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Enlisted Ranks »
Officer Ranks »
Detachment 075 is the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) based out of San Diego State University. The mission of AFROTC is to produce leaders for the Air Force and build better citizens for America. Cadets in Air Force ROTC work towards earning a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and learn valuable skills required to be competent Air Force leaders.
In addition to Aerospace Studies classes, Leadership Laboratory, and Physical Training, cadets can participate in Air Force ROTC summer programs and cadet organizations that organize and participate in service projects for the Corps, campus and community. These activities are designed to offer cadets a glimpse of the Air Force before they enter active duty. Many cadets use these opportunities to help them decide which career path they want to pursue on active duty. Finally, it's important to remember that the primary focus of the Air Force ROTC program is to commission quality officers for the United States Air Force.
Detachment 075 has "Crosstown Agreements" with 14 other colleges and universities in southern California which allows students at these schools to participate in AFROTC.
Southern California Recruiting Battalion »
The Southern California Recruiting Battalion is headquartered in Mission Viejo, California. The officers, Soldiers, and civilians who are the soul of the battalion are dedicated to providing qualified young men and women for service in the Active Army and Army Reserve.
Santa Ana Recruiting Main Station was the official name from 1972, deriving its name from the city of Santa Ana, its initial location. The unit was formed during an expansion of the recruiting command to 60 RMSs with the institution of the All-Volunteer Army in 1972. It was redesignated Santa Ana District Recruiting Command on 1 May 1974. The headquarters moved from Santa Ana to Laguna Niguel in December 1976. As part of a USAREC-wide realignment designed to move USAREC closer to the mainstream Army, region and district recruiting commands became brigades and battalions respectively, and on 1 October 1983, the name changed to U.S. Army Santa Ana Recruiting Battalion.
In November 1989, the battalion headquarters moved to its present location in Mission Viejo. The battalion changed its name in October 1995 to its current designation, the U.S. Army Southern California Recruiting Battalion, and reorganized into six recruiting companies, 44 recruiting stations, and one on-campus recruiter.
Today, the battalion is comprised of seven recruiting companies, and 45 stations covering more than 40,000 square miles of Southern California terrain.
The battalion's area of responsibility runs from the International Border with Mexico at the south to the San Bernardino Mountains in the north, including the National Training Center. The western border is the Pacific Ocean and the eastern demarcation lines are shared with the state's Nevada and Arizona borders.
Recruiters are the heart of the Southern California Recruiting Battalion. Through their efforts, the Army continues to maintain its fighting strength by receiving bright, well-motivated men and women who join the Army to train and serve our great nation.
79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team »
The 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is the California National Guard's largest combat team. The 79th IBCT is organized under the Army's new modular brigade structure. The IBCT is the Army's lightest BCT and is organized around restricted terrain. Its personnel strength is approximately 3,400 soldiers. The role of the BCT is the Army's basic tactical maneuver unit, and the smallest combined arms units that can be committed independently. The BCT is designed to conduct offensive, defensive, and stability operations. The core mission is to close with the enemy by means of fire and maneuver to destroy or capture enemy forces, or to repel their attacks by fire, close combat, and counterattack. The BCT can fight without augmentation, but it also can be tailored to meet the precise needs of its mission.
State Mission
The 79th IBCT also has a state mission. In times of emergency, the governor may call the National Guard to perform Defense Support to Civil Authorities. The self-contained and modular structure of the 79th IBCT makes it well suited to provide this support.
Organization:The brigade headquarters is located in San Diego and is composed of the following subordinate units:
147th Combat Communications Squadron »
The 147th Combat Communications Squadron, part of the California Air National Guard, is responsible for providing highly trained and equipped cyber professionals to support national defense requirements worldwide, as well as emergency relief and recovery operations across California. The 147th Combat Communications Squadron is part of the California National Guard, the nation's largest and most frequently deployed National Guard force. Since the attacks on 9/11, California National Guardsmen have deployed nearly 39,000 times on combat and peace-keeping missions worldwide, and have mobilized countless times in support of their neighbors during both manmade and natural disasters.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego »
Among the 1,100 San Diego-based Coast Guardsmen, virtually all are extremely grateful for the ongoing, outstanding support of those who are fortunate enough to call "America's Finest City" their home. It is a very safe assumption that there is nowhere in the world with this unique combination of an ideal climate, a clean, safe and activity packed community, and a military friendly local population.
Whether active duty, reserve, civilian, or auxiliary volunteers, each and every member of Team Coast Guard strive to uphold their core values of "Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty' as they go about the business of maritime safety, security, and stewardship.
The U.S. Coast Guard, through the Revenue Cutter Service, remains the oldest continuous federal sea-going force in the United States. In 1790, at the request of the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, the Revenue Cutter Service was formed to stem the loss of badly needed revenue by seagoing smugglers. In 1848, the federal government added to the Revenue Cutter Service's missions when it established a life-saving system. The primary mission was shore-based rescue of crew members off shipwrecked vessels. This system of life-saving stations was formally organized as the U.S. Lifesaving Service in 1878.
To streamline and improve government operations, the U.S. Lifesaving Service and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service combined on Jan 20, 1915, to form the U.S. Coast Guard. The federal government expanded the U.S. Coast Guard's missions when two more government agencies merged into the service: the Lighthouse Service in 1939 and the Bureau of Navigation and Steamship Inspection Service in 1942.
Coast Guard Sector San Diego's many current missions reflect its rich history: maritime defense, law enforcement, search and rescue, aids to navigation, vessel inspections, and maritime safety.
The Coast Guard presence in San Diego began as a Coast Guard Air Patrol Detachment on May 4, 1934 for the purpose of preventing smuggling across the Mexican border. Over time, the mission expanded to include the saving of life and property, as more and more patrolling aircraft were diverted for search and rescue missions offshore.
On May 21, 1935, Commander Elmer F. Stone, one of the Coast Guard's most renowned aviators, assumed command of the detachment. He is best known for his actions as copilot of NC-4, the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean in May and June of 1919. Under his command, the detachment began to grow into an air station. On April 1, 1937, the service formally commissioned Coast Guard Air Station San Diego at its present location on Harbor Drive.
In the tradition of the Life Saving Service, Sector San Diego maintains a 24-hour ready response to any distress call or law enforcement situation. Sector's response resources include three MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters, two 41-foot utility boats, three 33-foot response boats, the 110-foot Coast Guard cutter EDISTO, and three 87-foot cutters, the PETREL, SEA OTTER and HADDOCK. These assets maintain a constant coastal presence, patrolling for drug, migrant and fisheries law enforcement purposes, and aiding mariners in distress.
The Sector's Prevention Department provides the services initiated by the Bureau of Navigation and Steamship Inspection Service, in addition to providing commercial vessel inspections and 24-hour ready response to oil spills. Their Foreign Vessels Branch plays a significant role in ensuring that people aboard cargo and passenger vessels do not threaten our homeland. They maintain a watchful eye for suspicious behavior while boarding vessels and during ship movements in and out of our harbors. The San Diego Aids to Navigation Team and the New Point Loma Lighthouse facility sustain missions originally conducted by the Lighthouse Service.
There are four other Coast Guard commands in San Diego that are not a part of the Sector, but instead work directly for the Commander Coast Guard Pacific Area. They include the Pacific Area Tactical Law Enforcement Team and the Marine Safety and Security Team, each based at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, and two 378 foot cutters BOUTWELL and SHERMAN, home ported at Naval Station San Diego. The four units are often deployed around the world to prosecute counter narcotics and national security missions and for contingency response.
Anchored in our rich tradition as a maritime, military, multi-mission agency, the Coast Guard is in the midst of a rapid transformation and modernization effort to ensure we remain well-positioned, and "Semper Paratus,' always ready to execute our missions effectively in what is sure to be a challenging and dynamic future. Together, your San Diego based Coast Guardsmen are always prepared to tackle the challenges of a changing world across a broad spectrum of the maritime environment.
The United States Marine Corps serves as an expeditionary force-in-readiness and has three primary responsibilities:
Although the Marine Corps has overlapping capabilities with the Army, what sets the Marine Corps apart is the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAFTF). The MAGTF (pronounced "MAG-taf") is how the Marine Corps organizes itself to accomplish missions and is made up of four elements. The Ground Combat Element (GCE) contains the bulk of the fighting forces, such as infantry, tanks, artillery, and reconnaissance units. The Aviation Combat Element (ACE) provides air power to support the GCE and includes fighter jets, helicopters, cargo planes, and all the personnel who support and maintain the aircraft. The Logistics Combat Element (LCE) includes all the support units, such as combat engineers, motor transport, supply, and medical units. These three elements are led by the Command Element. The MAGTF Commander is responsible for ensuring the GCE, LCE, and ACE are working together in order to complete the mission. Think of the MAGTF as a self-sufficient package of warfighting capabilities that you can put anywhere in the world at a moment's notice. In order to meet mission requirements as efficiently as possible, the MAGTF comes in several different sizes:
In the early 1900s, San Diego was selected as a site to establish a Marine Corps base, and since 1923 it has been a place that has challenged young men both mentally and physically to earn the coveted title of Marine. Currently, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot transforms more than 19,000 male recruits into Marines each year. The depot's commanding general is also responsible for recruiting from the western two thirds of the U.S., known as the Western Recruiting Region. A team of more than 1,500 Marines enlists over 30,000 young men and women from across the U.S. each year. A basically trained Marine undergoes nearly 13 weeks of the most demanding and arduous training in the country. The recruits train hard to acquire the knowledge, discipline, teamwork, and fitness level required of a Marine. The physical training program at recruit training is progressive and designed to build strength, flexibility and endurance. The recruits' physical and mental endurance are tested daily. The recruits also receive classes on general military subjects. The Marine Corps instills core values of honor, courage, and commitment through practical application and discussion. The drill instructors teach recruits the importance of honesty, reliability, and teamwork.
