SAN DIEGO (May 22, 2026) – Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) leadership concluded a three-day symposium at Naval Air Station North Island this week focused on revitalizing the shore, supporting the Fleet and improving quality of service for Sailors.
The CNIC Commander Training Symposium is held annually and offers leaders an opportunity to align with Shore Enterprise mission priorities in order to deliver immediate, tangible results at all Navy installations.
“We are in a competition for talent, and a well-supported, healthy, and focused Sailor is a more lethal warfighter,” said Vice Adm. Scott Gray, commander of Navy Installations Command. “Every commander will aggressively pursue mission success and advocate for our Sailors.”
A topic discussed during the symposium was the No Sailor Lives Afloat initiative, a Chief of Naval Operations-directed effort ensuring Sailors assigned to ships have clean, safe, and comfortable housing ashore. The strategy accelerates barracks renovations and expands housing capacity through new construction and public-private partnerships. To inform this effort, leaders during the symposium toured the award-winning Pacific Beacon barracks, which provides service members with resort-style living on Naval Base San Diego. To date, approximately 6,000 Sailors have moved from living on ships to living ashore.
“Providing modern, comfortable living quarters is absolutely foundational to our readiness,” said CNIC Force Master Chief Andre Brown. “When our Sailors step off the ship after a long shift or a demanding underway, they need a high-quality space that feels like home, where they can truly decompress and recharge.”
CNIC is also transforming its base galleys to provide Sailors with higher-quality, nutritious options and greater flexibility. Pilot programs will introduce diverse, made-to-order meal stations and allow Sailors to use meal entitlements at galleys and other on-base MWR restaurants. During the symposium, Shore Enterprise leaders toured modern dining facilities at the University of California San Diego to see firsthand how leading civilian campuses deliver the flexible, top-tier culinary experiences the Navy aims to replicate.
“Proper nutrition is a key component of warfighter readiness, but it’s also about giving our Sailors the choices they deserve,” added Brown. “We are moving away from the traditional galley approach to give our personnel the same first-class dining options they expect and deserve.”
Commander, Navy Installations Command is responsible for worldwide U.S. Navy Shore installation management, designing and developing integrated solutions for sustainment and development of Navy shore infrastructure as well as quality of life programs. CNIC oversees 10 Navy regions, 70 installations, and more than 48,600 employees who are focused on warfighting and manning, training, and equipping the Shore to fight and win. Navy installations are warfighting platforms essential to every fleet operation.