History of the Ben Moreell Battalion and Training Ship Nicholas H. Anderson

History of Training Ship Nicholas H. Anderson

The Ben Moreell Battalion

Commissioned January 27, 1971

NSCC 25th Year Commissioned Ribbon

This ribbon is is only awarded to units who have 25 years of continuous operation. All NSCC personnel in our unit are authorized to wear this ribbon after one full year of enrollment in the unit.

Ben Moreell Battalion was commissioned on January 27, 1971 at CBC Port Hueneme. The original crew included seven adult leaders and 34 cadets led by CDR Billus Whitworth, USN (retired), who served as the unit’s first Commanding Officer. Ben Moreell Battalion was the first Sea Cadet unit to be modeled after the Seabees and Admiral Moreell himself attended the commissioning ceremony.

In those days, prospective cadets were required to pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test along with a regular military physical. Only about one in three cadet applicants passed the written examination. Cadets who successfully completed the Sea Cadet program, however, were eligible to enlist in the Navy at an advanced pay rate and to bypass Navy basic training.

Both the 31st Naval Construction Regiment and the Naval Construction School (now the Naval Construction Training Center) were originally tasked with providing training support to the unit. The NCTC still provides classroom and training support to Ben Moreell Battalion, especially during annual Seabee Training where regular Navy personnel conduct all construction-related classes. CBC Port Hueneme continues to provide berthing during our training evolutions on a space-available basis.

Ben Moreell Battalion currently occupies spaces on the entire second floor of Building 104, adjacent to the NCTC. The unit was previously located in Building 1156 across the street (now taken back by 31st SRG and under construction) and, before that, in the Teen Center across from the CBC swimming pool.

During its 38 years of active service, hundreds of cadets have learned about naval life, and developed a sense of pride, patriotism, courage, and self-reliance, all within an environment free of drugs and gangs. We will continue to add new information about Ben Moreell Battalion, including profiles of some of those who have passed through our venerable unit.

Click here to read an article from PC, The Weekly Magazine of Ventura County. (PDF format, Acrobat Reader required)

TSA

Training Ship Nicholas H. Anderson

Lance Corporal Nicholas H. Anderson, USMC

1985 - 2004

Commissioned January 23, 2010

Training Ship Nicholas H. Anderson was commissioned on January 23, 2010 at CBC Port Hueneme. Originally members of the Ben Moreell Battalion, the unit's Navy League Cadets and the adult staff tasked with conducting their program were transferred into the newly created NLCC unit. TS Nicholas H. Anderson continues to share space and some support staff with the Ben Moreell Battalion, which currently occupies spaces on the entire second floor of Building 104, adjacent to the NCTC.

The Training Ship is proudly named for Lance Corporal Nicholas H. Anderson, United States Marine Corps. LCPL Anderson died in a vehicle incident while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, California. He died on November 12, 2004. Prior to his enlistment in the USMC, LCPL Anderson was a member of the Naval Sea Cadet Corps.

During the Ben Moreell Battalion's 38 years of active service, hundreds of cadets have learned about naval life, and developed a sense of pride, patriotism, courage, and self-reliance, all within an environment free of drugs and gangs. TS Nicholas H. Anderson carries on that proud tradition with the younger members of the Corps, preparing them for future enrollment in the NSCC and beyond.

Click here to read an article about the commissioning of TS Nicholas H. Anderson from the January issue of Aerotech News and Reviews. (PDF format, Acrobat Reader required)

Click here to read an article about the Naval Sea Cadets and photos of the commissioning of TS Nicholas H. Anderson from the February issue of The Pilot, the newsletter of the Channel Islands Council of the Navy League of the United States. (PDF format, Acrobat Reader required)