Upon completion of the first four weeks of training aboard the depot, recruits move to Weapons and Field Training Battalion, located 40 miles north at Edson Range, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif. During their three weeks at Edson Range, the recruits undergo marksmanship training, martial arts sustainment training, and field training which introduce them to a variety of basic infantry skills. During the last phase of recruit training, recruits return to the depot and are graded on the physical fitness test, military skills, and drill, as well as being inspected by the battalion commander. During the 11th week of boot camp, all of the recruits' training and hard work are put to the test during the Crucible, a 54-hour event. For this demanding event, recruits return to Edson Range to encounter a series of 25 challenges, distributed over a course covering more than 40 miles, while catching just four hours of sleep each night, and eating only three meals over the three-day period. Each of the 25 events presents strenuous mental and physical challenges, requiring the recruits to work together as a team. This is a significant feature because no one completes the Crucible as an individual. They surmount the challenges and prevail as a team. At the end of the Crucible recruits embark on a nine-mile hike. Exhausted and hungry, recruits go through the defining moment in boot camp where, upon successful completion, they are awarded the coveted Marine Corps eagle, globe, and anchor emblem from their drill instructors during an emotional ceremony. Here they are addressed as "Marine" for the first time.
After 12 challenging weeks, and with the Crucible now behind them, graduation day finally arrives. Graduation draws more than 90,000 visitors to San Diego each year. These visitors not only take the time to visit the command museum and our numerous buildings on the National Registry of Historic Places, but also see the many sights of San Diego. Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is truly the home of making America's finest in America's Finest City.
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton »
Since 1942, San Diego County has been home to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. With an approximate daily population of 60,000, Camp Pendleton is one of the Department of Defense's busiest installations. Located approximately 38 miles north of downtown San Diego and 82 miles south of Los Angeles, Camp Pendleton has been the largest North County employer for over 50 years with more than 43,500 Marines, sailors and their families calling it home.
Once a peaceful cattle ranch obtained by a Spanish land grant, Camp Pendleton's lands were secured at the outset of WWII to fill an immediate need for valuable amphibious and land-based training areas. Today the base is named in honor of Major General Joseph H. Pendleton, who went on to become the mayor of Coronado from 1928-1930.
Camp Pendleton is home to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Logistics Group, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, elements of the 3rd Marine Air Wing, and the Navy's Assault Craft Unit 5, in addition to other tenant commands and units. As the largest West Coast amphibious assault training facility, Camp Pendleton encompasses more than 125,000 acres of Southern California. The 17.5 miles of shoreline and mountainous terrain support a variety of military training for our Operating Forces, as well as national, state and local agencies.
Camp Pendleton has a long history of nurturing positive relationships with the surrounding communities. Events such as the World Famous Mud Run, Del Mar 4th of July Beach Bash and the Battle Colors Detachment performance all invite the public onto the base. Camp Pendleton leadership welcomes local community and government leaders for VIP tours of the base, and participates in local and regional planning and outreach.
The base is also involved in the local school districts and has command appointed base representatives assigned to four local school districts. Five elementary schools from two local school districts are located on the base. Programs such as Adopt-a-School program, which provides mentoring & assistance to local public schools, as well as the School-to-Career program and the School Liaison Officer Program enrich the strong ties Camp Pendleton shares with the local community.
Camp Pendleton enhances the quality of life for Marines and sailors by constructing new barracks and facilities, while at the same time implementing initiatives that lessen the impact on the environment. The base is currently using several methods to meet the Secretary of the Navy's energy conservation goals, one of which is to have 50% of the base's energy requirements come from a renewable source by 2020. A new six-acre photovoltaic system uses solar cells to convert light into electricity, generating 1.48 megawatts of renewable energy annually, and powers 5 percent of the base's daily energy use. There are also four pools aboard the base that use solar energy for heating. In early 2011, the new Wounded Warrior Battalion-West barracks building here became the first building in the Department of the Navy to be certified LEED platinum.
To help further research into hydrogen power, Camp Pendleton is home to a hydrogen filling station and a small fleet of hydrogen-powered vehicles. The base is exploring applications of wind and waste energy that will assist us in meeting the Secretary of the Navy's goals.
Camp Pendleton has an enormous amount of ongoing construction aboard the base, to include utility upgrades and maintenance facilities, headquarters buildings, barracks and family housing units aboard the base. There are 44 active military construction projects costing $1.56 billion currently underway or in planning aboard Camp Pendleton. A new four-level, 500,000 square foot hospital is being built near the main gate, and will have a future staff of about 1,100 personnel. A new 147,000 square foot Marine Corps Exchange is also under construction. Camp Pendleton currently has 7,375 housing units, one-third of the family housing units in the Marine Corps. That number is scheduled to increase to just over 7,547 units within the next two and a half years.
Since WWII, Camp Pendleton has provided the integral training and support necessary to sustain America's expeditionary force in readiness. Current involvement in Afghanistan and support of operations around the globe brings a heightened responsibility to maintain professionalism, dedication, and operational excellence in all facets of our mission. Camp Pendleton takes pride in serving Marines, sailors and their families, and we are thankful to be part of the San Diego community.
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar »
Originally established as an Army camp in 1917, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar has been the home of Marine Corps and Navy aviation units since the1940's. The latest change occurred on October 1, 1997, when NAS Miramar became MCAS Miramar following the closure of MCAS El Toro and MCAS Tustin.
Located in "America's Finest City", MCAS Miramar's 23,000 acres of land supports the Marine Corps' training and war fighting missions. Home to more than 10,000 Marines, Sailors and Civilian Marines of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and Air Station units, MCAS Miramar's work force supports various aircraft operations occurring on the facility in addition to carrying out the Marine Corps' mission to train, equip and deploy forces to respond to a variety of crises around the world. From Afghanistan to Iraq, along with continuing Pacific deployments, MCAS Miramar Marines and Sailors have answered the nation's call. This success was made possible in part because of MCAS Miramar's proximity with ground and logistical forces from Camp Pendleton, the Navy ships upon which the Marine Corps deploys, and the vast training ranges in the Southwest United States and off the coast of California.
MCAS Miramar is centrally located near more than 10 West Coast Navy and Marine Corps installations including Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, the nation's largest amphibious assault training area, and adjacent to 67 percent of the Continental United States' Department of Defense training ranges. This ideal position maximizes training dollars and prepares Marines for operational commitments throughout the world. The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and many of MCAS Miramar's Marines and Sailor are deployed overseas supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and aboard Marine Expeditionary Units. While these troops are serving in harm's way, the San Diego community provides outstanding support while they are deployed and well after they return home. The Marines, Sailors, Civilian Marines, and families of MCAS Miramar are committed to returning the goodwill of the people of San Diego. Each year, MCAS Miramar opens its gates to the community for events such as the MCAS Miramar Air Show, the largest community event hosted aboard the air station. This annual event is a spectacular display of aviation capabilities being used to fight in Afghanistan. In addition, MCAS Miramar opens its doors to the people of San Diego with monthly tours, museum events, color guards, volunteer work and other initiatives. These events and activities help maintain the strong community bond with our neighbors outside our gates. It is this relationship with the local community that has made Marine Corps Air Station Miramar one of the best and most vital installations in the Department of Defense.
Commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet »
Vice Admiral Thomas Rowden is the Commander of Naval Surface Forces and Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. He is responsible for manning, training, and equipping surface combatants for operational commanders worldwide.
Every day, Sailors and their warships from San Diego are engaged around the world as part of the global force for good. They execute our maritime strategy wherever and whenever the nation requires. Over the past year, San Diego-based Sailors conducted humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa, led counter-illicit narcotics trafficking efforts, expanded partnerships and relationships with nations and navies worldwide, conducted ballistic missile defense operations for forward deployed forces and our allies, continued operations with the Marine Corps, and were significant contributors in the Global War on Terror.
Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF), commanded by Vice Admiral Mike Shoemaker, is responsible for training, maintaining and equipping the aircraft carriers, squadrons, aircraft and personnel who proudly serve in Naval Aviation. From the headquarters, located at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI), CNAF establishes plans and policies for the entire Naval Air Force, and it provides the nation with combat-ready Naval Aviation forces that include 11 aircraft carriers, 10 carrier air wings, more than 170 squadrons, and 3700 aircraft. At home and abroad, missions are enabled by the commitment and talent of approximately 100,000 active and reserve military personnel, Department of the Navy civilians and contractors who make up our Naval Air Force and keep it ready.
