NMCB ONE, the original "Pioneers", has a long, proud and distinguished history as the very first Naval Construction Battalion of the service that would become known as the Seabees.

[3] Mid-year 1941 CB 1 did not exist, civilian contractors were working large construction contracts at Guam, Midway, Wake, Pearl Harbor, Iceland, Newfoundland, and Bermuda.

Rear Admiral Chester Nimitz, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, authorized the formation of the first Hq Company on 31 October 1941.

With the outbreak of war, Admiral Ben Moreell, Chief of BuDocks, recommended creating three Naval Construction Battalions and on December 28 requested authority to carry this out.

The 3rd Construction Detachment built Quoin Hill Airfield on Efate that was abandoned in 1946 as well as a bomber base.

A detail from the 3rd detachment was rushed from Efate to Espirito Santo to build a bomber strip to attack the Japanese on Guadalcanal.

[8] During the next four years the battalion would go to Puerto Rico; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Bermuda; Port Lyautey, French Morocco; Argentia, Newfoundland; and Rota, Spain.

[8] MCB 1 returned to Antarctica in 1961 to assemble a nuclear power plant[9] for which the battalion received the Navy Unit Commendation.

Their names were Constructionman Starkey, Steelworker 3rd Class Williams, Chief Builder McGinn, and Lieutenant Junior Grade Moscrip.

From the fall of 1971 through early summer of 1972, NMCB ONE was the second battalion to occupy and construct the British Indian Ocean Territory station on Diego Garcia.

Upon returning to homeport in May 1992, the battalion was again providing disaster relief, this time in South Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.

[8] During the 2000 European deployment, Detail Souda Bay assisted disaster recovery operations in remote Crete villages following torrential rains.

Upon arriving in Okinawa, the battalion immediately sent an Air-Det of 102 Seabees to Basilan Island, in the PI, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Under hostile conditions, the Air-Det improved roads, drilled wells, built bridges and base camps and rebuilt a timber pier.

NMCB ONE had construction operations in the Atlantic, European, Pacific and Central Command Areas of Responsibility, while deploying its Air-Det in support of Iraqi Freedom.

[8] For the 2005 European deployment NMCB ONE had details tasked in twelve countries throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

The battalion was tasked with construction projects in Okinawa, Atsugi, Sasebo, Yokosuka, Iwakuni, Fuji, Chinhae, Pohang, Diego Garcia, Camp Pendleton, and San Clemente Island, contingency operations in Pohnpei, Indonesia, Philippines, and Afghanistan, and prison detainee operations in Iraq.

While supporting the mission in CENTCOM, the battalion was tasked with construction projects in Guam and San Nicolas Island (SNI), CA.