2019: A year of challenges
The 2019 new year started strong with the entire Naval Air Station Corpus Christi staff looking forward to fresh beginnings after continued struggles with infrastructure repairs from Hurricane Harvey damages.
We were looking forward to completing construction and repairs and beginning new projects. And, we were preparing for the April 2019 Wings Over South Texas Air Show. But, we faced several challenges along the way.
We faced a couple of unauthorized access incidents as well as a few other security challenges, and Public Private Venture housing concerns that affected all military housing.
NAS Corpus Christi started the new year hosting Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. He got a first-hand look at how the Navy trains aviators during his visit to Naval Air Stations Corpus Christi and Kingsville the beginning of January. Spencer met with staff, student naval aviators and instructor pilots, and toured the bases.
“Thank you for the vital role you play in preparing our Navy and Marine Corps team to fight and win,” Spencer said. “The training conducted at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is central to our migration to a continual learning enterprise, directly improving the readiness and lethality of our combat forces.”
He also presented awards to the Junior Sailor of the Year and Bluejacket of the Year during his visit.
The Navy Lodge celebrated a milestone, their 50th anniversary, at the end of January with a cake cutting ceremony and open house.
The naval station, along with other Navy installations across the continental United States geared up for the annual two-week Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2019. SCCS-19 is a two-part anti-terrorism force protection exercise designed to enhance the readiness of Navy security forces and ensure seamless interoperability with other services and agency partners.
“This annual anti-terrorism force protection exercise enhances the training and readiness of Navy security personnel and better prepares us for potential force protection situations,” said then-NASCC Security Officer Lt. Don Copping.
“It also provides a learning environment for our personnel to exercise functional plans and operational capabilities.”
As the two-week exercise was winding down, NASCC security forces personnel responded to a real-world incident on Feb. 14, when a vehicle unlawfully entered the base. During the morning arrival of personnel and employees to NASCC, an authorized vehicle entered the base via the South/Main Gate. Security forces personnel pursued the suspect throughout the installation.
The vehicle exited the North/Ocean Drive Gate, turned around and was reentering the installation when it hit the Final Denial Barrier. The vehicle caught fire. The suspect exited the vehicle and charged security personnel, who opened fire on the suspect. The individual was shot and received medical treatment, but was later pronounced dead.
“The response to the real-world incident that occurred onboard the installation is why we train,” said Capt. Phil Brock, then-commanding officer. “The rapid and decisive actions of security and fire personnel minimized loss of life, danger to innocent bystanders, and damage to our facilities.
“The safety and security of the tenants and dependents on base is our number one priority. The brave response that we witnessed yesterday is proof that our training is working and that our number one priority is being upheld.”
Following 42 years of combined U.S. Navy and Federal service, 25 of which was spent as NASCC bachelor housing director, Billie Harvey, retired on March
1. Although she never imagined she would serve her nation for this long, Harvey was thankful for the memories and experiences.
In March, conditions of PPV housing on military installations gained national attention. NASCC leadership “bombarded” base housing residents with e-mails, town hall meetings and Facebook posts to ensure our residents that they were/are very interested in ensuring that those living on base have a safe and healthy living environment.
The horror stories heard across the nation were not the kind of stories that were heard here, but base leadership committed to ensuring the best customer service as possible by timely communication, constant improvement, and teamwork. We leveraged the communication between the residents and PPV maintenance staff to fix, repair and improve the homes. PPV and the housing office worked, and continue to work, together to eliminate deficiencies in regards to the PPV housing aboard the installation, including enforcing a “Tenant Bill of Rights.”
Mid-April, we heard the roar of jets overhead when the Navy’s Premier Demonstration Team, the Blue Angels, arrived to headline the 2019 Wings Over South Texas Air Show.
“We are looking forward to hosting the 2019 air show featuring the Navy’s Blue Angels,” said Lt. Rick Hecke, air show director.”
April 12, the public was able to meet the Blue Angels and other performers at an open house held at Veterans Memorial High School. Young and old alike were able to talk to all the performers as well as get their autographs at the free family friendly event.
The air station gates opened to nearly 100,000 community members and visitors from throughout the United States on April 13 and 14. The weather was perfect for an outstanding show that included U.S. Navy Premier Demonstration Team Blue Angels, A-10 Thunderbolt II, Rob Holland, a U.S. Coast Guard demonstration, a fly-by of our own training aircraft, Kat Kyler Pitts Aerobatics, Jerry Conley Vampire Demonstration, Skip Stewart Pitts Aerobatics, Randy Ball, and more.