Naval Aviation is adaptable, relevant, and lethal when required. It is critical to carrying out our nation's maritime strategy by playing key roles in all six of the Navy's core capabilities: Forward Presence, Deterrence, Sea Control, Power Projection, Maritime Security and Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief. We influence events in this unsettled world by engaging forward with our presence and power. We frequently are the first to respond to disaster providing humanitarian relief through the flexibility of our platforms and the talents and compassion of our personnel. Our hope is that our presence, along with our coalition partners, will deter aggression and enable the full spectrum of diplomatic, economic and political channels to defuse swelling international tension. When all else fails, and as a last resort, our Naval Air Force can deliver unmatched persistent, precision combat power, hundreds of miles inland from our expeditionary airfields and sea-bases.
Many of the squadrons and aircraft operate as carrier air wings to deploy with aircraft carriers as part of a Carrier Strike Group. Squadrons also deploy their aircraft as detachments, made up of aircraft, aircrew and maintainers to support missions from frigates, cruisers, destroyers or amphibious ships. They also deploy to expeditionary airfields to support unique theater requirements. The operating environment is challenging and unforgiving, and the men and women are often in harm's way, far from family, for significant periods of time. But all are volunteers, serving a common cause, and all share the same passion for Naval Aviation. Fight to Fly! Fly to Fight! Fight to Win!
U.S. Third Fleet is commanded by Vice Admiral Kenneth E. Floyd. U.S Third Fleet provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. U.S Third Fleet leads naval forces in the Eastern Pacific from the West Coast of North America to the international dateline. Joint, interagency and international relationships strengthen U.S. Third Fleet's ability to respond to crises and protect the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners. As we shape the future, U.S. Third Fleet serves as the voice of our Sailors and leads through innovation. Our people are the cornerstone of our success. All Sailors, Marines, civilians, and families in U.S. Third Fleet have the chance to reach their potential professionally and personally.
Commander, Navy Region Southwest »
Rear Admiral Patrick Lorge is the Commander of Navy Region Southwest. As the Naval shore installation management headquarters for the Southwest region (California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico), Navy Region Southwest provides coordination of base operating support functions for operating forces throughout the region. This includes providing expertise in areas such as housing, environmental, security, family services, port services, air services, bachelor quarters, supply, medical and logistical concerns for the hundreds of thousands of active-duty, reserve and retired military members in the area. The command also serves as the regional coordinator for the Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, headquartered in Hawaii, coordinating support for bases in Southern California and Nevada. We will be the best at efficiently delivering the right level of shore support services the meets our customer's mission requirements, reduces risk and ensures our Operational Forces ar e ready to take the fight to the enemy.
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command »
SPAWAR is a Navy acquisition command that designs, develops and deploys advanced communications and information capabilities. As technical authority for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems, SPAWAR's Commander reports directly to the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) for operational matters and to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition for acquisition matters. As the Navy's technical lead for C4ISR, SPAWAR provides the hardware and software to connect our warfighters at sea, on land and in the air.
In 2010, CNO charged SPAWAR to be the Navy's Information Dominance systems command. Information Dominance is recognized by the Navy and Defense Department leadership as a major warfare area - on par with the Navy's traditional surface, aviation and subsurface warfare environments. With more than 8,900 active duty military and civil service professionals located around the world and close to the fleet, SPAWAR is at the forefront of research, engineering, acquisition and support services that provide vital decision superiority and information dominance to our forces at the right time and for the right cost. SPAWAR remains committed to supporting all Navy organizations to realize the CNO's vision of Information Dominance for the Navy.
Areas of expertise include:
Submarine Squadron ELEVEN consists of six Los Angeles-class nuclear powered submarines - USS Albuquerque (SSN 706), USS Asheville (SSN 758), USS Hampton (SSN 767), USS Jefferson City (SSN 759), USS San Francisco (SSN 711), and USS Topeka (SSN 754).
Submarine Squadron ELEVEN is also home to three Torpedo Weapons Retrievers - Narwhal (TWR 842), Swamp Fox (TWR 821) and Devil Ray (TWR 6), as well as the Navy's only floating dry dock, Arco (ARDM 5).
The squadron staff is responsible for providing training, material, and personnel readiness support for all units.
Submarine Squadron ELEVEN was commissioned July 1, 1986, aboard the flagship, USS McKee (AS 41), at Naval Base Point Loma has some of the most capable attack submarines in the world. More than 100 officers and 1,000 enlisted personnel, overseen by the squadron staff of 29 officers and 51 enlisted personnel, man the Squadron.
Submarine Squadron ELEVEN units maintain a very aggressive operational schedule, including: training and operations with all of Third Fleet's surface and air naval assets in the Southern California operating area, independent operations to enhance readiness, and six-month deployments to the Western Pacific, the Middle East, and the Southern Pacific.
As the Navy's premier Pacific Fleet surface force installation, Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) provides comprehensive fleet support for 56 home-ported ships and more than 140 tenants, utilizing the services or products of approximately 2,500 contractors. NBSD is comprised of the main Naval Base on the San Diego Bay; the Broadway Complex, which serves as the headquarters for Navy Region Southwest; the Naval Medical Center San Diego complex, which serves as the home for the Bob Wilson Naval Hospital and Naval Medicine West; and the Admiral Baker Golf Course and Recreation Center, which serves the recreational needs of Sailors, family members and retirees throughout the region. The base also oversees 16 housing areas, including the large Murphy Canyon housing complex, which provides more than 4,900 homes for Navy families.
Naval units based at NBSD have played a major role in the Global War on Terrorism and the Navy's efforts to relieve suffering and build partnerships through disaster relief and humanitarian outreach deployments. Many of the ships stationed at NBSD, including the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), have taken part in disaster relief missions and conducted humanitarian missions such as Pacific Partnership and Continuing Promise. Last year, NBSD has served as an ambassador for the Navy and nation, hosting successful port visits with ships from Japan, Chile and Canada. Since it was established by the Acting Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt Jr. in 1922, the base has undergone four name changes, but its mission has remained the same: to support the fleet, fighter and family.
In response to the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, the shifting of naval forces to the Pacific area of operations will cause NBSD to gain an additional seven ships by 2014. Through new commissionings and changes of home ports, warships that will arrive to NBSD include USS Spruance (DDG-111), USS Independence (LCS 2), USS San Diego (LPD 22), USS Anchorage (LPD 23), USS Essex (LHD 2), USS Fort Worth (LCS-3), USS Coronado (LCS-4), USS Somerset (LPD-25), USS America (LHA-6) and up to four new USCG High Endurance Cutters.
Always dedicated to providing the greatest possible shore support, NBSD is on the vanguard of quality of life initiatives for the Navy. NBSD is home to the U.S. Navy's first public private venture (PPV) Bachelor Housing project, Pacific Beacon. Pacific Beacon includes apartment-style living quarters with resort style amenities for single Sailors assigned to NBSD and supporting units. By nearly doubling the amount of living quarters available on the base, Pacific Beacon is redefining quality of life for single Sailors.
Respectful of the natural beauty of San Diego, NBSD continues to emphasize protecting our environment and conserving our energy. The base employs a permanent booming system around the piers and booms off every ship in port to contain inadvertent oil spills. A Port Operations Facility Response Team is available to respond 24/7 to minimize environmental damage from such incidents.
For its efforts, NBSD has won three consecutive Secretary of the Navy Energy and Water Management Platinum Awards, and the 2009 and 2010 Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Award.
As a key component in the Navy's effort to be at the forefront of environmental initiatives, NBSD has completed several renewable energy projects that include three rooftop photovoltaic systems, eight photovoltaic carports and the replacement of 1,182 street and parking lot light fixtures with energy saving Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology. Other projects on the base include the installation of low-flow toilets, urinals, lavatory faucets, shower heads, and new heating, ventilating, and air condition systems.
The Navy Region Southwest recycling center located on NBSD saves approximately 15 tons of solid waste daily. Through NBSD's aggressive recycling program, the base has diverted 43,000 tons of waste, which is equivalent to the weight of ten Navy frigates. The recycling center was named City of San Diego Recycler of the Year in 2009 and 2010 for diverting construction debris from the city landfill and for its large-scale recycling efforts overall. The City of San Diego is now modeling its construction demolition debris program after the Navy's recycling program.
Naval Base San Diego has also conserved one of our most precious resources by saving an estimated 20.7 million gallons of water a year by installing artificial turf, smart irrigation and xeriscape projects and promoting efficient use of water to Sailors and commands. Efforts to ensure water is used most efficiently on base are continually being implemented. NBSD is leading the way in the military's broader initiative to reduce water usage by 16% by 2015.
The base is engaged in the local community by working with city leaders in San Diego's Barrio Logan community and National City to ensure the concerns of the community are heard and respected. While providing outstanding support to the Fleet, Fighter and Family, Naval Base San Diego is a good neighbor and valued member of the national defense establishment and the local community.
In 2010, NBSD was recognized for its initiatives, achievements and improvements that contributed to overall installation management and sustained base operational excellence by winning the 2010 Commander In Chief's Award for Installation Excellencethe top award that can be awarded to any Naval Installation.
In 2011, NBSD received the GreenGov Presidential Award for excellence in incorporating practices and principles into daily base operations.
