by Ryan Labadens, U.S. Navy Public Affairs

The Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) in Gulfport, Mississippi, is scheduled to participate in the annual Navy-wide force protection Exercise Citadel Shield-Solid Curtain 2022 (CS-SC22) Jan. 31 – Feb.11, 2022.

CS-SC22 is conducted by Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Commander, Navy Installations Command on all Navy installations in the continental U.S. It is designed to enhance the readiness of Navy security forces and ensure seamless interoperability among the commands, other services and agency partners.

The first week of the exercise is the Citadel Shield portion, which runs from Jan. 31 – Feb 4. and includes various security-related events involving entities on base, such as the NCBC Security and Fire Departments, working in coordination Gulfport Police Department, Fire Department and other outside agencies.

The second week of the exercise is Solid Curtain, which runs from Feb. 7 – Feb. 11 and will involve various force-protection training scenarios taking place throughout the week.

Measures have been taken to minimize disruptions to normal base operations, but there may be times when the exercise causes increased traffic around the base or delays in base access. This could include increased vehicle searches at the Pass Road, 28th Street and Broad Avenue gate entrances to NCBC, so it’s important for drivers to have proper identification (such as their Common Access Card and driver’s license) and vehicle documentation (such as registration and insurance, and making sure any tags are up to date) to ensure that traffic on and off base flows as smoothly as possible.

Area residents may also see or hear security activities associated with the exercise. NCBC Gulfport is coordinating with local law enforcement and first responders so they are aware of the activities taking place on base during the exercise period.

According to the U.S. Fleet Force Command website (https://www.usff.navy.mil/Exercises/Citadel-Shield-Solid-Curtain/), “this exercise simply provides our entire force the opportunity for dedicated training and renewed focus on our force protection mission.”