Naval Amphibious Base Coronado
Encyclopedia
Naval Amphibious Base Coronado (NAB Coronado) is a naval installation located across the bay from San Diego, CA. The base, situated on Silver Strand
, between the San Diego Bay
and the Pacific Ocean
, is a major Navy shore command, supporting over 30 tenant commands, and is the West Coast focal point for special
and expeditionary warfare
training and operations. The on base population is 5,000 military personnel
and 7,000 students and reservists.
preserve, recreational marina, enlisted family housing, and state park. State Highway 75 separates NAB into surfside (ocean) and bayside portions. The majority of the bayside is composed of fill materials dredged from San Diego Bay in the early 1940s. Amphibious training is conducted on both surfside and bayside beaches. To the south of the Main Base, the majority of amphibious training activities take place on about 257 acres (1 km²) of ocean beachfront property, leased from the State of California. A least tern nesting preserve is located on North and South Delta Beach between the NAB Marina and Main Base. NAB is located within the city of Coronado, California, a community of approximately 30,000. The city of Coronado covers nearly 9 square miles (23 km²) of land, and NAB lies south of the main residential and commercial portions of the city. Another naval facility, Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island
, is located northwest of the city of Coronado. South of NAB is Silver Strand
.
In June 1943, the Secretary of the Navy
authorized the establishment of the Amphibious Training Base in the San Diego area to meet wartimes demands for trained landing craft
crews. These crews were deployed to the South Pacific area of operations, where their successful and historical efforts were contributory to the conclusion of World War II. The streets of the base bear the names of those famous battles which led to the Empire of Japan
's defeat: Guadalcanal
, Tarawa
, Tulagi
, and Bougainville, to name a few.
The base has also provided training for Underwater Demolition Team
s, United States Navy SEALs
, Brown-water navy
personnel, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
midshipmen. In 1946, the base was renamed Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Coronado and its primary mission was changed to that of providing major administrative and logistical support to the amphibious units which are located on the base. The base also conducts research and tests of newly developed amphibious equipment.
Road to the north, Tulagi
Road to the south, Eniwetok Road to the east, and ROI
Road to the west, looks like a swastika
when seen from above. The final look of the 6-building complex as seen from the air, was the result of an oversight by Navy planners at the time. A draft study conducted by the National Register of Historic Places
noted that the shape of the six-building complex was simply an oversight that went undetected during the Navy’s approval process.
The six buildings were constructed between 1967–70, under a design by local architect John Mock. The original plans submitted to the Navy for the project included the two central buildings which were intended to contain a boiler plant and a recreation room; and a single "L"-shaped 3-story barracks. The plan called for the "L" shaped building to be repeated three times and placed at 90-degree angles to the central buildings. It wasn't until after the groundbreaking began that Navy officials realized how the buildings would appear when seen from above, and public knowledge rose considerably with the popularity of aerial photo programs such as Google Earth
.
Currently, the majority of rooms in the complex are being used by Sailors
assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion One
(Seabees). There are some administrative offices on the bottom floor of one of the buildings, but the rest of the rooms are being utilized as barracks for Sailors.
The Navy has fully utilized this building complex for more than 35 years, and intends to continue the use of the buildings, as long as they remain adequate for the needs of the service. However, in early 2007 the San Diego chapter of the Anti-Defamation League
and U.S. Representative
Susan Davis began quiet talks with the Navy, and on September 26, 2007 the Navy announced that they would budget up to $600,000, starting in the fiscal year that begins October 1, to modify the buildings' walkways, "camouflage
" landscaping and rooftop photovoltaic cells to hide the swastika look from the air.
Silver Strand (San Diego)
Silver Strand, or simply The Strand, is a low, narrow, sandy isthmus long in San Diego County, California partially within the Silver Strand State Beach. It connects Coronado "Island" with Imperial Beach. Together with the Point Loma peninsula it shelters and defines San Diego Bay...
