Photo By Lt.j.g. Drew Verbis | 210501-N-AS200-0011 El Centro, Calif. (May 01, 2021) Naval Air Facility (NAF) El...... read more read more
NAF EL CENTRO, Calif. – Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro commemorates its 75th Anniversary, May 1, 2021.
Situated in the heart of Southern California's fertile Imperial Valley, NAF El Centro provides integral Naval aviation training within a year-round flight weather environment and the proximity of instrumented bombing ranges.
“The weather makes this base special,” said Capt. William Perkins, commanding officer, NAF El Centro. “For more than 350 days a year there is perfect flying conditions. This has resulted in a desirable training location for more than 7 decades and still going strong. Today we operate an average of 37,000 flight operations, including 11,000 sorties annually.”
After a brief period as Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) during WWII, NAF El Centro was born on May 1, 1946 and affectionately regarded as the “Pearl in the Desert.” By 1947, the installation was already making history as home of the Navy’s Parachute Experimental Division.
“The base has played host to some important historic figures,” said Perkins. “Astronaut and Senator John Glenn flew training missions from MCAS El Centro in 1946. Charles Lindbergh, following his historic trans-Atlantic flight, served as an instructor on the 4FU Corsair. And, multiple Presidents have visited, including Ronald Reagan in 1986 and Donald Trump in 2019.”
Making military aviation history is not new for NAF El Centro. Unmanned drones were commonly used for target practice in the early 1950’s. During this time, the pre-cursor to the “Top-Gun” school was created from training squadrons using the Fleet Air Gunnery Range during fierce competition. In 1959, the base was instrumental in designing and testing the first successful high-speed jet altitude ejection seat and the Mercury Space Program parachute system, used for the first U.S. manned satellites and the Apollo re-entry system. The first official parachute demonstration team of the United States Navy, The Chuting Stars was formed at NAF El Centro in 1961. The first-broadcast of a Naval Air show occurred at NAF El Centro in 2021.
“NAF El Centro has provided critical support to the space community,” said Airforce Col. Raja Chari, astronaut, SpaceX Crew-3, NASA. “Testing the parachute system at NAF El Centro for the SpaceX Dragon has made vehicle deployment safe for astronauts.”
The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, formed in 1946 and also celebrating their 75th Anniversary, formally located their winter training facility at NAF El Centro in 1967.
“We’ve been training in Imperial Valley for over 50 years, and this is where the Blue Angles cut their teeth and where the show is made,” said Cmdr. Brian Kesselring, commanding officer, The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels. “NAF El Centro is like home because we spend more consecutive days in the Imperial Valley than anywhere else. The support we have from the community and NAF El Centro contributes to our performance which allows us to demonstrate the Navy & Marine Corps capability and mission. The Imperial Valley and NAF El Centro has a special place in our hearts, and we appreciate the support we receive year in and year out.”
NAFEC officially named their airfield “Vraciu Field” in 2019 to honor the legendary Navy “Top-Gun” pilot Cdr. Alexander Vraciu, a decorated WWII ace with direct ties to the base.
“For the past 30-years I’ve been part of detachments that rely on NAF El Centro for mission essential support,” said Capt. Kenneth Strong, commanding officer, USS George Washington. “This includes fuel, weapons, training, and logistic support. NAF El Centro is a top-notch facility, full of history and I wish them all the best during this tremendous milestone.”
Today NAF El Centro serves as the premier installation for training the aviation warfighter. Joint services and allied partners train under uniquely perfect flying conditions. The base remains a cornerstone of pilot production for the Naval Aviation Enterprise and is poised to grow and adapt for the airframes of the future.
“NAF El Centro provides the venue and support for an indispensable part of strike pilot training,” said Commodore, Training Air Wing 1 Capt. Tracey “PETA” Gendreau. “Strike detachments ensure our students get the practical experience they need to develop their warfighting skillsets. Learning how to tactically employ an aircraft is vital to providing the fleet aviators who are ready to fight.”
Master Chief Eric Hubert, command master chief, NAF EL Centro, said every single carrier-based pilot will have flown training missions from El Centro at some point in their career. “This includes many of the highest ranked Naval aviators in our service today,” said Hubert.
The mission of NAF El Centro is to support the combat training and readiness of the warfighter. This includes air operations support to operational fleet and training squadrons as well as squadrons from other services (Marine Corps, Army, Air Force) and international military partners.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2021 21:30 |
| Story ID: | 395333 |
| Location: | EL CENTRO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 308 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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