Naval Base Coronado (NBC) is one of the largest consortiums of military Installations in the Navy with a plant replacement value of nearly $6 billion dollars. It is composed of Naval Air Station North Island, Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach, Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island, Silver Strand Training Complex (SSTC), Remote Training Site Warner Springs (RTSWS), Camp Michael Monsoor and Camp Morena. These eight geographically separate complexes account for over 57,000 acres combining three airfields; three ports; land, sea, undersea, and air ranges; and over 1,000 buildings in support of local, state, and federal law enforcement and international military training, as well as nearly all U.S. Navy warfare areas and extensive U.S. Navy research, development, and testing efforts. NBC supports over 31,000 military and civilian personnel across 140 tenant commands, including Commander, Naval Air Forces; Commander, Naval Surface Forces; and Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command. The base also oversees 5 housing areas that provide nearly 700 homes to Navy families.
The headquarters for NBC, Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) is best known as the "Birthplace of Naval Aviation" and serves as a Master Helicopter base and home to the West Coast's premier intermediate and depot level maintenance facility, Fleet Readiness Center Southwest. NASNI's nearly 250 days of sunshine annually and mild climate are the perfect environment for its 20 squadrons. It is also a favored destination for visiting forces, contributing to an annual air traffic count of over 121,000 evolutions, 10,000 transient aircraft, 120,000 passengers, and 7,160 tons of air cargo. In response to the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review, shifting 60% of naval forces to the Pacific region, NASNI's helicopter community will transition to the MH-60R/S helicopter and grow by 4 squadrons from 151 aircraft to 203 aircraft by calendar year 2016. This growth will result in over $200M of construction and renovation; to include a new three-squadron hangar, a new maintenance facility, and an increase of 800 personnel and 33% in airfield operations.
NASNI is also the premier West Coast Aircraft Carrier port with facilities for three nuclear powered vessels. Two carriers currently call NASNI home; the USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) and USS RONALD REAGAN (CVN 76), with the other three West Coast based Aircraft Carriers making regular port visits throughout the year as they prepare for and return from operational deployments. These versatile, multi-mission warships have recently supported several military operations such as Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, and a host of humanitarian and disaster relief efforts such as Operation UNIFIED RESPONSE following Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake and Operation TOMODACHI following Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami in March, 2011.
Just south of NASNI, Naval Amphibious Base Coronado (NAB) is home to the Navy's West Coast amphibious warriors with over 30 tenant commands and a population of approximately 5,000 personnel. NAB is also home to Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Command headquarters, four West coast-based SEAL Teams, Special Boat Team 12, its undersea component and the Naval Special Warfare Center where these special operations forces train. NSW continues to grow its Force, expand its training curriculum and seek training range enhancements to effectively meet its overseas operational requirements. NAB is the only base of its kind on the West Coast, which encompasses calm bay waters, rougher ocean water, and land/beach training areas in close proximity to administrative and training facilities, providing a unique, cost-effective training complex for students and experienced, war-hardened veterans. Every Navy SEAL has, at some point in time, passed through and trained at NAB.
Located near the Mexican border, Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach (NOLFIB) provides critical airfield, pattern, approach and landing training for all of the Navy's West Coast helicopter crews. It's also home to Maritime Expeditionary Security Group ONE and its three subordinate Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadrons. Known as the "Helicopter Capitol of the World", NOLFIB rivals San Diego's Lindbergh Field with over 236,000 annual air evolutions, which accounts for nearly 95% of required helicopter training for squadrons based at NASNI.
Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island (SCI) is the southernmost of the eight California Channel Islands and serves as a cornerstone for all tactical training and support to the Southern California Range Complex.
Comprising 37,000 acres, SCI is the only naval range facility where surface ships, submarines, aircraft and Special Forces can simultaneously conduct coordinated live fire training scenarios across all warfare areas and in all physical battlespace domains. The Island is also home to 22 listed species of animals and plants, which require close, careful management and deconfliction to ensure Naval forces can accomplish their training missions while ensuring full compliance with natural resource, environmental, and cultural law and regulations. Every West Coast Carrier Strike Group and Amphibious Readiness Group trains and exercises in the Southern California Range Complex before deploying to areas around the world. Operations at SCI have grown 560% over the past 10 years, with recent annual support of 19,000 air evolutions, 8,000 training events, and over 11,500 Department of Defense transient personnel. SCI's invaluable contribution to military readiness and national security cannot be under-estimated and it's unique location and capabilities cannot be replicated anywhere in or around the continental United States.
The Silver Strand Training Complex (SSTC), formerly known as the Naval Radio Receiving Facility, has become a premier training facility for the Navy's Special Warfare forces. Located on the border of Imperial Beach and Coronado, this 450-acre facility provides access to the San Diego Bay and Pacific Ocean providing a realistic training environment necessary to maintain maritime skills.
Located in East San Diego County, Camp Michael Monsoor and Camp Morena provide realistic mountain warfare training opportunities that closely mimic the terrain Navy Special Warfare forces experience in many overseas locations. North East San Diego County is home to the Remote Training Site Warner Springs, Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) facility, which prepares aircrew and high risk of capture DoD personnel to survive under any conditions. SERE specialists train over 6,500 aircrew members a year in the proper use of principles, techniques, equipment, and procedures necessary to survive in hostile environments and situations.
NBC continues its award-winning legacy and is committed to maintaining a vital and productive relationship with its surrounding communities, conserving its natural resources, continuing its remarkable energy and water conservation programs, and managing an outstanding Safety program and record all while providing outstanding support to the Fleet, Fighter and Family.
In 2010, Naval Base Coronado Sailors and civilian employees were highly proactive in reaching out to the community, by contributing over 63,376 volunteer hours to various local community volunteer programs and participated in annual beach and city clean-up events, feeding the homeless at St. Vincent De Paul Village, reading to young children at the local libraries, and implementing an operation called "Big Brothers/Big Sisters" at local elementary schools to help children succeed through one-on-one mentoring relationships. NBC also opens its doors to the public through several annual community events such as the Coronado Speed Festival where the public can enjoy vintage car racing, while at the same time take advantage of tours that showcase the Navy's people, equipment, and capabilities. A recent highlight of NBC's outreach was Naval Air Station North Island's kick-off of the 2011 Centennial of Naval Aviation celebration with a Parade of Flight and Open House featuring a historic 200-aircraft aerial review for over 100,000 spectators.
NBC's environmental and natural resource conservation efforts are second-to-none in ensuring these valuable resources will be available for generations to come. Home to 31 listed (i.e., endangered, threatened or otherwise protected) species of animals and plants, NBC strikes the right balance between its legal and regulatory requirements and the training/exercise needs of the Fleet. NBC's efforts have been recognized over the years through numerous Navy and DoD awards. Last year NBC was awarded the 2011 Chief of Naval Operations, Natural Resources Conservation Environmental Award for Large Installation, which recognized NBC's outstanding stewardship of listed species and its management of 47,620 acres of range/habitat and 750 acres of wetlands and waters of the U.S.
In the area of energy and water conservation, NBC continues its aggressive management program to leverage new technologies, change personnel usage habits, and achieve Navy conservation goals. Through the use of alternative energy sources, such as 1.6MW of solar photovoltaic systems, and innovative approaches to energy efficiency and conservation, NBC has significantly reduced its energy usage by 26% from a fiscal year (FY) 2003 baseline. In addition, through an awareness campaign, central irrigation controllers, and smart landscaping, the base in (FY) 2011 has saved more than 12 million gallons of water, compared to (FY) 2010 water usage. NBC's energy and water conservation efforts resulted in the FY 2010 Secretary of the Navy, Platinum Level Energy and Water Management Award.
With an unparalleled operational tempo and extensive natural resource and encroachment challenges, NBC continues to meet the Fleet's requirements on land, at sea and in the air while maintaining valuable, productive relationships with its local communities. Naval Base Coronado providing world class support to the Fleet, Fighter and Family!
Naval Base Point Loma (NBPL) was established on October 1, 1998, when the Navy bases located in the Point Loma area of San Diego were consolidated under Commander Navy Region Southwest. These six installations, consisting of the Naval Submarine Base; Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command; Commander Third Fleet Headquarters complex; Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Headquarters; SPAWAR Systems Center and Fleet Intelligence Training Command Pacific, form a diverse and highly technical hub of naval activity. Additionally, the Naval Consolidated Brig, located at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and approximately 3,000 housing units in western San Diego County are under the cognizance of NBPL. Naval Base Point Loma and her tenant commands are staffed by more than 18,000 active duty military and civilian employees and several thousand additional contract personnel.
Naval Base Point Loma consists of 1,740 total acres, including five deep draft and three shallow draft piers, shipyard industrial support buildings, nine bachelor quarters, two five-star award winning military dining facilities, torpedo retrievers and support craft, a weapons magazine complex, two Federal fire stations, three Navy Exchanges, and support infrastructure. It has an average military and civilian payroll of nearly $500 million and a plant value of $1.2 billion. Embedded inside of the base are Cabrillo National Park and the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.
Naval Base Point Loma provides support to 70 U.S. Pacific Fleet afloat and shore based tenant commands headquartered on the base. Ships stationed on the base include USS Albuquerque (SSN 706), USS Asheville (SSN 758), USS Hampton (SSN 767), USS Jefferson City (SSN 759), USS San Francisco (SSN 711), and USS Topeka (SSN 754). Naval Base Point Loma is also home to three Torpedo Weapons Retrievers - Narwhal (TWR 842), Swamp Fox (TWR 821) and Devil Ray (TWR 6), as well as the Navy's only floating dry dock, Arco (ARDM 5).
