afforded an excellent opportunity to strengthen the cold weather capabilities of the battalion, to the benefit of both the Fort and the surrounding community. In September 1977 CDR Robert Barclay, CEC USNR, relieved CDR Bruen as Commanding Officer.
During the year of 1978, the battalion made its annual deployment. No additional information is available on this deployment.
ACDUTRA-79 took place in April 1979 at Camp Upshur, Marine Corps Development and Education Command (MCDEC), Quantico, VA with military skills training for RNMCB-20 and RNMCB-26. Exercises included air strikes, joint operations with Marine forces and an Army hospital unit, and an air detachment. Projects included repairs to barracks, various roads, an M-60 range and the obstacle course.
CDR Kenneth J. Gutzwiller, CEC USNR relieved CDR Barclay as Commanding Officer on 1 October 1979. The battalion was comprised of detachments located at reserve centers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Kentucky.
In March of 1980, the SIXTH RNCR deployed with RNMCB-20 and 26 to CBC Gulfport, MS, with a combination of technical classroom training, military training, and on-the-job construction training in construction skills including a variety of work projects aboard CBC Gulfport. This was also the year for details and detachments to Fort Drum, Vicques Island, Puerto Rico; Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba and Naval Station Rota, Spain.
During the year of 1981, the battalion made its annual deployment. No additional information is available on this deployment. CDR Gutzwiller was relieved as Commanding Officer on 30 September 1981 by CDR William Hanf, CEC USNR.
During the year of 1982, the battalion made its annual deployment. No additional information is available on this deployment.
In May 1983, the SIXTH Regiment along with RNMCB-26, RNMCB-20, and NR CBMU-302 deployed to MCDEC Quantico, VA for military training. CDR Hanf was relieved as Commanding Officer on 30 September 1983 by CDR Eric Bennett, CEC, USNR.
In April 1984 RNMCB-20 along with the SIXTH Regiment deployed to CBC Davisville, RI, along with RNMCB-26, NR CBMU-302 and CBHU-113.
In August 1985 RNMCB-20 conducted a "Greenstinger" Exercise deploying their Air Detachment (approximately 115 men plus C-130 transportable equipment) from their Permanent Drill Site in Columbus, OH, to Camp Atterbury, IN, for ACDUTRA training. CDR Bennett was relieved as Commanding Officer on 30 September 1985 by CDR Donald Watts, CEC, USNR.
In April 1986 the SIXTH Regiment deployed to Army Training Center, Fort Benning, GA along with RNMCB-20, RNMCB-26, RNCFSU-4 and CBHU-18D for Unit Military Skills Training.
In January 1987 the SIXTH Regiment deployed to CBC Gulfport, MS, for Technical Training along with RNMCB-20, an RNMCB-26 Detachment, RNCFSU-4, and CBHU-18D (renamed RNCBHU-22). CDR Watts was relieved as Commanding Officer on 30 September 1987 by CDR Marlin Thomas, CEC, USNR.
In March 1988 RNMCB-20 deployed to Army Training Center, Fort Jackson, SC with the SIXTH Regiment and RNMCB-26. A Mobilization Exercise involving both battalions and RNCFSU-4 was conducted testing NAVRESCEN mobilization procedures as part of FY88 ACDUTRA. The ACDUTRA emphasized individual military skill training plus practical field training culminating in a Field Exercise (FEX).
During the year of 1989, the battalion made its annual deployment. No additional information is available on this deployment. CDR Thomas was relieved as Commanding Officer on 30 September 1989 by CDR Art Wickerham, CEC, USNR.
In July 1990 RNMCB-20 deployed to CBC Gulfport for a mobilization exercise for all hands.
During the year of FY91 the SIXTH Regiment’s focus was on Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Military training was emphasized for all units. Several individuals in the SIXTH NCR’s units were cross assigned out to those RNCF units activated for Desert Shield/Desert Storm (primarily RNMCB-24, Redstone Arsenal, AL, but also RNMCB-23, Fort Belvoir, VA) and were recalled to active duty in the first quarter of FY91. Deactivation occurred for those individuals by July 1991.
In 1991 the battalion was renamed “Naval Mobile Construction Battalion TWENTY” as a result of the lessons learned during mobilization of reserve units for Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Other units were similarly renamed dropping the word “Reserve” from their title. CDR Wickerham was relieved as Commanding Officer on 30 September 1991 by CDR Steven Armstrong, CEC, USNR.
During the year of 1992, the battalion made its annual deployment. No additional information is available on this deployment.
In September 1992 the Sixth Naval Construction Regiment was decommissioned at NAS Glenview, IL. This event was part of a broader action where two reserve battalions (NMCB 2, San Francisco and NMCB 12, Davisville, RI) were decommissioned along with the 6th NCR and the 5th NCR, San Francisco plus NCFSU 1, McKeesport, PA. This left 15 reserve battalions and 3 NCFSUs.
As a result of the decommissioning of the 6th NCR, its battalions - NMCB 26 and NMCB 20 were attached to the 8th Naval Construction Regiment, Philadelphia, PA, with CAPT Frank E. Falcone, CEC, USNR, as Commander of the EIGHTH NCR.
During the year of 1993, the battalion made its annual deployment. No additional information is available on this deployment.
On 10 September 1994 Naval Mobile Construction Battalion TWENTY was decommissioned at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Columbus, OH. The Commanding Officer was CDR Steven Armstrong, CEC USNR. This was part of the force reduction actions by the Department of Defense as a result of the end of the Cold War era.
This action left 12 reserve NMCBs and two NCFSUs in addition to eight NMCB Augment units and two CBMUs (both unit types stood up as a consequence of Desert Shield/Desert Storm). The commands and units remaining were the two active duty brigades (NCBs) each with two reserve Naval Construction Regiments, six reserve NMCBs, one reserve NCFSU, four reserve NMCB Augment units and one reserve CBMU. NR CBHUs continued to be attached to the remaining reserve regiments.
