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Naval Air Station Jacksonville Celebrates 70 Years of Service

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS101013-24
10/13/2010

By Miriam Gallet, Naval Air Station Jacksonville Public Affairs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Since its establishment as an aviation training center in October 1940, the mission of Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax) has been to "enable Naval Aviation warfighter readiness by supporting the Fleet, Fighter and Family."

From its humble pre-World War II beginnings of "training aviators and technicians for the aeronautical branch of the Naval service," the air station has evolved into a premier air and industrial base employing more than 25,000 civilian, military and contractor personnel – representing an annual economic impact of more than $2.1 billion.

Today, NAS Jax is a Navy Installation Excellence Award winner and an Occupational Safety and Health Administration Voluntary Protection Program "Star" status installation. Together with 117 tenant commands, it directly supports the Chief of Naval Operations Global Maritime Strategy.

The base also focuses on energy conservation, environmental stewardship, reducing excess capacity, and working with local, state and federal agencies to ensure compatible land use.

Epitomizing the joint "One Team, One Fight" spirit, NAS Jax personnel work safely and diligently around the clock supporting more than 80,000 take-offs and landings its 16 aircraft squadrons annually. They also support numerous visiting detachments representing all services.

For 70 years, the citizens of Northeast Florida have heard the hum, drone and thunder of the Navy's full array of strike, reconnaissance, logistics and training aircraft. Focused directly on support of operational units, NAS Jax personnel work 24/7 providing services to the USS George H.W. Bush, USS Eisenhower, USS George Washington, USS Enterprise and USS Harry S. Truman strike groups. They also support the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division Helicopter Brigade during their deployments to and from Iraq.

The first decade of the 21st century brought unparalleled growth for NAS Jax, culminating in the execution of nearly $400 million in facility service contracts, including the largest utilities energy savings contract in Commander, Navy Region Southeast (CNRSE) history at $17.2 million and the opening of the largest P-3 Orion hangar project ever undertaken by the Navy.

The $127 million, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) compliant P-3 Hangar now provides the infrastructure for the five P-3 squadrons that relocated from Brunswick, Maine under the 2005 Department of Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision and will ultimately house the P-8 Poseidon Multi-Mission Aircraft.

Also, a $77 million LEEDs compliant hangar project was completed to house the newly established Helicopter Maritime Strike Seventy (HSM-70) squadron. It will ultimately house five MH-60 "Romeo" squadrons. And a new LEED Silver headquarters building for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command recently opened its doors.

NAS Jax partnered with the Northeast Florida Navy League to establish semi-annual Individual Augmentee recognition luncheons, which have now spread Navy wide. Additionally, the air station set the standard in supporting Sailors and their families through unprecedented Single Sailor, Captain's Cup, and Information Tickets and Travel programs, and its first-ever summer concert series with live bands.

NAS Jax Sailors serve as community volunteers and goodwill ambassadors throughout Northeast Florida, promoting the Navy's "can do" spirit and diverse cultures. Additionally, nobody takes better care of our nation's fallen heroes than the men and women of NAS Jax, as evidenced by the national attention of the return and repose of Capt. Scott Speicher's remains, as well as those of 10 other fallen heroes in the past three years.

A regional environmental leader, the station's outstanding wastewater reduction and pollution prevention programs reflect the Navy's commitment to environmental stewardship, culminating in receipt of the City of Jacksonville Environmental Stewardship Award. Furthermore, the NAS Jax team continues to work with city leaders and citizens to limit encroachment around Outlying Field Whitehouse and the Pinecastle Range Complex.

Warriors on a mission. The station remains an award-winning installation devoted to excellence – while providing superior quality of life for our Sailors and civilians and community. It is about enabling warfighter readiness; it is about stewardship; it is about quality of service; as NAS Jax continues to perform at the highest levels.