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Navy Confirms Sunken Sub in Balabac Strait is USS Flier

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100202-14
Release Date: 2/2/2010 12:27:00 PM

By Lori Bero, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach Public Affairs

SEAL BEACH, Calif. (NNS) -- Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Seal Beach, Calif., supported fleet readiness for San Diego-based warships and many outside agencies by providing them access to the weapons station's small arms range (SAR) Jan. 21.

While many warships preparing for deployment stop at NWS Seal Beach to load ordnance, providing service members aboard ship the accessibility to the SAR helps command's maintain required weapons qualifications.

Sailors on board ship are required to qualify with small arms while on deployment, a qualification which lasts one year.

Having Sailors qualify with small arms right before deployment is advantageous, ensuring the qualification will be current through the entire deployment.

"Our SAR has the fourth largest volume of shooters and the highest shooter-to-lane ratio of all Navy Installation Command ranges," said Lt. Jim Foster, NWS SAR force protection officer.

"The Seal Beach SAR is important to the ship because it allows us to continue familiarization training, as well as get a live-fire in and continue qualifications for all of our watchstanders," said Chief Master-at-Arms Ken Brenek, a service member from USS Chancellorsville (CG 62).

Following the end of a deployment, a ship's crew often has the opportunity to re-qualify if the ship stops by Seal Beach to drop off unused ordnance before returning to its homeport.

While simulators allow Sailors practice, the SAR presents Sailors with more of an actual livee fire feel and allows Sailors to experience what it is like to shoot at night, said Foster.

In addition to supporting the majority of the San Diego-based warships, the Seal Beach SAR supports personnel from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard by conducting their required small arms qualifications.

According to Foster, 56 outside agencies, which include federal, state and local law enforcement organizations, qualify approximately 8,000 additional personnel per year at the Seal Beach SAR.

"The SAR provides a fantastic opportunity for us to reach out to the other counterterrorism and law enforcement agencies that are out there," said Foster. "We provide a huge service to the Department of Homeland Security at large."

While Seal Beach contains the National Wildlife Refuge and the California least tern, an endangered species, has chosen an area directly behind the SAR to nest, the base has partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and accommodates the visitors by scaling down hours during the nesting season.

With an eye on the future, Foster is looking to expand training capabilities and inhibit encroachment on the National Wildlife Refuge by exploring new options and technologies for small arms training.

For more news from Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, visit www.navy.mil/local/sealbeach/.