Shore based tenant commands include Commander Third Fleet, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Headquarters, SPAWAR Systems Center, Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command, Submarine Squadron ELEVEN, Commander Sealift Logistic Command Pacific, Naval Submarine Training Center Pacific, Tactical Training Group Pacific, Defense Acquisition University, Naval Recruiting District Southwest, Joint Tactical Radio Program Office, Naval Health Research Center and the Navy's Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Dept.
Naval Medical Center San Diego »
Naval medical activities first appeared in San Diego in 1914, when a field hospital was set up in Balboa Park to support an encampment of Marines on North Island, across San Diego Bay. World War I saw a medical facility officially established on the old Pan-American Exposition grounds in 1917, and two years later the facility was renamed United States Naval Hospital San Diego. Inspiration Point, in Balboa Park, would become the site for the new Naval hospital which was commissioned Aug. 22, 1922.
World War II increased the Naval hospital's tempo with approximately 173,000 patients treated. Korea and Vietnam followed and Navy medicine saw a vast improvement in battlefield evacuation techniques. A service member could be admitted 30 hours or less after becoming wounded, ill or injured in Southeast Asia.
Today, Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD) provides the highest quality medical care across the full spectrum of patient needs, emphasizing safety, service, teamwork, effectiveness and efficiency earning a three year reaccreditation in July 2010 by the Joint Commission with nine best practices identified. The 6,700 military, civilian, contract, and volunteer staff serve a beneficiary population of more than 100,000 active duty and retired personnel and their families. Facilities include a 278-bed multi-specialty hospital, along with 11 primary care clinics and 10 free-standing dental clinics extending from San Clemente Island to El Centro.
NMCSD recently enrolled its 18,144th enrollee into the "NMCSD Online' program, a secure messaging service for beneficiaries enrolled in Medical Home Port (MHP). The MHP program was established at NMCSD in 2010 to bring Navy medicine focus back to a family-centered care system. An individual Medical Home Port team, consisting of a provider, nurses, medical support staff, medical assistants, hospital corpsmen, and nurse educators, is assigned to each beneficiary. The MHP team is designed to create a team-based, comprehensive approach to healthcare.
NMCSD has and continues to support operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Djibouti and deploys hundreds of personnel forward as individual augmentees.
The Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care (C5) program officially began in September 2006, with the grand opening of a $4.4 million facility in October 2007, to provide medical care, rehabilitation, family support, and transition services for wounded, ill and injured service members from all military branches. Since its establishment, more than 1,445 service members have been evaluated and treated through C5, to include 165 amputees.
Additionally, the Balboa Career Transition Center (BCTC) provides benefits and claims support, vocational rehabilitative services, career guidance, and employment assistance to wounded, ill and injured service members through partnerships with the Department of Labor, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the California Employment Development Department.
NMCSD's Graduate Medical Education (GME) programs are nationally recognized for their quality by the Accreditation Council on GME, offering 25 postgraduate training programs for doctors, in areas ranging from Emergency Medicine to Anesthesia, as well as programs for dentists, pharmacists, and psychologists. NMCSD also has affiliations with 23 civilian nursing schools, to help address the national nursing workforce shortage by training more than 400 students per year in their clinical rotations.
The Medical and Surgical Simulation Center (MSSC) uses high-fidelity human patient mannequin simulators, including pediatric, neonatal and birthing simulations to provide ongoing staff training. MSSC also offers virtual reality surgical trainers, endoscopy trainers and a trauma simulation demonstration. MSSC is comprised of eight full mannequins and more than 30 task simulators.
Naval Medical Center San Diego is ready to provide world class care anytime, anywhere - here in the San Diego military community, aboard ships, submarines, squadrons and embedded with the Marines, and around the world in support of Humanitarian Assistance or Disaster Response.
NAVSUP Global Logistics Support »
NAVSUP Global Logistics Support (NAVSUP GLS), a major Navy operational logistics command headquartered in downtown San Diego, Calif., at Broadway and Harbor Drive, provides an array of integrated global logistics and contracting services to Navy, Marine Corps, and joint operational units across all warfare enterprises. Naval logistics has been a key component of the fabric of the San Diego waterfront for 91 years. The NAVSUP GLS mission is to provide Navy, Marine Corps and joint and allied forces with operational logistics capabilities enabling them to take the fight to the enemy.
NAVSUP GLS provides full-spectrum logistics capabilities to naval forces, contracting support for both shore-based and operational forces, and facilitates best business practices and efficiencies across the seven NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Centers headquartered in San Diego, Calif.; Norfolk, Va.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Yokosuka, Japan; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Bremerton (Puget Sound), Wash.; and Sigonella, Italy.
NAVSUP GLS, a component of the Naval Supply Systems Command, monitors waterfront support performance; manages NAVSUP FLC operations and 10 products and servicescontracting, fuels, global logistics services, hazardous material management, household goods movement support, integrated logistics support, postal, regional transportation, and warehousing; and provides base supply support for Navy installations worldwide.
The Chief of Naval Operations has repeatedly stated that a global Navy requires global logistics. NAVSUP, thru its global operating sitesthe Fleet Logistics Centersis changing its culture, strategy and capabilities to create a fully functioning, flexible Global Logistics Support network, responsive to the full range of military operations in today's unpredictable operating and fiscal environments.
The NAVSUP GLS team, comprised of more than 5,700 military personnel, civilian logistics professionals, contractors and foreign nationals, delivers the global logistics support essential to our warfighters' ability to forward deploy and maintain large task forces to fight and win wars and to quickly employ smaller, mission-tailored forces to respond to crises and contingencies anywhere in the world, at any time.
Execution of this global logistics support effort entails a pointed and deliberate orientation toward the operational commanders the numbered fleets and their maritime operations centers and logistics readiness centers. Supply management is critical during this era of persistent conflict and logisticians share one goalto sustain the military across the range of missions they accomplish, while providing the best value possible to the shareholdersyouthe citizens of the United States.
Agility in supply chain management, contingency contracting, operational logistics, fuels management and physical distribution is a key success factor in the persistent presence of the Navy-Marine Corps war fighting team. The logistics teams are sustaining the Navy's ships, including the Navy's newest class of shipthe Littoral Combat Ship, submarines, aircraft, shore commands and expeditionary forces with the essential items needed to execute their missions. They are also providing business expertise in supply, logistics, acquisition and financial management.
The Navy operational commanders, Marines and Special Operations forces look to our field contracting teams to deliver contracted capability in theater to support traditional pier-side ship support in foreign ports, and other operations, exercises, humanitarian and civic assistance, and theater security cooperation engagements.
The NAVSUP GLS team is focused on sustaining the fight and delivering the global logistics products and services that are critical to supporting our Navy's Global Force for Good.
Military Sealift Command Pacific »
Military Sealift Command Pacific, or MSCPAC , exercises operational control over Military Sealift Command (MSC) ships operating in the Eastern Pacific. MSC's combat logistics ships, operated by civil service U.S. Merchant Marine mariners, support the U.S. Navy's Third Fleet by delivering fuel, food, and supplies to ships underway, allowing them to remain at sea for extended periods of time.
Ships under MSCPAC's control also transport vital military cargo to forces ashore and overseas and support special Department of Defense missions such as the bi-annual humanitarian deployments of hospital ship USNS Mercy.
MSCPAC's operational area of responsibility covers more than 50 million square miles in the Eastern Pacific, coinciding with the Navy's Third Fleet.
MSCPAC was established in 1949 as Military Sea Transportation Service West, and was originally located at the Fleet Industrial Supply Center in Oakland, Calif.
In 1998, the renamed Military Sealift Command Pacific relocated to the command's present location in San Diego at Naval Base Point Loma.
In 2005, Military Sealift Command Pacific became Sealift Logistics Command Pacific as part of Military Sealift Command's global transformation. In 2011, the name was returned to MSCPAC to better identify the command with Military Sealift Command worldwide. With nearly 30 military and civilian team members, MSCPAC is one of five Military Sealift Command geographical area operational commands worldwide.
Military Sealift Command Pacific also commands ship husbanding representatives in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and San Francisco, Calif., and Seattle, Wash. These outport offices provide administrative, material and logistical support services for Military Sealift Command ships and serve as a liaison to the various military commands in their respective areas.
Six U.S. Naval Reserve units are assigned to MSCPAC. These units are frequently called upon to support strategic sealift and combat logistics operations throughout the MSCPAC area of responsibility.
MSCPAC ships play a major role in supporting fourteen annual and bi-annual exercises in the Pacific, including RIMPAC, Fleet Week San Diego, Fleet Week San Francisco, Northern Edge, Pacific Provider, Operation Safeport, Operation Deep Freeze (the annual resupply of the National Science Foundation's operation at McMurdo Station, Antarctica), and the humanitiarian mission Pacific Partnership.
Military Sealift Command's San Diego operations also include a modern training site and a firefighting school for civil service Merchant Marine mariners working for Military Sealift Command.
Military Sealift Fleet Support Command's Ship Support Unit San Diego is co-located with MSCPAC and provides maintenance and administrative support to MACPAC's combat logistics force ships.
Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command »
Rear Admiral William Merz is the Commander, Naval Mine and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command, headquartered at Naval Base Point Loma, NMAWC Complex, San Diego, California. Rear Admiral (select) Kenneth M. Perry is the Vice Commander.
