Naval Base Kitsap closed the book on Navy Construction Battalion Unit 418 (CBU-418) and started a new chapter as Navy Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303 Detachment Bangor (CBMU-303 DET Bangor) stood up during a small ceremony Feb. 16.

With the entire battalion standing in ranks, Lt. Cmdr. Troy McClelland, commanding officer, CBMU-303, commended the troops for their efforts in upholding 30 years of tradition as CBU-418.

“The work you do everyday for the base is important. I appreciate the hard work and service to the Navy and the nation,” said McClelland. “It means something to be a Seabee.”

Though the name is new, the mission is not. The transition from CBU-418 to CBMU-303 DET Bangor has been seamless according to Officer in Charge, Lt. Jeff Bartlett. He said the mission of the unit is now more robust than ever.

“CBMU-303 DET Bangor’s goal is to continue to provide our valued [Commander Navy Region Northwest] customers the same outstanding construction and disaster recovery support that CBU-418 has provided for the past 30 years,” said Bartlett.

The newly named unit is a detachment from CBMU-303 headquarters in San Diego. The name change occurred because Commander, First Naval Construction Battalion, Rear Adm. Robert Phillips, entered into a Sea Enterprise initiative to align specific West and East coast Construction Battalion Unit’s under an active duty Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit increasing command and control of all West and East coast CBU’s. Other detachments out of San Diego include Fallon, Lemoore, Pearl Harbor and two reserve detachments in Great Lakes and Camp Pendleton.

Currently, CBMU-303 DET Bangor is slated for 51 personnel, all of which are deployable. Bartlett said deployments would only happen when absolutely necessary.

“The DET is deployable ... for unforeseen events, such as tsunami relief. When you see my Seabee’s building around NBK, they are training, honing the skills they will use on these deployments, under the Construction Readiness Training,” Bartlett said. “My commanding officer is committed to working with all the regional commander’s that CBMU-303 supports to minimize the impact of any future deployments.”

Over the last year, NBK’s Seabee’s have built a large parking lot in Bremerton to help alleviate the traffic issue, built a Rapid Reaction Force vehicle storage area for the Marine Corps Security Force Company Bangor, and converted an old ammunition pier into a recreational pier within Jackson Park housing, just to name a few. This year, the Seabee’s are scheduled to build a new gymnasium and construct a new 200-space parking lot at Bangor, as well as construct a few smaller quality of life projects within NBK.

As the new chapter is being written about CBMU-303 DET Bangor, Lt. Cmdr. McClellan took great pride in telling the newest members of his staff, “it’s a great pleasure to be the commanding officer of 303.”