Existing comment:
After World War II, base operations were reorganized to provide logistical support (including repair and dry-docking) to ships of the active fleet. By the end of 1946, the base had grown to 294 buildings with floor space of more than 6.9 million square feet. Berthing facilities included five piers of more than 18,000 linear feet. Land then totally more than 921 acres (859 land) and 16 miles of roads. Barracks accommodated 380 officers and 18,000 enlisted men. More than 3,500 sailors messed in the gallery at a single sitting on the base.
By 1949, the Navy sought to save funding by closing bases. The City of San Diego continued a campaign to support and retain its Navy facilities and the Chamber of Commerce sponsored a report identifying the advantages of the San Diego Naval Station over the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. The ploy worked, the Naval Station San Diego was spared.
During the Korean War, the Naval Station was expanded further, to more than 1,108 acres, with a regular workforce of 14,000 workers. During the ensuing years, operations at the base expanded and contracted, as world events dictated, though the mission remained basically the same through the Vietnam War and into the 1980s.
A thoroughly modern, state-of-the-art naval base, Naval Base San Diego is now homeport to more than 50 ships, including 37 US Navy ships, two US Coast Guard cutters and various ships of the Military Sealift Command, as well as research and auxiliary vessels. Soon, the base will welcome the Navy's newest and most advanced 21st Century fleet platforms known as Littoral Combat Ships. |