SEABEE divers have been around for as long as the Navy has had SEABEES. The original SEABEE divers were formed during World War Two, in support of beach clearing operations. Combining the unique skills of blasting and diving, they formed small units that cleared the beaches in preparation of amphibious assaults. Later, these units were called Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT). Today, Underwater Construction Teams (UCT) utilize explosives and other techniques to blast coral reefs, demolish obstacles, and perform inshore work necessary to provide channels and mooring facilities for shipping.
During the 1960's, SEABEE divers became major contributors to the early success of the "Man-in-the-Sea" programs, including SEALAB II and TEKTITE II undersea laboratories. In 1969, a UCT was established under the 21st Naval Construction Regiment (NCR) then homeported at Davisville, R.I. It was later moved to its current homeport of Little Creek, VA. A UCT was also established then in the 31st NCR at Port Hueneme, Calif., but not manned with enlisted Seabee divers until 1971.
In 1974 the two detachments of SEABEE divers were commissioned as Underwater Construction Teams with a Civil Engineer Corps Officer as the Officer in Charge. In 1985, the Underwater Construction Teams were elevated to Command status. UCT ONE is currently homeported in Virginia Beach, Virginia and UCT TWO in San Diego, California.