Home Care In Point Mugu Nawc, CA

The two-day event brings thousands of all ages together for air performances and ground-based displays

With cameras, phones, and binoculars on hand, adults and children of all ages waited to capture a dual-premiere demonstration by the two U.S. armed forces flying teams, the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, for the first show of 2023.

With an overcast forecast on Saturday, some audience members were caught off guard after some aircraft flew over them. Their first response was, “They just came out of nowhere.”

Established in 1960, The Point Mugu Air Show was an opportunity to show the community what Point Mugu does and introduce them to the continuing innovations in aviation.

The air show celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Navy at Point Mugu (NAWC). The March event marked the first Point Mugu Air Show since 2018.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of women participating in Naval aviation. In 1973, six female aviators got their wings after training in Pensacola.

This years event was predicted to have nearly 150,000 visitors. On the opening day, Saturday, March 18, it took visitors over an hour to enter, with the line stretching nearly a mile away.

Upon entering, visitors were greeted with Thunderbird and Blue Angels merchandise as well as a few tents with fried food options. The air show also includes the Red Bull Sky Dive Team, civilian air performers and static aircraft displays.

For 77 years, the Blue Angels have showcased the teamwork and professionalism of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps through flight demonstrations and community outreach while inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country for nearly 500 million fans. The Blues showcase the mainstay of modern Naval air power operating off U.S. aircraft carriers, the combat-proven F/A-18 Super Hornet, along with the Marine Corps’ premiere logistics support aircraft, the C-130J.

This year, the Thunderbirds gave Ventura County Teacher of the Year 2022 Shannon Klemann a VIP ride on an aircraft.

Klemann is a biology teacher at Adolfo Camarillo High School and was one of the small group of teachers to revise the districts science curriculum over the last seven years. Her hands on teaching style and her passion for teaching have enriched the lives of so many students.

Lt. Col. Edward “Ed” Reynolds attended the air show with the Wings over Wendy’s booth and presented photographs from former U.S. Navy photographer Larry Kushner.

“We primarily participate at the Camarillo air show and Aviation Career Days, and this is the first one here at Point Mugu,” Reynolds said. “It’s a big show, and yesterday was amazing with all the middle school kids, practicing for the base, and [we also] had a chance to talk to the Thunderbird commander.”

Reynolds currently leads a Monday morning meeting for Wings Over Wendy’s, where over 300 veterans meet weekly at the Wendy’s Restaurant in West Hills, California.

Kushner served aboard USS Hancock CVA 19 from 1967 to 1968, and had some of his photographs on display.

“This is the time I’ve been here at Point Mugu and it’s a very large show and the military flyers put on a spectacular presentation. Their flying skills are really fantastic; I was told that they’ll be around 150,000 people today,” Kushner said. “I usually photograph the Camarillo Air Show, but this show is different because they have the high-performance aircraft here at Point Mugu, so it’s really a great show.”

This year the event also honored Women’s History Month.

The crowd received a demonstration from Vicky Benzing and her 1940 PT-17 Stearman. Benzing is known for her incredible aerobatic skills and for setting the record as “Fastest Woman Racer” ever at the Reno Air Races.

The Thunderbirds were flying high around 1 p.m. Saturday and have performed for people all around the world multiple times a year. They are known to display the pride, precision, and professionalism the U.S. Air Force represents. Through air shows and flyovers, they aim to excite and inspire. In addition to showcasing the elite skills all pilots must possess, the Thunderbirds demonstrate the incredible capabilities of the Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Only the second of its kind to be built by the U.S. Coast Guard in over 20 years, the $53 million Coast Guard Air Station Ventura will be the branch's main hub of operations in Southern California, providing round-the-clock support to the region.

The Coast Guard broke ground Tuesday on the air station at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu amid a group of 70 Coast Guard personnel, other military service members and civilians.

The Coast Guard has had a presence at the naval base since 2016, but Tuesday's groundbreaking starts a process to make it permanent.

“This robust, long-term presence really supports my priorities of delivering operational excellence, building great partnerships and supporting a mission-ready total workforce that supports this community that we enjoy serving so well,” said Vice Adm. Michael McAllister, Coast Guard Pacific area commander and operational commander, during a brief ceremony at the site.

An official commissioning and change-of-command for the air station is planned for the opening in summer 2023. That will transition the site from its current, semi-permanent Forward Operating Base Point Mugu to the full-service air station.

Coast Guard Air Station Ventura, designed by Ohio-based architecture firm Woolbert, will feature a 48,000-square-foot hangar and a 12,200-square-foot administration and berthing facility, according to a news release.

