As we head into summer, we wanted to give you an update on the “State of the Base.”
As the Commanding Officer (CO) of Naval Base Coronado (NBC), I am committed to being a good neighbor. We will do this while executing the Navy’s mission and maintaining the health and welfare of the more than 35,000 employees throughout Naval Base Coronado. With 64 thousand acres of property and more than 140 tenant commands and all the people and infrastructure that includes, my responsibilities include supporting the Fleet, Fighter and Family with the highest quality base operating support and quality of life services. I seek to provide the support that will enable our operating forces to maintain combat readiness.
To that end, my staff and I use multiple channels to communicate. In our tech-savvy society, about fifty percent of adults get their news on social media. We use it to communicate everything from construction notices, training advisories and gate hours to special events and movie screenings. If you want to be the first to know what is happening at NBC, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
As members of the community and your neighbors, we are aware of the community concerns surrounding the issues of traffic and noise.
We work hard to ensure those travelling to NBC’s installations can effectively and efficiently commute to work while driving safely and respectfully in our communities. We have a vested interest in working with tenant command leadership, the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS), the San Diego Association of Governments, and the cities of Coronado and Imperial Beach in addressing how to best get people to and from NBC’s installations with the minimal impact to our neighbors.
I’m often asked why I don’t do more about motorcycle and other traffic noise on Third and Fourth Streets and I believe it is important to understand that compliance with laws is an individual responsibility and enforcement is a joint responsibility of both the Navy and local law enforcement agencies. I take action where and when I can; however, an opinion on what is or is not street legal (based strictly on the perception of noise) is not sufficient legal justification for my Security Officers, or Coronado Police Officers to make a traffic stop in order to inspect for compliance. We enforce our base rule of “no lane splitting” for motorcycles and have signs encouraging awareness of our neighbors during the commute home.
We have increased the level of traffic enforcement throughout the installations with the thought that good driving practices on-base will translate to good practices off–base. NBC also encourages our tenant commands to stagger their work hours to reduce the number of vehicles attempting to access the installation at one time. There are additional security personnel assigned to the gates during the busiest hours to alleviate bottlenecks as we conduct base access procedures.
In 2016, we received recognition through the SANDAG iCommute Diamond Awards program as one of 33 organizations throughout San Diego County for outstanding efforts to encourage employees to use alternative transportation choices, such as public transit, carpooling, biking, and walking to work. The award places Naval Base Coronado among the top organizations in the county providing a variety of commuter assistance and employer services to help reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. NBC was the only Department of Defense installation recognized.
There are times when you may notice other issues and I encourage you use our newly updated “Community Concerns” web page and hotline to communicate with NBC: http://www.cnic.navy.mil/
As we enter 2017, NBC is “Saluting A Century Of Service” with 99 events leading up to Naval Air Station North Island’s (NASNI) Centennial Celebration on Veteran’s Day, Sat., Nov. 11, 2017 on the airfield. All active duty, retirees and honorably discharged veterans are welcome to attend the event. Any veteran who does not have a valid DoD ID card will need to complete a base access request before Oct. 15, 2017. Gates will open at 0900. Within the venue we will have:
• Musical Acts celebrating the music our veterans have enjoyed for the last 100 years
• Kid Zone with bounce houses, games and activities for all ages
• Aircraft Displays with historical aircraft and Sailors and Marines to show off their helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
• Tours of the historical districts on NASNI
• Beer Garden with Big Screen TVs
• Reunion Photo Booths
Although the Centennial Celebration will not be open to the general public, we are offering a limited number of public tours of NASNI throughout the year. You can check our Facebook page and website for information about signing up for a tour. For more information, please visit www.NASNI100.com.
NBC has enjoyed a long history of cooperation with the surrounding communities and is proud to be part of the Imperial Beach and Coronado families. These relationships are important to us because we are part of the communities we serve. We are committed to being a positive presence within our community. This is our home. Our children go to school together. We frequent the same local businesses. We are proud to live here, deploy from here, and make you our friends. Thank you for your continued support to this base, our warfighters and their families.
Capt. Scott Mulvehill
Naval Base Coronado Commanding Officer