NMAWC, as the warfighting center of excellence for Mine Warfare (MIW) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), focuses efforts across numerous resource sponsors, systems commands, research laboratories, training organizations, and operational commands to ensure Navy-wide competency in the MIW and ASW mission areas.
As the principal authority for the MIW and ASW missions, NMAWC:
Fleet Readiness Center Southwest »
The Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW), on Naval Air Station North Island, is one of three Fleet Readiness Centers that provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul services to Navy and Marine Corps aircraft of all types.
The command was originally established in 1919 and changed its name to Fleet Readiness Center in October 2006. It is the Navy's premier maintenance facility specializing in the overhaul, repair, and modification of Navy and Marine Corps front line tactical and logistics aircraft and their components.
In fiscal year 2010, FRCSW repaired and returned 237 aircraft to the fleet. Those aircraft included: FA-18 Hornets, the Navy's premier fighter-attack jet; the E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft; the C-2A Greyhound carrier-based logistical support aircraft; the Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier multi-role fighter attack jet; the Navy's H-60 Seahawk multi-mission helicopter; and a variety of Marine Corps helicopters to include the H-53 Sea Stallion heavy-lift, AH-1 Cobra attack, and UH-1 Huey general purpose helicopters.
FRCSW manages numerous production lines from its facilities located at several military installations. Those bases include: Naval Air Stations North Island and Point Mugu, Naval Base Point Loma, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in Calif.; and Marine Corps Air Stations Yuma, Ariz., and Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.
FRCSW is the lead repair organization worldwide performing overhaul and modification of the F/A-18 Hornet. More than 100 of these vital fighter aircraft pass through various overhaul or repair processes at the command annually.
The F/A-18 service-life extension program, known as a Center Barrel replacement, is a major modification being performed at FRCSW. The Center Barrel section is the backbone of the aircraft, where the nose, engines, wings, and landing gear all attach.
As the original designer and builder of the Center Barrel replacement capability for the F/A-18, FRCSW proposed this repair method to the Navy in 1991 in an effort to extend the useful life of each airframe, thus avoiding substantial aircraft replacement costs. It became a standard high flight hour repair for necessary aircraft in 1997.
Modern aircraft cannot fly without properly functioning components. Skilled artisans and Sailors at FRCSW repair a wide variety of aircraft components and their associated parts at all locations. The Component program boasts repair capability on more than 13,500 different parts, and returns nearly 50,000 repaired units annually into the defense supply system.
FRCSW operates the Navy Primary Standards Laboratory, providing calibration services worldwide at a level second only to those of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The adjacent Materials Engineering Laboratory provides a variety of services and has the Navy's only aircraft tire engineering and laser tire testing capability.
FRCSW's Field Service and Voyage Repair teams travel worldwide to maintain aircraft and ship aviation support systems on site; bringing their expertise and service to deployed units at many overseas locations.
FRCSW is also the sole Navy repair site for the LM-2500 gas turbine engine, which is used to power Aegis-, Ticonderoga-, and Perry-class surface ships. FRCSW's manufacturing facilities provide an invaluable industrial capability to the Navy. Its ability to produce intricate metal and composite components assures the service a capability to meet emergency requirements. These facilities are fully permitted and environmentally safe, in one of the country's most stringently-controlled environmental areas. The command has a history of environmental excellence. FRCSW is registered to the International Organization of Standards (ISO) 14001 Environmental Management Standard (first in the Department of Defense to register to this standard). The command has received two White House Closing the Circle Awards for continuous environmental improvement a Secretary of the Navy Environmental Quality; Secretary of the Navy Gold Award for energy management; and Chief of Naval Operations Award for Environmental Quality. In 2009 FRCSW also received the DOD Environmental Sustainment Award. The command leadership and artisans, working together, utilize the latest innovative management technologies to reduce cost and find production efficiencies at all levels in an effort to provide extraordinary value and readiness to the Fleet. Those management efficiencies and techniques have become the model throughout the service. These production efficiencies have been rewarded by being selected in 2008 to receive a Shingo Silver Medallion award for operational excellence in the public sector, and an honorable mention trophy in the North American Process Excellence award from the International Quality and Productivity Center (IQPC). Other awards include being named the Gold Level winner for the 2009 California Award for Performance Excellence (CAPE) as well as being a five-time recipient (three best in class designations) for the CAPE in previous years; a U.S. Senate Productivity Award; Secretary of the Navy Award for Navy Safety Ashore for a large industrial facility; Secretary of the Navy Award for Navy Safety Ashore for an individual; and a Secretary of the Navy Hispanic Employment Achievement Award. For 92 years, FRCSW and its predecessor organizations have been a positive influence to the greater San Diego community. The command is the largest aerospace employer in San Diego County, with an annual payroll in excess of $245 million and a regional economic impact of more than $590 million. FRCSW's highly skilled, talented, innovative, and dedicated employees have, on average, 14 years of education and of 20 years of work experience. They provide untold hours of talent and time to the community through active civic participation. FRCSW also partners with commercial industry and other government agencies to provide reliable aeronautical and related technology systems and products to the Fleet. Under Title 10 law, partnerships with private business enterprises are permitted. These partnerships are established through Performance Base Logistics agreements. Current PBL partners include Boeing, Rockwell Collins, Lockheed Martin, and others. The command has also been designated as the first Navy site to receive FAA repair station certification. "Fix it once, fix it right, fix it on time," is more than just the command's mantra; it's the way business is conducted every day.
Naval Special Warfare Command »
Naval Special Warfare Command (NAVSPECWARCOM) in San Diego, Calif. Is an Echelon II command, the Navy's special operations force headquarters and the maritime component to United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla.
NSW is comprised of approximately 8,900 total personnel, including more than 2,500 active-duty SEALs and 700 Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC), nearly 650 reserve personnel, 3,700 support personnel and 1,100 civilians. With an annual budget of approximately 17 percent of USSOCOM's total operating budget, NSW constitutes a small investment, but provides tremendous strategic military value.
Major Component Commands
Naval Special Warfare Command prepares and deploys individuals, elements and forces with capability across the spectrum of defense, from cooperation to combat.
NSW Groups train, equip, and deploy components of NSW Squadrons to meet the exercise, contingency and wartime requirements of the regional Combatant Commanders, theater special operations commands and numbered fleets located around the world. Additionally, they receive support from permanently deployed NSW units in Guam, Bahrain and Germany.
Naval Special Warfare Center provides basic and advanced instruction and training in maritime special operations to U.S. military and government personnel and members of other allied armed forces.
Naval Special Warfare Development Group is responsible for the testing, evaluation and development of technology and maritime, ground and airborne tactics applicable to NSW forces, with possible applicability DoD-wide.
Naval Special Warfare Group 10 joined the NSW community May 25 as an echelon III command that will organize, train, educate, equip, deploy and sustain specialized intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and preparation of-the-environment capabilities. The command will include: NSW Support Activity 1, NSW Support Activity 2 and the Mission Support Center.
NSW Squadrons are built around entire SEAL Teams deploying and include their senior leadership, a SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team and Special Boat Teams, as well as personnel detachments such as mobile communications teams, tactical cryptologic support and explosive ordnance disposal personnel. Naval Special Warfare Squadrons are among the most responsive, versatile and effective force packages fighting the global war on terrorism today. In addition to SEALs being experts in special reconnaissance and direct action missions the skill sets needed to combat terrorism NSW is postured to fight a dispersed enemy on their turf and to interdict enemy forces ashore or afloat before they can act. NSW forces can operate in small groups from 4 to 8 to 16 or more (depending on the mission) and have a continuous overseas global presence with their ability to quickly deploy from Navy ships, submarines and aviation platforms, overseas bases and NSW's forward-based units.
Immediately following the attacks on America in 2001, NSW forces put operators on the ground in Afghanistan. The first U.S. military flag or general officer to set foot in Afghanistan was a Navy SEAL in charge of all special operations for Central Command. Additionally, a Navy SEAL captain commanded Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (CJSOTF) South. Commonly referred to as Task Force K-BAR, the Task Force which included U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force and Coalition SOF forces earned a Presidential Unit Citation for their efforts during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). NSW forces carried out more than 75 special reconnaissance and direct action missions, destroying more than 500,000 pounds of explosives and weapons; positively identifying enemy personnel and conducting leadership interdiction operations in the search for terrorists trying to escape by sea-going vessels. NSW forces continue to operate in Afghanistan, routing Taliban and other terrorist forces.
Naval Special Warfare played a significant role in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), employing the largest number of SEALs and SWCC in its history. NSW forces were instrumental in numerous special reconnaissance and direct action missions, including the securing of the southern oil infrastructures of the Al Faw peninsula and the off-shore gas and oil terminals; the clearing of the Khor Al Abdullah and Khor Az Zubayar waterways that enabled humanitarian aid to be delivered to the vital port city of Umm Qasr; reconnaissance of the Shat Al Arab waterway; capture of high value targets, raids on suspected chemical, biological and radiological sites; and the first successful prisoner of war (POW) rescue since WWII.
