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U.S. Navy

Seabees

Born from necessity in 1942, the Naval Construction Battalions — the Seabees — are the only military force in the world that builds and fights as one. From the coral airstrips of Guadalcanal to the frozen bridges of Chosin to the FOBs of Helmand Province, Seabees have deployed to every conflict and every continent, including Antarctica. They are tradesmen, engineers, divers, and riflemen. Their motto says it all: "Can Do."

Naval Mobile Construction Battalions
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Origins 1942
EST. 1942
CONSTRUIMUS BATUIMUS
"We Build, We Fight"
Naval Construction Battalions
Mar 5
1942 · Founded
Moreell
RADM · Father
Can Do
Motto
CBs
Designation
Rear Admiral Ben Moreell saw civilian contractors under fire with no right to fight back under the Geneva Conventions. His solution: put them in uniform. On March 5, 1942, the Naval Construction Battalions were born — skilled tradesmen who could pour a runway by morning and pick up a rifle by afternoon. Read more
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World War II — Pacific 1942 – 1945
PACIFIC
151 BATTALIONS
Island Hoppers
Pacific Theater Construction
111
Airstrips
441
Piers
2,558
Ammo Mags
700
SQ MI CLEARED
From Guadalcanal to Okinawa, Seabees landed with or ahead of the Marines and turned coral atolls into bomber bases. At Peleliu they bulldozed runways under mortar fire. At Tinian they built the airfields that launched the B-29s carrying the atomic bombs. The Japanese couldn't destroy what the Seabees could rebuild overnight. Read more
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PACIFIC
CAUSEWAYS & DRYDOCKS
Pontoon Engineers
Amphibious Logistics Innovation
300+
Causeways
100+
Pontoon Barges
7
Floating Drydocks
10,000+
PONTOONS
Seabees invented modular pontoon causeways that turned open beaches into functioning ports. At every amphibious landing from Tarawa forward, pontoon causeways bridged the gap between ship and shore — the difference between a stalled invasion and a supplied one. Read more
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World War II — Atlantic & Europe 1942 – 1945
ETO
RHINO FERRIES
Normandy & Beyond
European Theater Construction
6
Rhino Ferries at Omaha
15+
Bases in UK
3
N. Africa Bases
50,000+
ETO SEABEES
On D-Day, Seabee-built Rhino ferries carried tanks and trucks from transport ships to the beach when the surf was too rough for conventional landing craft. In the weeks that followed, they rebuilt the shattered port of Cherbourg — restoring it to handle more tonnage than any other port in the world. Read more
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Korea 1950 – 1953
KOREA
NMCBs
Frozen Builders
Korean War Construction
10
Battalions
3
Airfields Rebuilt
-30°F
Chosin Temps
14,000+
SEABEES
When the Marines fought their way out of the Chosin Reservoir, it was Seabees who rebuilt the bridge at Funchilin Pass that saved the division. At Inchon, they turned a shattered port into a functioning supply hub within days. In Korea the Seabees proved they could build in any conditions — even frozen ground that shattered jackhammers. Read more
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Vietnam 1962 – 1975
VIETNAM
CIVIC ACTION
Team Seabee
Vietnam War Construction & Civic Action
21
Battalions
9,000+
Structures
225+
Miles of Road
3,500+
CIVIC PROJECTS
Seabees built the infrastructure of the entire war — airfields, bridges, roads, camps, hospitals, port facilities. Their Civic Action Teams lived in villages building schools, wells, and clinics. At Dong Xoai, Seabees fought as infantry for three days alongside Special Forces when their camp was overrun. Read more
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VIETNAM
JUNE 10, 1965
MCB-11 at Dong Xoai
The Only Seabee Medal of Honor
9
Seabees Present
7
Wounded
2
KIA
1
NAVY CROSS
When Viet Cong overran the camp at Dong Xoai, nine Seabees from MCB-11 fought through three human wave assaults alongside Green Berets. Two were killed, seven wounded. CM3 Marvin Shields — mortally wounded carrying a comrade to safety while destroying an enemy machine gun — received the Medal of Honor. The only Seabee in history to earn it. Read more
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Cold War & Global Presence 1947 – 1991
GLOBAL
DEEP FREEZE
Everywhere Builders
Antarctic to Diego Garcia
7
Antarctic Stations
1
Diego Garcia
5
Active NMCBs
200+
COUNTRIES
Seabees built McMurdo Station and the South Pole Station in Antarctica — Operation Deep Freeze. They carved Diego Garcia from a coral atoll into the most strategically important base in the Indian Ocean. Wherever the Navy needed something built in a place no contractor would go, the Seabees were already there. Read more
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Global War on Terror 2001 – 2021
OIF / OEF
ROUTE CLEARANCE
The Sandbox Builders
Iraq & Afghanistan Construction
300+
Camps Built
100+
Schools
400+
Wells Drilled
20
YEARS DEPLOYED
In Iraq and Afghanistan, Seabees built forward operating bases from bare desert, drilled water wells for villages that had never had clean water, and cleared IED-laden routes so convoys could move. They transitioned from builders to combat engineers — running patrols, engaging the enemy, and going back to work the next morning. Read more
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Modern Force Present
ACTIVE
1st NCR / 25th NCR
Naval Construction Force
Active Duty Seabees
4
Active NMCBs
2
UCTs
3
NCRs
8,000+
ACTIVE SEABEES
Today's Naval Construction Force operates under the 1st Naval Construction Division, deploying globally from Gulfport, Port Hueneme, and detachment sites worldwide. Underwater Construction Teams dive to build and repair in environments no one else can reach. Every Seabee remains a rifleman first — the only rating in the Navy that trains for ground combat as a core competency. Read more
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325,000
Peak WWII Strength
151
WWII Battalions
83
Years of Service
Can Do
Motto