Naval Base Ventura County

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Naval Base Ventura County
Oxnard, California in United States
A US Navy E-2C Hawkeye flies over NB Ventura County's Point Mugu facility
NB Ventura County is located in the United States
NB Ventura County
NB Ventura County
Location in the United States
Coordinates
TypeNaval Base
Site information
Owner
AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
03/21 3,383.8 metres (11,102 ft) Asphalt
09/27 1,677 metres (5,502 ft) Asphalt
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) is a United States Navy base in Ventura County, California. Formed by the merger of NAS Point Mugu and CBC Port Hueneme, NBVC is a diverse installation composed of three main locations — Point Mugu, Port Hueneme, and San Nicolas Island. The base serves as an all-in-one mobilization site, deep water port, railhead, and airfield. NBVC supports more than 100 tenant commands with a base population of more than 19,000 personnel, making it the largest employer in Ventura County.

History

Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme

CBC Port Hueneme insignia

The facility at Port Hueneme was built as a temporary depot in the early days of World War II to train, stage, and supply the newly created

Seabees (from "C.B.", the initials for "Construction Battalion"). The base was officially established and began operating May 18, 1942 as the Advance Base Depot. In 1945 the Advance Base Depot was renamed the Naval Construction Battalion Center.[2]

During the Korean War, almost all Navy construction equipment and supplies for the war were routed through CBC Port Hueneme.[2]

Naval Air Station Point Mugu

In 1941, as the United States entered World War II, Point Mugu also became a training area for the Seabees. The Seabees put down a section of

San Diego, California.[citation needed
]

NAS Point Mugu was the airfield used by former

Capitol Rotunda. The body was flown to Point Mugu aboard presidential aircraft SAM 28000 two days later.[4]

Until the late 1990s, the base hosted Antarctic Development Squadron SIX (

LC-130s equipped to land on ice in Antarctica, to supply the science stations there. Now, the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing has assumed that responsibility.[citation needed
]

Naval Base Ventura County

A Seabee convoy security team performs a firepower demonstration at Naval Base Ventura County

Naval Base Ventura County was established on October 11, 2000, during a ceremony held at Point Mugu. The two commands of NAS Point Mugu and CBC Port Hueneme were consolidated into a completely new organization.[2] San Nicolas Island was transferred to NBVC on October 1, 2004, after several years under the Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division.[5]

NBVC provides the Pacific Fleet with an all-in-one mobilization site, deep water port, railhead, and airfield. NBVC hosts more than 100 tenant commands and, as of 2006, is the largest employer in Ventura County, with over 19,000 military and civilian personnel working for or stationed on the base. The base contributes directly or indirectly to another 8200 jobs throughout the county.[2]

In February 2013, the U.S. Navy proposed to base four MQ-4C Tritons beginning in 2020; this would require 700 personnel and dependents to move to the base,[6][7][8] and $74.3 million in estimated construction cost.[9][10]

In May 2018, an investigation found that mismanagement had resulted in more than $32 million worth of equipment being unaccounted for because warehouse employees had failed to keep proper inventory records. Some classified materials in the warehouses had been stored improperly also. The warehouses hold supplies and repair equipment for destroyers, frigates and cruisers that carry classified weapons systems.[11]

US Coast Guard tenant command

Coast Guard Air Station Forward Operating Base Point Mugu

In September 2016, the Coast Guard Air Station in Los Angeles was relocated to Naval Base Ventura County from its former location at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) when the lease on the existing facility ended. Administratively, it was merged with/became a subunit of the Coast Guard Air Station in San Francisco, as the satellite facility FOB Point Mugu.[12][13] This relocation allowed LAX to accommodate the planned improvements for LAX's midfield, including the Midfield Satellite Concourse North (MSC North) terminal.[12][14]

In July 2021, the US Coast Guard announced it had begun construction on $53 million of facility investments to "transition the site from its current, semi-permanent Forward Operating Base Point Mugu to the full-service air station"[15] to be named CGAS Ventura, anticipated to open in August 2023. Vice Admiral Michael F. McAllister, the commander of the USCG Pacific Area stated, “We’re excited to break ground to re-establish a permanent air station. The new air station in Ventura will enhance critical mission capabilities, allowing us to better serve this critical area.”[16] McAllister also said that CGAS Ventura would be the first CGAS added by the Coast Guard in more than two decades.[17] The permanent new air station will include a hangar facility with four bays, shops, and storage for MH-65T and MH-60J helicopters, as well as an administration building.[18]

Facilities

Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
45km
30miles
none
Naval Outlying Landing Field
San Nicolas Island
Port of Hueneme
.
Naval Air Station
Point Mugu
Facilities of Naval Base Ventura County
Port of Hueneme (pronounced "Why-nee-mee") is the only deep-water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

At

TRACON that provides terminal radar services for nearby busy Class D airports Camarillo Airport and Oxnard Airport
.

At

Seabees and supports the training and mobilization requirements for more than 2,600 active-duty personnel. The port facility is located on the vast agricultural Oxnard Plain, about 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Los Angeles, on the Southern California
coast.

