The U.S. Navy is sending a new 676-member Seabee battalion to Gulfport, U.S. Sen. Trent Lott said Friday.

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 is already located in Gulfport.

“The Navy made a wise decision here, leveraging on Mississippi’s pitch that our military gets ‘twice the base for half the cost’ at Gulfport because of the community’s well developed airport and seaport assets,” said Lott, R-Miss.

Naval Construction Battalion 11 will consist of 558 enlisted personnel and 21 officers, along with Naval Mobile Construction Regiment 25, composed of 64 enlisted, 17 officers and 16 civilians.

The battalion will locate in Gulfport on Oct. 1 with staff arriving the next spring.

Seabees provide military construction support to the Navy, Marine Corps and other forces in military operations, construct base facilities and conduct defensive operations.

Naval Construction Regiments exercise administrative and operational control of two or more Naval Mobile Construction Battalions.