CIVIL  ENGINEER  CORPS Officers  of  the  Civil  Engineer  Corps  (CEC), who  administer  the  work  of  the  Naval  Facili- ties  Engineering  Command  (NAVFACENG- COM),  are  commissioned  naval  officers  with special  technical  qualifications.  They  are  engineers and   architects   who   manage   the   Navy’s   shore facilities   and   oversee   construction   and   main- tenance  by  the  shore  establishment.  Additionally, they  command  the  field  forces  that  construct advanced bases for support of Marine and Navy contingency   operations. The   Commander   of   the   Naval   Facilities Engineering  Command  is  the  Chief  of  Civil Engineers  (that  is,  the  head  of  the  Corps).  The commander exercises technical direction over the naval construction forces, generally known as the Seabees. NAVFACENGCOM also supports sepa- rate  activities  of  the  Department  of  the  Navy whose   primary   function   is   organizing   and equipping  the  naval  construct  ion  forces.  These activities  include  commands  and  organizations such  as  construction  battalion  centers. Recent years have seen rapid technological and management  system  expansion  throughout  the engineering   world   and   the   Department   of Defense.  NAVFACENGCOM  has  been  a  leader in  developing  advanced  management  systems  and in  adapting  these  systems  to  the  latest  computers. Examples  include  the  Shore  Facilities  Planning and  Programming  System,  Production  Manage- ment   Systems, Base   Engineering   Support- Technical    Systems,    Energy   Monitoring   and Control  Systems,  and  Engineered  Performance Standards.   Many   of   these   systems   use   mini- computers  to  increase  effectiveness  and  pro- ductivity. In  the  area  of  engineering  development, NAVFACENGCOM strives to turn the most up- to-date technological advances into the basis for the  efficient,  economical  construction  of  Navy shore facilities. For example, the graphics design system has been installed in the design office to provide  architects  and  engineers  with  a  computer- aided method of preparing plans and designs. In the  field  of  energy  conservation  and  development, NAVFACENGCOM  emphasizes  the  conversion of  coal,  wind,  geothermal  resources,  and  solar radiation into efficient sources of energy for the Navy.   Greatly   concerned   with   environmental protection,   NAVFACENGCOM   encourages   the use of new methods of managing hazardous and solid waste and abating all types of pollution. To manage  these  new  technologies,  NAVFACENG- COM has established the Emerging Technologies Management  Office  to  ensure  the  proper  research and  introduction  of  new  ideas. Over  the  last  20  years,  NAVFACENGCOM and the CEC have undertaken major engineering accomplishments.  The  massive  Vietnam  construc- tion   program, which   upgraded   the   entire infrastructure of that nation, required the efforts of CEC officers, the naval construction force, and civilian  contractors  alike. The geopolitical events in the Middle East in the early 1970s emphasized the need for a military installation  in  the  Indian  Ocean.  Upon  being tasked, NAVFACENGCOM immediately went to work to plan the construction of a joint British- American stronghold and support facility on the strategically  important  Diego  Garcia  Island.  A  few years  later,  this  tiny  island  had  become  an operational  military  installation  complete  with  an airfield, pier facilities, a communications station, and  total  personnel  support  facilities. A  major  element  of  the  CEC  is  the  con- struction  battalions  (Seabees).  The  primary  job of the Seabees is to build. However, based on the theory  that  they  can’t  build  unless  they  control the jobsite, all Seabees receive training in defensive combat  tactics.  Controlling  the  job  site  involves “fighting,”   the   second   job   of   a   Seabee,   as exemplified  by  the  Seabee  motto  Construimus batuimus,  meaning   “We   build—we   fight.” Each company in a battalion organization is divided  into  combat  platoons,  squads,  and  fire teams.  A  Marine  Corps  gunnery  sergeant  is assigned  as  a  military  adviser  and  training specialist   to   the   commanding   officer   of   the battalion. As   a   self-sustaining   unit,   a   naval   mobile construction  battalion  (NMCB)  must  be  capable of self-defense for a limited time. Each battalion subdivision  has  a  construction/military  support assignment,  and  everyone  in  the  battalion  fills a  construction/military  support  billet.  The  con- struction  aspect,  of  course,  predominates;  the mission  is  to  build.  Platoons  are  organized  into work  crews  that  correspond  to  the  weapons  squad organization.  The  basic  construction/military support  units  are  the  work  crew/rifle  fire  team, work   crew/automatic   weapons   team,   and   the work   crew/heavy   weapons   team.   Figure   13-1 illustrates  the  diversity  of  Seabee  functions  in Vietnam. 13-2