Rear Adm. Gary Mays made his first official visit to NAS Corpus Christi as commander of Naval Region Southeast on June 17. Mayes assumed command as the 41st commander of Navy Region Southeast in February. He met with base leaders, toured various facilities throughout the installation and held an all-hands call for NASCC personnel.
Mayes praised military and civilians for their hard work and dedication to the base mission, and also took time to answer any questions or concerns. He also recognized two Sailors attached to the NASCC Security Department for their actions during the unauthorized base access incident that occurred in February presenting each with Navy Commendation Medals.
Lt. Cmdr. Finley Lewis was promoted to his current rank during a ceremony on the Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi quarterdeck on June 20. Finley, a support dog, who gets around with the help of his handler Pamela Lewis, is skilled at enhancing the quality of life, education and morale of patients, as well as the clinic’s staff members.
NASCC officially opened its new Ministry Center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 2. The Ministry Center was built as part of the extensive renovations of the Protestant Chapel following hurricane damage caused in 2017. It houses the offices for the Religious Ministry Team, including the chaplains, religious program specialists, and CREDO facilitator, and is located on the south side of the Protestant Chapel facing the golf course.
“It (Ministry Center) centers around the ‘Chapel Café’ with comfortable seating, a related atmosphere for studying or re-charging, entertainment options and life refreshments for up to about 80 people,” said NASCC Command Chaplain Lt. Cmdr. Dan Curtis.
On July 31, the helm of NASCC changed hands. Capt. Phil Brock turned over the helm to Capt. Chris Jason during a change of command and retirement ceremony at the station’s Catalina Club.
“I was very fortunate to work with many great people, not only on the base, but also folks in the local community,” Brock said. “When it comes to the local community, it is such a great partnership. I don’t know if there is a more patriotic place to have a Navy base than Corpus Christi. They love this base and its tenants. I will always be thankful for that partnership.”
Jason added, “the key ingredient seems to be teamwork, the way the NASCC team works hand in hand with the tenant commands and the local community to overcome all challenges. I’m excited to be part of this team.”
The 57th annual Navy Regatta was held Aug. 3 and 4. It is a weekend of fun, sailing, camaraderie and community partnership with the military, the Corpus Christi Yacht Club and the Bay Yacht Club. Besides sailing across the bay, the regatta features a Titanic Cup race, in which teams compete in their homemade vessels constructed of anything but boat or aircraft parts. Navy Operational Support Center Corpus Christi took home the Titanic Cup trophy this year and is the team to beat in 2020!
Six local Sailors were pinned as Chief Petty Officers during a traditional ceremony held on Sept. 13. Newest members of the mess are MAC Eric Pierce of NASCC Security Department; YNC Minda Perez Taylor, of Navy Operations Support Center Corpus Christi, MAC Michael Fechner, of NOSC Harlingen, ENC Joshua Haruff, of NASCC Emergency Management; HMC David Del Arco, of Company C, 1st BN 23rd Marines, and ABHC Diana Gomez, of NOSC Harlingen.
On Oct. 7, we had another incident at our gate. An individual attempted to gain unauthorized access and was ultimately apprehended by our outstanding security forces. The suspect was armed, which elevated the threat level posed, but our Navy and Army security force with an assist from Corpus Christi Police Department, were able to apprehend the suspect without injury.
Local community leaders and personnel assigned to NAS Corpus Christi celebrated the U.S. Navy’s 244th birthday on Oct. 18, with a Birthday Ball held in downtown Corpus Christi.
We closed out the month with MWR’s Spooktober event held at Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi. There were costume contests, Trunk or Treat, Halloween crafts, inflatables and a haunted clinic held in the vacant third floor. It was a great event for young and old alike.
We lost one of our team members mid-November. Roger Bagley was a recreation aide with Morale, Welfare and Recreation. He also served as an active-duty Sailor with NASCC Air Operations and the command Admin Department from February 2015 through April 2018.
That tragedy led us into the holiday season, which was brightened by numerous activities provided by MWR including Thanksgiving Dinner, Breakfast with Santa, Holiday Tree Lighting, and a Texas Snow Party.
Overcoming the numerous challenges we faced – as a nation and an installation – has made us stronger and better prepared for whatever the future holds. With that said, NASCC is looking forward to continued growth in 2020.