"Skibees" ribbon cutting marks arrival of new tenant at Westover

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Andrew Biscoe
  • 439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --  Military and local officials cut the ribbon Monday for a 24,000-square foot building that will house a Navy Reserve Seabees unit at Westover.

     Fourteen active duty and about 550 reserve members of the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 27 have relocated from Brunswick Naval Air Station, Maine, which is scheduled to close in 2011.

     Groundbreaking for the building was held in April 2009.

     The mission of NMCB 27 is to provide quality, timely construction support to U.S. Armed Forces, principally the United States Marine Corps. It is one of twelve reserve Naval Mobile Construction Battalions.

     Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 27 has detachments drilling at 10 Navy Operational Support Centers encompassing seven states throughout New England and upstate New York. 

     In October 2008 NMCB 27 deployed 500 personnel throughout the Middle East in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In June 2005 NMCB 27 deployed a 125-person Air Detachment to various sites throughout Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

     The Department of the Air Force agreed to host the "Skibees" of NMCB-27 at Westover Air Reserve Base. Congress authorized construction funds in 2008 to design and construct the new battalion facilities.