As the result of budget cutting efforts across the Department of Defense,
the Navy decommissioned two Seabee Battalions in 2012. NMCB 7 was
decommissioned on Sept. 5 in Gulfport, Miss., and NMCB 40 was decommissioned
Sept. 12 in Port Hueneme, Calif. Both battalions trace their roots back to
World War II, when they were commissioned in 1942. Both were also
decommissioned after the war. NMCB 7 was reactivated from 1951 to 1970 and
was then commissioned a third time in 1985. NMCB 40 was reactivated in
1966. Despite these reductions, the Seabees remain a vital component of the
Navy's Global Force for Good as demonstrated by the fact that Seabees are
currently contributing globally to military operations at the tactical,
operational and strategic levels by providing support across the full range
of military operations on five continents.