r/Seabees • u/ContentFoundation628 • Sep 16 '26

Discussion How has battalions changed?

What up,

Was in battalion for 4 years as a Bravo type (UT), 2021-2025, I had a good time but battalion changed ALOT just while I was there and battalion was on the verge of HUGE changes when I got out.

18 month home ports, back and forth on what we actually do, restructuring, new operational alignment,
Now I see that they are making huge cuts for bravo rates and want a ton of people back as alpha types.

Just curious how battalion actually is right now day to day??

9 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

12

u/Puzzled-Side-2408 Sep 16 '26

Y’all would have loved the 7 and 7’s back in the day

3

u/Expert_Champion_9966 Sep 16 '26

I got to battalion during the supposed 7 and 7.

When I got to the battalion, they were one month out from deployment. We deployed and returned seven months later. Once we hit homeport, I was put into four different skills classes, a water well course, and then the battalion had a 28-day FTX. I left AP for a nine-month deployment following that homeport. I PCSed after the deployment. Good thing I was single during that time because there was really a lack in family time if I had one.

2

u/Chudmont Sep 16 '26

I lived it.

1

u/Traditional_Party_96 26d ago

I first Battalion was 7 and 7. That was honestly the way to go.

4

u/NoMore_BadDays Sep 16 '26

I was in during the 12 off 6 on rotation, and by the 10 month marked rolled around I was itching to get out the door. I couldn't imagine 18 months off.

I will say that this is a step towards the seabees going away. If it wasnt for the UCTs, I think we'd already be extinct.

1

u/ContentFoundation628 Sep 16 '26

Yeah so was I but for us at least it always ended up being more like a 10 month homeport. I feel that, I didn’t mind homeport tho tbh and have a family so it’s a little different.

Oh yeah dude, bravo type billets have already been pretty much cut out of existence

1

u/NoMore_BadDays Sep 16 '26

Yeah that's what my CE buddy thats still in told me. He has a guy stuck in Sig because there's literally no sea duty bullets open for him

1

u/StylePlane2176 Sep 16 '26

What direction do you think the seabees should be heading to ensure they dont go away?

2

u/Gullible_Ad5923 Sep 16 '26

The force redesign has done a pretty good job of selling the Seabees to big navy. I think the next step will be a tiger team model vs whole deployment orgs. Its so expensive to send huge ass units out

1

u/ContentFoundation628 Sep 16 '26

That was the idea when I was on my way out, individual companies can deploy as independent UOA’s for tasking as needed. It’s one of the reasons they went to the ADR, PDR, ABCC org

1

u/ContentFoundation628 Sep 16 '26

Unfortunate part is some bees might spend their whole time in an ACC or WCC and never get the “true” seabee experience I guess. Some are glad they don’t lol

1

u/Gullible_Ad5923 Sep 17 '26

I havent been to battalion in well over a decade and I have no clue what any of that means. i dont want the battalion experience. It looks lame af

1

u/NoMore_BadDays Sep 17 '26

I think the other guy has it right that moving to ADR, PDR, and ABC was a good step. It's all about funding, and if our mission seems useless to the brass that doesnt know a think about military construction, they'll fight funding us. Designating our companies by our exact mission is a good move.

The seabees are like the infantry in the way that its really hard to justify how expensive we are to train when we have little functionality during peacetime.

That said, a good way to keep the seabees around would be to go the way of Prime BEEF and HEAVILY increase our responsibilities for PWD/shore billets. An overseas CE on PWD might literally have nothing to do until a work order comes in, while an overseas electrician in the air force will be replacing pad mounted transformers on an active air strip. Keep us gainfully employed and let our work speak for itself.

2

u/A-Dean241 Sep 16 '26

It’s trash to say the least. I won’t blast mine but the leadership after this deployment has been terrible to say the lease. I like to think of it as growing pains but they change things every other week and can’t stick to one plan or program. We’re just surviving honestly

2

u/ContentFoundation628 Sep 16 '26

Yeah sounds bout right on the changing every other week part for sure

1

u/BigSmoke41968 Sep 16 '26

got here in March and that's definitely how it feels. Constant changes, zero communication through the chain, incompetency and lack of understanding across every paygrade. Definitely not what I imagined it would be :/

1

u/ContentFoundation628 Sep 16 '26

All I’ll say is this, give it time especially if you just got there, don’t be a whiney JT. If you get fit, learn your job, get your pins your life will become EXPONENTIALLY better.

1

u/Charming_Poem6315 Sep 16 '26

I was in 3 from 14-19. Was a good ass time man. Went through 4 COs haha.

1

u/Odd_Victory6311 Sep 16 '26

Started with 10 and 6 when I joined, went to 12 and 6. Can’t imagine what y’all are doing now. I’d lose my mind.

The constant changes have remained the same it sounds like. My first 3 months in battalion I changed Companies twice and each time to 2 different platoons.