, between the San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
and the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, is a major Navy shore command, supporting over 30 tenant commands, and is the West Coast focal point for special
United States Naval Special Warfare Command
The United States Naval Special Warfare Command was commissioned on April 16, 1987, at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in San Diego, California...
and expeditionary warfare
Navy Expeditionary Combat Command
The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command serves as the single functional command to centrally manage current and future readiness, resources, manning, training and equipping of the United States Navy's 40,000 expeditionary forces who are currently serving in every theater of operation. The NECC was...
training and operations. The on base population is 5,000 military personnel
Military personnel
Military personnel is a blanket term used to refer to members of any armed force. Usually, military personnel are divided into branches of service roughly defined by certain circumstances of the deployment of the personnel. Those who serve in a typical large land force are soldiers, making up an...
and 7,000 students and reservists.
History
Formally commissioned in January 1944, Naval Amphibious Base (NAB), Coronado provides a shore base for the operations, training, and support of naval amphibious units on the West Coast. It is one of only two Navy amphibious training bases in the United States. NAB is approximately 1,000 acres (4 km²) in size and is composed of the Main Base, training beaches, California least ternCalifornia Least Tern
The Least Tern is a species of tern that breeds in North America and locally in northern South America. It is closely related to, and was formerly often considered conspecific with, the Little Tern of the Old World...
preserve, recreational marina, enlisted family housing, and state park. State Highway 75 separates NAB into surfside (ocean) and bayside portions. The majority of the bayside is composed of fill materials dredged from San Diego Bay in the early 1940s. Amphibious training is conducted on both surfside and bayside beaches. To the south of the Main Base, the majority of amphibious training activities take place on about 257 acres (1 km²) of ocean beachfront property, leased from the State of California. A least tern nesting preserve is located on North and South Delta Beach between the NAB Marina and Main Base. NAB is located within the city of Coronado, California, a community of approximately 30,000. The city of Coronado covers nearly 9 square miles (23 km²) of land, and NAB lies south of the main residential and commercial portions of the city. Another naval facility, Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island
Naval Air Station North Island
Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island is located at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay and is the home port of several aircraft carriers of the United States Navy...
, is located northwest of the city of Coronado. South of NAB is Silver Strand
Silver Strand (San Diego)
Silver Strand, or simply The Strand, is a low, narrow, sandy isthmus long in San Diego County, California partially within the Silver Strand State Beach. It connects Coronado "Island" with Imperial Beach. Together with the Point Loma peninsula it shelters and defines San Diego Bay...
.
In June 1943, the Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
authorized the establishment of the Amphibious Training Base in the San Diego area to meet wartimes demands for trained landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
crews. These crews were deployed to the South Pacific area of operations, where their successful and historical efforts were contributory to the conclusion of World War II. The streets of the base bear the names of those famous battles which led to the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
's defeat: Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
, Tarawa
Battle of Tarawa
The Battle of Tarawa, code named Operation Galvanic, was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region....
, Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
, and Bougainville, to name a few.
The base has also provided training for Underwater Demolition Team
Underwater Demolition Team
The Underwater Demolition Teams were an elite special-purpose force established by the United States Navy during World War II. They also served during the Korean War and the Vietnam War...
s, United States Navy SEALs
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
, Brown-water navy
Brown-water navy
Brown-water navy is a term that originated in the United States Navy, referring to the small gunboats and patrol boats used in rivers, along with some of the larger ships that supported them as "mother ships," from which they operated...
personnel, and Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.-Origins:...
midshipmen. In 1946, the base was renamed Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Coronado and its primary mission was changed to that of providing major administrative and logistical support to the amphibious units which are located on the base. The base also conducts research and tests of newly developed amphibious equipment.
Current operations
NAB Coronado is the home to over 30 tenant commands with a population of approximately 5,000 personnel, including major commands such as Commander, Naval Surface Force Pacific (COMNAVSURFPAC), Commander Naval Special Warfare (SPECWAR) Command and the Commander Expeditionary Warfare Training Group (EWTG) Pacific.Swastika-shaped building
Complex 320-325, which is located at the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado and is surrounded by BougainvilleBougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
Road to the north, Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
Road to the south, Eniwetok Road to the east, and ROI
Roi-Namur
Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands.Occupied by Japanese forces prior to World War II, it was the target of the U.S. 4th Marine Division in the Battle of Kwajalein, in February 1944....