Naval Special Warfare, along with all other U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) have been at the tip of the spear in overseas contingency operations from the very beginning. SOF-unique skills continue to be in high demand and today NSW has the highest number of SEAL flag officers in its history. In August 2010, Adm. Eric T. Olson was relieved by Adm. William R. McRaven as commander, U.S. Special Operations Command. With its increased responsibilities, the Department of Defense (DoD) has seen an increase in resources and authorities in order to prosecute the war on terror. Additionally, NSW's contributions to OEF and OIF have resulted in unprecedented attention including significant highlevel visits by the Chief of Naval Operations, Secretary of the Navy, Secretary of Defense, the Vice President and the President. NSW has been recognized for successfully carrying out DoD's most important war fighting missions, and the community and its personnel have been awarded every significant award, including two SEALs receiving the nation's highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor. NSW is also currently fighting the war on terrorism in other global hot spots, including the Philippines and the Horn of Africa.
The NSW community has begun to open its doors to women in increasingly important support roles. NSW is recruiting women from each branch of service to join "Cultural Engagement Teams" to conduct both episodic and sustained engagement activities in support of combat theater SOF. Women in these teams will provide commanders on the ground with another capability to initiate and sustain meaningful engagement with the women and children of local populations by leveraging gender, language, micro-regional expertise, and relevant functional skills; such as medicine, education and community development.
U.S. Navy SEAL teams are maritime, multi-purpose combat forces organized, trained and equipped to conduct a variety of special missions in all operational environments and threat conditions. They maintain a forward presence, regional orientation, language skills, and cultural awareness as they conduct operations throughout the world. SEALs infiltrate their objective areas by fixed and rotor-winged aircraft, Navy surface ships, combatant craft and submarines. Operating in small numbers, SEALs' ability to conduct clandestine, high-risk missions and provide real time intelligence and eyes on target, offer decision-makers immediate and virtually unlimited options in the face of rapidly changing wartime situations. NSW special mission areas include special reconnaissance, direct action, unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, information warfare, security assistance, counter-drug operations and personnel recovery.
With half the world's industry and population located within one mile of an ocean or navigable river and 144 of 170 sovereign nations accessible from sea or river systems, Naval Special Warfare's unique maritime capabilities make it a proven force for the future. Additionally, NSW forces train for contingencies in all environments. Whether it is in the snow-capped mountains of Afghanistan, the jungles of the Philippines, or the waters of the Arabian Gulf, SEAL and SWCC warriors have proven themselves as America's most versatile and effective military force.
By integrating a number of significant communication systems and reach back technology, NSW is able to provide its forces with the operational picture, continuous battle space awareness and technical resources necessary to rapidly communicate and conduct worldwide collaborative joint mission planning.
NSW's SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Team in Pearl City, Hawaii is manned by specially trained SEALs and support personnel who operate and maintain the SDVs and Dry Deck Shelters (DDS). SDVs are wet submersibles designed to conduct clandestine reconnaissance, direct actions and passenger delivery missions in maritime environments. DDS deliver SDVs and specially trained forces from modified submarines. When teamed with their host submarines, SDV and DDS platforms provide the most clandestine maritime delivery capability in the world.
Special Boat Teams: NSW surface platforms include the 11-meter Rigid-hull Inflatable Boats, MK V Special Operations Craft, and Special Operations Craft - Riverine. Special Boat Teams are located in San Diego, California; Norfolk, Virginia; and Stennis, Mississippi. Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) operate and maintain these state-of-the art, high performance boats used to clandestinely insert and extract SEALs, conduct maritime interdiction operations and support special operations missions. SWCC are trained extensively in craft and weapons tactics, techniques and procedures. Like SEALs, Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen must be physically fit, highly motivated, combat-focused and responsive in high stress situations. SWCC provide dedicated rapid mobility in shallow water areas where larger ships cannot operate.


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TUSCALOOSA | Forest Lake area residents met with city officials Monday to discuss the latest plan for the new City Walk path that will meander through the neighborhood from Central Church of Christ to near 15th Street.
TUSCALOOSA | Forest Lake area residents met with city officials Monday to discuss the latest plan for the new City Walk path that will meander through the neighborhood from Central Church of Christ to near 15th Street.
The response from residents was overwhelmingly supportive.
"We are very much excited about the City Walk project and in favor of it," said Donald Payne, pastor of Forest Lake Baptist Church. The walk will take some of the church's property, including eight to 10 parking spaces, he said.
"Parking is at a premium for us since we are landlocked in and surrounded by school property," Payne said. "But this walk will bring a lot of people near our door and by our new coffeehouse and give us some exposure that we haven't had in a long, long time."
The proposed route of the City Walk in Forest Lake will go from behind Central Church of Christ up Second Avenue, across to First Avenue near University Place Elementary, then up First Avenue to Forest Lake Baptist and then across what is now private property to 18th Street. From there, it will go north on Lake Avenue toward 15th Street.
The walk will be for pedestrians and bicyclists. It will be 10 feet wide and in most areas have up to 10 feet of green space between the curb and the City Walk, with a 2-foot buffer between the walk and private property on the other side. The Forest Lake section of the City Walk will be the first to be built. Construction of the section behind Central Church of Christ broke ground this week. The rest of the City Walk through Forest Lake could see construction within the next 12 to 18 months, said Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox.
First, the city must get resident input as part of an environmental analysis. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also must approve the plans before any work can begin. Overall, the input from residents has been supportive, Maddox said.
"Since we started the Tuscaloosa Forward process, the vast majority of Forest Lake residents have been excited about this, and there has been widespread support," Maddox said.
The Forest Lake Homeowners Association, which represents the homeowners around the lake, have already voted on two plans presented by the city: Option B-2, which includes street parking on Lake Avenue and taking up approximately 6 feet more of property along Lake Avenue than the alternative; and Option D, which includes the same basic route through Forest Lake, but with a narrower street on Lake Avenue and no street parking, which would build City Walk on the city's right-of-way and take up less private property. In both plans, Lake Avenue would become a one-way street heading north.
"The homeowners association has already voted and supports Option D, which takes up less property" said Robert Parsons, president of the association. "I think it's going to be great."
The Forest Lake Neighborhood Association, which is a separate organization, is also supportive of Option D but will take a formal vote next week, said Forest Lake resident George Harris.
Forest Lake homeowners
Joanna and Peter Biermann, who live near First Avenue and 18th Street, also voiced their support of the proposed project. They said they would love the opportunity to get out and walk or bike more.
"I love to ride a bicycle and I love to walk," Joanna Biermann said. "Perhaps I can ride my bike to work (at the University of Alabama.)"
Joe Patrick said he grew up in Forest Lake and decided to move back to the neighborhood and rebuild the home where his mother lived before the April 27, 2011, tornado. He said some of the plans proposed Monday, including the one-way street on Lake Avenue, is something that has been needed for decades.
"I think the City Walk will be nice," Patrick said. "I've always thought there needed to be a sidewalk that emptied into the school."
Monday's meeting was a "meet-and-greet," where area residents browsed maps of the proposed route and asked questions of city officials. No decisions have been made yet on which option will be used, said City Engineer David Griffin.
"It's important for us to know what the public's view is," he said. "All the comments are taken into consideration."
Reach Lydia Seabol Avant at 205-722-0222 or lydia.seabol


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The potential for a golden age of gas comes along with a big "if" regarding environmental and social impact. The International Energy Agency (IEA)—the "global energy authority"--believes that this age of gas can be golden, and that unconventional gas can be produced in an environmentally acceptable way.
IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven, discusses:The potential for a golden age of gas and its consequences on the industry and society, the challenges of renewable investment and technology, how the U.S. shale boom is reshaping the global economy, Nuclear's contribution to energy security and other critical energy issues facing the world today.
Interview by James Stafford of Oilprice.com
Oilprice.com: In 2011, the IEA predicted what it called "the golden age of gas," with gas production rising 50% over the next 25 years. What does this "golden age" mean for coal, oil and nuclear energy—and for renewables? What does it mean for humanity in terms of carbon emissions? Is the natural gas boom lessening the sense of urgency to work towards renewable energy solutions?
IEA: We didn't predict a golden age of gas in 2011, we merely asked a pertinent question: namely, are? And we found that the potential for such a golden age certainly exists, especially given the scale of unconventional gas resources and the advances in technology that allow their extraction. But the potential for a golden age of gas hinges on a big "if," and we elaborated on this in 2012 in a report called " Golden Rules for a Golden Age of Gas". Exploiting the world's vast resources of unconventional natural gas holds the key to golden age of gas, we said, but for that to happen, governments, industry and other stakeholders must work together to address legitimate public concerns about the associated environmental and social impacts. Fortunately, we believe that unconventional gas can be produced in an environmentally acceptable way.
Under the central scenario of the World Energy Outlook-2013, natural gas production rises to 4.98 trillion cubic meters (tcm) in 2035, up nearly 50 percent from 3.38 tcm in 2011. But we have always said that a golden age of gas does not necessarily imply a golden age for humanity, or for our climate. An expansion of gas use alone is no panacea for climate change. While natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel, it is still a fossil fuel. As we have seen in the United States, the drastic increase in shale gas production has caused coal's share of electricity generation to slide. Of course, there is also the possibility that increased use of gas could muscle out low-carbon fuels, such as renewables and nuclear, from the energy mix.
OP: When will we see "the golden age of renewables"?