At

C-5 Galaxy. Other facilities on the island include radar tracking instrumentation, electro optical devices, telemetry, communications equipment, missile and target launch areas, as well as personnel support. SNI serves as a launch platform for short and medium missile testing and as an observation facility for missile testing.[5]

Tenant commands

Two VX-30 S-3Bs over Anacapa Island in 2016

Tenant commands encompass an extremely diverse set of specialties that support both the fleet and fighter, including U.S Space Force's

MQ-25A Stingray drones will be based at Point Mugu under the Airborne Command and Control Logistics Wing.[21][22]

Point Mugu tenants

Port Hueneme tenants

The guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale is commissioned at Naval Base Ventura County

U.S. Navy Seabee Museum

Located on Naval Base Ventura County is the U.S. Navy Seabee Museum, one of 10 official U.S. Navy museums.[28] The museum is the principal repository for the Seabees’ operational history. The Seabee Archive contains various operational records, battalion histories, manuscripts, oral histories, biographies, and personal papers pertaining to the Seabees.[28]

Accidents and incidents

See also

References

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from NBVC History. United States Navy.

  1. PDF
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "NBVC History". Naval Base Ventura County. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  3. ^ "U.S. Naval Activities World War II by State". Patrick Clancey. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  4. ^ Wilson, Jeff (June 9, 2004). "Plane carrying Reagan's casket leaves for Washington for his state funeral". Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
  5. ^ a b "San Nicolas Island (SNI)". Naval Base Ventura County. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
  6. ^ "Navy proposes drone operations base in California". Fox News. Associated Press. 24 February 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  7. ^ Melissa Caskey (25 February 2013). "Navy proposes drone site near Malibu". Malibu Times. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  8. ^ "Navy Releases Draft Environmental Assessment of MQ-4C Triton UAS at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu". Public Affairs Office. U.S. Navy. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  9. ^ Stephanie Snyder (25 February 2013). "Navy's proposed drone center at Point Mugu would cost $74 million". Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on 2013-03-01. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  10. ^ Childs, Jeremy (November 9, 2017). "Mugu marks milestone with first MQ-4C Triton drone". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  11. ^ Wenner, Gretchen (May 8, 2018). "Whistleblower exposes $32M in unaccounted gear at Naval Base Ventura County". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  12. ^ a b Green, Nick (January 23, 2015). "Local Coast Guard station to shrink after Air Station Los Angeles at LAX shuts in 2016". Daily Breeze.
  13. ^ Orozco, Lance (September 9, 2016). "Coast Guard Permanently Moving Air Station From Los Angeles To Ventura County". KCLU.
  14. ^ Burgess, Richard (February 2, 2015). "Coast Guard to Move Air Station from Los Angeles". Seapower. Archived from the original on June 28, 2015.
  15. ^ Varela, Brian J. (July 27, 2021). "Coast Guard breaks ground on air station at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  16. ^ Staff, Seapower (2021-07-28). "Coast Guard Breaks Ground on New Air Station in Ventura". Seapower. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  17. ^ Orozco, Lance (2021-07-28). "Coast Guard's First New Air Station In Two Decades Being Built On South Coast". KCLU. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  18. ^ Drew Verbis/USNavy (2022-04-05). "Navy tours Coast Guard Air Station Construction onboard Point Mugu". DVIDS. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  19. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Laguna Peak
  20. ^ "SEA RANGE: Point Mugu, California". Naval Air Systems Command. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  21. ^ Harris, Mike (November 9, 2020). "Planned new drone system for Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu in early stages". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  22. ^ Burgess, Richard R. (2 October 2020). "Navy to Establish First MQ-25 Stingray UAV Squadron in 2021". Seapower. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
  23. ^ Burgess, Richard R. (February 2, 2015) Coast Guard to Move Air Station from Los Angeles Archived 2015-02-16 at the Wayback Machine Arlington, Virginia. SeaPower Magazine
  24. South Bay Daily Breeze
  25. ^ "The Antarctic Sun: News about Antarctica - Port Hueneme (page 1)". antarcticsun.usap.gov. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
  26. ^ "344th Training Squadron > 37th Training Wing > Display". www.37trw.af.mil. Archived from the original on 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  27. ^ Covarrubias, Amanda (February 23, 2017). "Seabees celebrate 75 years". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  28. ^ a b U.S. Navy Seabee Museum webpage. Naval History & Heritage Command official website. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
  29. ^ "QF-4S+ Crash at Pt Mugu - April 20, 2002". Goleta Air and Space Museum. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  30. ^ "Report: Pilot error caused crash - Pt. Mugu Air Show 4/20/2002". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  31. ^ "3 Passengers Escape Uninjured After Plane Crashes After Takeoff". 2011-05-18. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  32. ^ Blankstein, Andrew; Hennigan, W.J. (19 May 2011). "3 hurt as refueling plane bursts into flames at Point Mugu". Los Angeles Times.
  33. ^ MacBride, Melissa (8 November 2015). "Hundreds report mystery light flying through sky". abc7.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  34. ^ Repard, Pauline (2015-11-08). "Mystery light over ocean was missile test". sandiegouniontribune.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2018.

External links