Road to the west, looks like a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
when seen from above. The final look of the 6-building complex as seen from the air, was the result of an oversight by Navy planners at the time. A draft study conducted by the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
noted that the shape of the six-building complex was simply an oversight that went undetected during the Navy’s approval process.
The six buildings were constructed between 1967–70, under a design by local architect John Mock. The original plans submitted to the Navy for the project included the two central buildings which were intended to contain a boiler plant and a recreation room; and a single "L"-shaped 3-story barracks. The plan called for the "L" shaped building to be repeated three times and placed at 90-degree angles to the central buildings. It wasn't until after the groundbreaking began that Navy officials realized how the buildings would appear when seen from above, and public knowledge rose considerably with the popularity of aerial photo programs such as Google Earth
Google Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
.
Currently, the majority of rooms in the complex are being used by Sailors
Sailors
Sailors is the plural form of Sailor, or mariner.Sailors may also refer to:*Sailors , a 1964 Swedish film*Ken Sailors , American basketball playerSports teams*Erie Sailors, baseball teams in Pennsylvania, USA...
assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion One
Amphibious Construction Battalion One
Amphibious Construction Battalion One is an amphibious construction battalion in the United States Navy based in Coronado, California. Amphibious Construction Battalion Two is its sister unit based in Little Creek, Virginia.-Mission :...
(Seabees). There are some administrative offices on the bottom floor of one of the buildings, but the rest of the rooms are being utilized as barracks for Sailors.
The Navy has fully utilized this building complex for more than 35 years, and intends to continue the use of the buildings, as long as they remain adequate for the needs of the service. However, in early 2007 the San Diego chapter of the Anti-Defamation League
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
and U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Susan Davis began quiet talks with the Navy, and on September 26, 2007 the Navy announced that they would budget up to $600,000, starting in the fiscal year that begins October 1, to modify the buildings' walkways, "camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
" landscaping and rooftop photovoltaic cells to hide the swastika look from the air.
Major commands
- Amphibious Construction Battalion OneAmphibious Construction Battalion OneAmphibious Construction Battalion One is an amphibious construction battalion in the United States Navy based in Coronado, California. Amphibious Construction Battalion Two is its sister unit based in Little Creek, Virginia.-Mission :...
- Assault Craft Unit One
- Beachmaster Unit OneBeachmaster Unit OneBeachmaster Unit One, is a United States Navy amphibious beach party unit based at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in Coronado, California. BMU-1 is the sister unit of Beachmaster Unit Two located in Norfolk, Virginia.-Mission:...
- Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Three
- Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Seven
- Naval Special Warfare Command
- Naval Special Warfare CenterNaval Special Warfare CenterThe United States Phil Bucklew Naval Special Warfare Center is a component command of the Naval Special Warfare Command and is sited within Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California....
- Naval Special Warfare Center
- Commander, Naval Special Warfare Group One
- SEAL Team OneUnited States Navy SEALsThe United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
- SEAL Team ThreeUnited States Navy SEALsThe United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
- SEAL Team FiveUnited States Navy SEALsThe United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
- SEAL Team SevenUnited States Navy SEALsThe United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
- SEAL Team One
- Naval Special Warfare Group THREE
- Special Boat Team 12
- Commander, Tactical Air Control Group One
- Tactical Air Control Squadron Eleven
- Tactical Air Control Squadron Twelve
External links
- Commander Navy Installations Command - Naval Base Coronado, Official Site
- Naval Amphibious Base (NAB) Coronado, GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
- Vietnam Unit Monument Memorial Wall, Coronado, www.vummf.org
- Link to Google Maps aerial view - http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Naval+Amphibious+Base+Coronado,+Coronado,+CA&hl=en&ll=32.676163,-117.157716&spn=0.001513,0.002064&sll=32.68013,-117.157795&sspn=0.009681,0.021265&hnear=Naval+Amphibious+Base+Coronado,+Coronado,+San+Diego,+California+92118&t=k&z=20&vpsrc=6