The Navy will conduct training involving blank gunfire Sept. 13 – Oct. 6 during a Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 4 field training exercise. The training activities are not in response to any threat, but are crucial in certifying the battalion’s proficiencies in providing rapid and scalable general engineering in an expeditionary field environment.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all travel orders have been restricted and therefore all Navy field-training activities associated with this exercise will commence locally on Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC), starting September 13 – ending October 6. NMCB 4, will conduct tactical event drills using small arms and artificial artillery simulator devices to assess the effectiveness of the Battalion’s security and force protection activities during the Field Training Exercise (FTX) event. The blank firing activities with small arms will be intermittent between the hours of (0700 – 2100) 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. during the 15-day exercise at NBVC.
The Navy’s FTX exercise will include hands-on field expeditionary engineering activities, in which operating heavy machinery, power-tools, and construction-grading equipment will be used on-site to enhance the Battalion’s construction readiness capabilities at Port Hueneme, Point Mugu, and San Nicolas Island.
The Navy’s blank gun fire training scenarios and use of heavy-construction equipment will generate noise and make unwanted sounds in the distance. The Navy wants to ensure the public is aware that the anticipated sound effects and noise-generating activities is and will be part of this FTX event at NBVC; and again, the training event is not in response to any real world threat.
The Navy anticipates the duration of all noise-generating activities will be temporary in nature, and will occur within the Installation perimeter, and will not commence outside the programmed scenario training hours of operation. Base-to-Base transportation, accessibility, and mobility operations will likely occur outside of the programmed training hours of operation; and the Navy Battalion’s use of the public transportation roadway network during peak a.m. / peak p.m. hours should not create any vehicle-traffic impacts for commuters travelling on the roads traversing NBVC, Point Mugu and Port Hueneme during the FTX event.
The Navy recognizes the importance of being good neighbors with the local communities and makes every effort to abate noise when possible. We have also told the Battalion to ensure all construction- and noise generating activities, including the blank gun fire tactical drills for the expeditionary field training exercise to be limited to commence no earlier than 7 a.m. and not extend past 9 p.m., during the 15-day FTX event on Naval Base Ventura County.
Noise abatement questions can be directed to Mr. Kendall Lousen, Naval Base Ventura County Community Planning Liaison Officer at 805- 989-9746 / [email protected]. All other questions can be directed to Naval Base Ventura County Public Affairs Office at 805-989-9234.
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