File:NMCB 3 Pacific region deployment 130824-N-VN372-003.jpg

English: Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3 Equipment Operator Anatolie Munteanu lets a young Japanese child place her ice-cold hands on his face during a friendship exchange at Commander, Fleet Activities Okinawa White Beach Naval Facility. More than 80 volunteers from NMCB 3, the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force and CFAO cleaned up trash and enjoyed a barbeque during the day-long opportunity to meet and build vital friendships with Okinawa's cultural neighbors. One of the first battalions commissioned during World War II, NMCB 3's legacy stands strong in its ability to build and fight anywhere in the world as either a full battalion or as a group of autonomous detachments, simultaneously completing critical engineering and construction missions. For this deployment, NMCB 3 has split into nine details to perform critical construction projects in remote island areas such as Timor-Leste, Tonga, Cambodia and the Philippines. The teams will also conduct operations in Atsugi, Yokosuka and Okinawa, Japan, Chinhae, Republic of Korea and China Lake, Calif. The naval construction force is a vital component of the U.S. maritime strategy. They provide deployable battalions capable of providing disaster preparation and recovery support, humanitarian assistance and combat operations support. NMCB 3 provides combatant commanders and Navy component commanders with combat-ready warfighters capable of general engineering, construction and limited combat engineering across the full range of military operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chris Fahey, NMCB 3 Public Affairs Lead/RELEASED)