History
The Naval Construction Regiment (NCR) 22 was originally established on January 15, 1944 and was sent to Green Island in the Pacific. The unit directed construction battalion efforts in building a fighter landing field, a bomber landing field, 25 miles of roads, a gasoline tank farm and various berthing facilities before being deactivated on June 13, 1946.
Reactivated on July 17, 1992, NCR-22 provided operational and administrative control of all subordinate Naval Construction Force (NCF) units in the Atlantic Fleet area of responsibility. When Hurricane Andrew struck southern Florida in August 1992, 22 NCR was mobilized and 800 active duty and reserve Seabee converged on the storm-ravaged area. In just 11 days they repaired 46 public schools, allowing them to open for the school year as planned.
In December 1994, NCR-22 Forward Element was stoop up in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in support of Operation Sea Signal. Active duty and reserve Seabees, along with Army, Air Force and Marine engineers and Cuban volunteers constructed two tent cities to house more than 50,000 Cuban and Haitian migrants who had taken to the sea in rafts to flee their homelands. After the Haitians returned home about 20,000 Cubans remained. In response, the Seabee upgraded the camps by erecting 1,345 strong-back tents, 43 tension-fabric buildings, a wastewater treatment plant, and various other facilities and utility systems.
In November 1998, 22 NCR was mobilized again to conduct disaster recovery efforts in Honduras in the wake of Hurricane Mitch. Seabees cleared roads, diverted waterways, constructed causeway bypasses and erected two strong-back tents camps.
In April 2001, 22 NCR deployed to Albania to build a 2.7 kilometer road in support of Operation Cornerstone, a multi-national exercise in the spirit of partnership for peace.
In January 2002, 22 NCR deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to build temporary detention facilities for more than 500 Taliban and Al-Qaida detainees.
In Nov ember 2002, 22 NCR deployed to Southwest Asia as part of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Engineering Group (IMEG) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Seabees worked to ensure the major supply routes were clear and allowed for the continuous flow of supplies and troops. The major project of this effort was a 20-acre concrete parking apron for the Marine Air Wing which was completed in 90 days.
In February 2004, 22 NCR deployed again to Southwest Asia as part of IMEG in support of OIF II. The mission this time around was civil military operations – rebuilding the Iraqi infrastructure. The Seabees built border patrol outposts, maintained bridges and administered over $100 million in contracts to rebuild the water, electrical and sanitary systems in the Al Anbar Province. The Seabees initiated the Iraqi Construction Apprentice Program (ICAP) where they trained young men in construction skills and guaranteed them a job with a local contractor after graduation.
In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana Gulf Coast. 22 NCR was designated as 1NCD Forward and exercised operational command and control over 3000 Seabees who deployed to Bayou La Batre, Alabama to the southern-most parishes of Louisiana. The Seabees executed over 800 missions on military bases and in communities, including the assessment of 2600 miles of roadways, the clearing of 800 miles of road, removal of more than 20,000 tons of debris, repair of 74 schools serving over 74,000 students, repair of more than 60 non-public buildings, the delivery of 250,000 gallons of water and fuel, the distribution of food to over 1600 families daily and the repair of more than 450 utilities in the devastated region. This remains the largest peacetime deployment of Seabees in the United States.
In February 2008, 22 NCR deployed to Southwest Asia for a third time. With the addition of 48 mobilized reservists from across the United States, 22 NCR deployed to the Al Anbar Province of Iraq to provide general engineering support to Multi National Forces-West.
In February 2010, 22 NCR deployed to Afghanistan as commander of Task Force Alliance and a major subordinate command under U.S. Forces Afghanistan, Joint Force Engineering Command and Regional Command South, supporting seven brigade-level maneuver elements. The 6,000-person joint engineer force was comprised of three Army Engineer Battalions, four NMCBs, two Air Force Squadrons, one Marine Corps Airfield Engineer Detachment and Defense Department civilians. They completed more than 375 projects on more than 30 FOBs, including the following: base perimeter expansions up to six miles, 23 command and control facilities, two rotary wing airfields, 23 water wells, tactical bridging, more than 180,000 square feet of berthing facilities to house 24,000 personnel, three aircraft runways and various other force protection improvements. Engineer battalions completed more than 1,900 missions clearing more than 127,000 kilometers of key transportation routes. They also built and expanded four FOBs in support of the 2/101st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.
In February 2012, 22 NCR deployed for a second and final time to Afghanistan. As Task Force Stethem, they led a multi-service force of approximately 1,900 engineers. They executed vital freedom of maneuver projects, force protection measures, water wells, bridges and tactical infrastructure projects to enhance combat power, command and control, and survivability for coalition forces combating insurgents in southern and western Afghanistan. The regiment also partnered with the U.S. Air Force’s 443rd Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron to train and instruct Afghan engineers assigned Kandahar Airfield and the 205th Corps of the Afghan National Army.
In May 2013, the 20th Seabee Readiness Group was renamed Naval Construction Group 2 (NCG 2) in a historic ceremony, Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) Gulfport, Miss. NCG 2 continued the mission currently performed by 20 SRG, providing Seabee units the highest possible state of readiness to deliver engineering support to the Navy, Marine Corps and other forces in military operations; construct and maintain base facilities; repair battle-damaged facilities; conduct defensive operations as required; and meet disaster preparedness and recovery missions. Within NCG 2 is the 22 NCR which is a fully deployable Battle Staff and command element capable of providing command and control of expeditionary engineer forces in support of Navy Component Commanders, Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, other joint task forces and expeditionary forces across the full range of military operations.
Since 2013 22 NCR’s focus is continued training to maintain a surge ready, forward command element to provide command and control of expeditionary forces in support of Component Commander, MAGTF, and Joint Task Forces across a full range of military operations and Defense Support of Civil Authorities.
In April 2017, 22 NCR deployed 25 active and reserve component personnel to Agadir, Morocco as part of Combined Joint Task Force African Lion 2017 (AL17), where they provided critical command and control to participating units. 22 NCR relieved Commander, Task Force (CTF) 68 as AL17’s command and control element in the early stages of the exercise and remained in this capacity through the remainder of the two-week, training event. Exercise African Lion is the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe (MARFOREUR) and U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Africa’s (MARFORAF) largest annual training event. Approximately 1,300 military personnel from the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Spain and Tunisia traveled to various regions of the Kingdom of Morocco to take part in the exercise.