IEA: Although we have not yet predicted a "golden age" of renewables, the current, rapid growth of renewable power is a bright spot in an otherwise bleak picture of global progress towards a cleaner and more diversified energy mix. Still, the investment case for capital-intensive, low carbon power technologies carries challenges. We need to distinguish between two situations:
- In emerging economies, renewable power often provides a cost-competitive alternative to new fossil based generation and are perceived as part of the solution to questions of energy supply, diversification, and economic development. In China, for example, efforts to reduce local pollution are stimulating major investments in cleaner energy.
- By contrast, in stable systems with sluggish demand, no technology is competitive with marginal electricity prices, due to overcapacity. Governments are nervous about increasing investment in low-carbon options which impact on consumer prices, and this is causing policy uncertainty. But long term energy security and environmental goals need to be kept in mind.
The overall outlook for renewable electricity remains positive, even as the outlook can vary strongly by market and region. However, the electricity sector comprises less than 20% of total final energy consumption. The growth of renewables in other sectors such as transport and heat has been more sluggish. For a golden age of renewables to materialize, greater progress is needed in these areas, for example, with the development of advanced biofuels and more policy frameworks for renewable heat.


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Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333
24 Hours/Every Day
- email@example.com
Public Health Assessment
Air Pathway Evaluation,
Isla de Vieques Bombing Range,
Vieques, Puerto Rico
To print this report, please select the "Print Friendly View" option in left hand menu and use your browsers print function or the "Print Page" option on the right side of the page. You may also print individual sections of the report by navigating to a section using the left hand menu and following the same steps above.
August 26, 2003
Prepared by:
Federal Facilities Assessment Branch
Division of Health Assessment and Consultation
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
I. Introduction
In May 1999, a resident of Isla de Vieques (Vieques), Puerto Rico, requested that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) determine whether contaminants released from the United States Navy's (Navy's) bombing range pose a public health hazard. This request was submitted as a petition to the agency. ATSDR accepted this petition and has since been investigating public health concerns related to operations at the Navy's former bombing range.
ATSDR is responding to this petition in a series of public health assessments (PHAs) that examine what contaminants entered the environment, how these contaminants moved through the environment, and what levels of contamination residents might have contacted. ATSDR then uses this information to determine whether residents were exposed to levels of contamination that might cause health problems.
To be most responsive to the petitioner and the people of Vieques, ATSDR is publishing a series of PHAs that address very specific questions. This PHA focuses on the public health implications of exposure to air contaminants, by responding to four key questions that the petitioner and residents of Vieques have asked ATSDR. ATSDR's responses to these questions are found throughout Section V of this PHA.
|Section V.A:
|On days when bombing did not occur, did wind-blown dust from the LIA pose a health hazard?
|Section V.B:
|Did contaminants released when the Navy used "practice bombs" pose a health hazard?
|Section V.C:
|Did contaminants released when the Navy used "live bombs" pose a health hazard?
|Section V.D:
|Did open burning and open detonation operations or the Navy's use of other chemicals (e.g., depleted uranium, chaff) pose a health hazard?
Though this document focuses on air quality issues, ATSDR has committed to evaluate other ways that contaminants from the bombing range might affect public health. ATSDR has already addressed, or plans to address, these other public health issues as follows:
- In October, 2001, ATSDR released its final PHA addressing contamination in drinking water supplies and groundwater (ATSDR 2001a). This report indicated that the public drinking water supply on Vieques poses no apparent public health hazard. Copies of this report, which evaluate health issues in much greater detail, are available from ATSDR and from records repositories on Vieques and on the main island of Puerto Rico. The repositories are located at Biblioteca Publica on Vieques, the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust, and at the University of Puerto Rico School of Public Health.
- ATSDR has evaluated the public health implications of exposures to soils on Vieques. In the final PHA (ATSDR 2003), ATSDR addressed exposures both for the residential population and for individuals who lived on the LIA between April 1999 and May 2000. That document concludes that there is no evidence that any residents of Vieques are being exposed, or were exposed, to harmful levels of contamination in soils.
- In July 2001, ATSDR, the Ponce School of Medicine, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sponsored an expert panel review to address whether an association existed between place of residence (Vieques or Ponce Playa) and morphological cardiovascular changes among fishermen. The panel concluded that the available studies do not indicate cardiac health problems among fishermen from Vieques or Ponce Playa. The report summarizing the expert panel review (ATSDR 2001c) was released in October 2001. Copies are available by contacting ATSDR (1-888-42-ATSDR).
- ATSDR also evaluated whether Navy training activities have resulted in contamination of local marine fish and shellfish. ATSDR's PHA on this topic summarizes data from an extensive sampling effort, in which fish and shellfish samples were collected from six locations around Vieques. Based on these sampling results, ATSDR concluded that it is safe to eat fish and shellfish caught in marine waters at Vieques (ATSDR 2003b).


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The photographer HASEO is known to take dynamic narrative photos, which appear like a baroque painting at first glance. He has gained popularity through his unique style.
We had an opportunity to join him for one of his studio sessions.
How much of his work is actually photographed as opposed to computer graphics? These days we convert RAW files and process them on a computer, so the questions may not be so relevant. Just like everyone else, his work will never be complete using the aid of a computer. "I never add anything that is not there," he says.
"Really? There is no scenery in Japan; like what you see in the picture," people generally react just as how we reacted.
"Come to my studio in advance. I will show you how it's done," he said.
We arrived at his studio one day prior to the session. The studio is as big as a gymnasium. As we went inside, we saw him hammering nails and sawing wood into pieces. He was working on a prop for tomorrow's session. For the past few weeks, he has been preparing; working on the prop whenever he found spare time in between his work. He was working on the final piece, getting it ready for tomorrow.
A photographer creates his / her world in a frame, but there are only a handful of them who actually spend time on constructing the set like him. HASEO certainly gets help from the staff, but he oversees the whole concept as well as bits and pieces of the scenery.
A painter paints to fill the desired elements in his creation. HASEO hand makes the needed elements for his photographic work.
As we witnessed the work in progress with our own eyes, our doubt had gone away.
His work has rich detail. The prop and the set are very complex and there are many models in a frame.
During the meeting prior to the photo session, he directs the models on how they should pose. He explains the concept and the relationship between the models. Every piece in the scene and every model have their role and expression, and he makes sure that everyone understands it. There are no elements that do not have a meaning in his work.
Perhaps because of it, he prefers wide angle lenses, especially that ones that deliver sharp images. That way he is able to tell his story with all the details.
He was very satisfied with the GF23mmF4 lens performance. The image quality that the lens delivers is superb. The image remains sharp in the high frequency range. The distortion is minimized as much as possible. One would find it difficult to believe that the lens is wide angle. And all this will be used for the medium format sensor.


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CRESTVIEW � School's out and the kids are screaming for something to do. Dr. Brian Rucker has a suggestion: Take a drive into our regional heritage.
CRESTVIEW � School's out and the kids are screaming for something to do. Dr. Brian Rucker has a suggestion: Take a drive into our regional heritage.
The University of West Florida history professor's recently published "Treasures of the Panhandle: A Journey Through West Florida" is more than a lively history lesson.
"It's a guide for eco and heritage tourism," Rucker said. "It's a celebration of the place we call home."
Rucker said his book fills the void left by other Florida guides.
"Every time you read a book about Florida, it always stops at Tallahassee," he said. "I got tired of our area being the bastard stepchild of Florida. We have a long history here."
Local sites
Without leaving Okaloosa County, cultural tourists can choose from many destinations, beginning with the Carver-Hill Museum in Crestview and Baker Block Museum.
Heading south, Rucker recommends the U.S. Air Force Armament Museum, noting, "For people who like things that go 'boom,' this is the place."
The Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida in Valparaiso and the Indian Temple Mound Heritage Park and Cultural Center in Fort Walton Beach also rate a visit, Rucker said.
The Indian temple mound is the last of several, one of which was lost when bulldozed to put in a bowling alley in the 1950s � "because that's 'progress,'" he said.
Head west, young man
Newspaperman Horace Greeley's advice to "go west" is also appropriate for seekers of local history.
Traveling U.S. Highway 90 west toward Milton takes visitors into the heart of Northwest Florida's once booming timber and turpentine industry.
Along the way, motorists drive parallel to a restored section of the first paved highway in the area. The Old Brick Road, or Highway 1, was a brick-paved section of the Old Spanish Trail.
"People came from Pensacola in their Model T's just to ride up and down a paved road at 35 miles per hour," Rucker said.
At the site of the region's first industrial park, Arcadia Mills Archaeological Site in Milton, visitors follow an elevated walkway and sense the large scale of the long lost sawmill, turpentine still and cotton gin complex.
Downtown Milton's historic center includes the L&N Railroad depot museum. The same railroad served Crestview, which is marked on several pieces of equipment displayed.
Looking east
Like Milton, DeFuniak Springs� historic downtown is ideal for Victorian architecture lovers, Rucker said. A stroll around Lake DeFuniak is a wander through history.
In addition to a promenade of picturesque railroad industrialists' homes, historic structures include the stately Florida Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood and several elegant churches.
DeFuniak's 1882 L&N Railroad Depot is also now a regional history and culture museum.
With the 1972 horror film "Frogs," Hollywood made famous Eden Gardens State Park, the stately 1890s Greek-revival plantation home.
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.