The air station's area of service covers 350 nautical miles between Dana Point in Orange County and Morro Bay in San Luis Obispo County. It also includes the Channel Islands. The Coast Guard will perform duties such as law enforcement, search and rescue efforts and drug and migrant interception.

Four MH-65 Dolphin helicopters and 82 personnel will be stationed out of the new air station. The facility can also accommodate four MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters if needed.

Originally, the air station was expected to open in 2021, but Coast Guard civilian architect Joseph McKenna said the service needed additional time to negotiate a long-term use agreement with the Navy for the use of the base.

From 1962 until 2016, the Coast Guard ran its Southern California operations out of Air Station Los Angeles at Los Angeles International Airport. The air station closed in May 2016 when the Coast Guard lost its lease with LAX operator Los Angeles World Airports, said Capt. Thomas Cooper, commanding officer of Air Base San Francisco and Forward Operating Base Point Mugu.

LAX wanted to utilize the space occupied by the Coast Guard for a different project, Cooper said.

The Coast Guard then began operating out of a hangar facility and berthing space at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu.

The Forward Operating Base is currently staffed with 13 permanent service members and about 11 rotating crewmembers from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco and equipped with two MH-65 Dolphin helicopters.

McAllister said the current facilities at Point Mugu aren’t able to support the USCG’s long-term needs.

Coast Guard personnel answered 96 search and rescue calls, saved 10 lives and assisted 17 individuals out of the Point Mugu base in the last fiscal year, said McAllister.

Earlier this month, the crew of MH-65 Dolphin 6533 responded to a medical emergency on Catalina Island in low visibility. An 11-month-old cancer patient needed medical care, but commercial EMS crews were unable to respond due to the poor weather, said McAllister. The Coast Guard crew was able to transport the toddler and his mother to a high level of medical care.

“When others can’t go, we go and we save lives,” McAllister said.

Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at [email protected] or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.

PORT HUENEME, Calif. (NNS) – For the first time in 43 years, Port Hueneme Navy Exchange (NEX) onboard Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC), won the 2021 Bingham Award, by the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM), the highest honor a store can receive.

“At NEXCOM our purpose is to sustain and supply Naval forces with quality-of-life benefits,” said Rear Adm. Robert Bianchi (ret.), Chief Executive Officer, NEXCOM. “The Port Hueneme NEX epitomize who we are as an organization and what we stand for each and every day.”

The award recognizes outstanding performance in operations, excellence in customer service, financial performance, and community support. Established in 1979, the Bingham award is named after the late Capt. W.H. Bingham, Supply Corps, U.S. Navy Reserve who was the chief executive officer of the R.H. Macy’s company and was appointed by the Secretary of the Navy in 1946 to lead an advisory board for establishment of what is now the NEXCOM.

“It’s about delivering comfort and sense of home for these military families and there’s no group better deserving of the Bingham Award then NEX Port Hueneme,” said Bianchi.

During the ceremony, Bianchi presented the Bingham Award to Capt. Jason Kranz, chief staff officer, NBVC, and Mrs. Nancy DeVore, general manager, Port Hueneme NEX.

“The NEX is an essential part of the base for our families, Seabees, Sailors and this award highlights your commitment to them,” said Kranz. “At NBVC excellence is not optional, it’s an expectation and we are so proud that the Port Hueneme NEX is living up to this standard.”

“Our stores are viewed as mission essential to the U.S. Navy and cannot do what they do without the support of the base Commanding Officer,” said Bianchi. “It is a great partnership, and our military, Veterans, retirees and families are the beneficiaries.”

A total of nine sales category award winners were announced throughout the NEXCOM enterprise (200 stores). Port Hueneme took first place in Category 3 ($19-28 million) while eight other NEX stores worldwide won in the remaining categories, and nine runners-up were mentioned.

“It’s a great day to be a Navy Exchange associate,” said Devore. “It took extra effort to be the best; customer engagement, asking for feedback, being responsive, and always thanking them.”

NEXCOM is headquarters for the worldwide NEXCOM enterprise. Its mission is to provide authorized customers quality goods and services at savings and to support Navy quality of life programs for active-duty military, retirees, reservists, and their families.

NBVC is home to Point Mugu, Port Hueneme, San Nicolas Island, the Pacific Coast Seabees, the West coast Hawkeyes, 3 warfare centers, and 80 tenants. It is the largest employer in Ventura County and actively protects California’s largest coastal wetlands through its award-winning environmental programs.

POINT MUGU, Calif. – Sixty-four U.S. Navy Engineer Corps Officers School (CECOS) Basic Class 272 students completed the expeditionary phase of their civil engineer corps (CEC) training with a field training exercise (FTX) March 11.

The five-day FTX, conducted across Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu's coastal terrain, challenged future CEC officers to operate as a team while completing scenario missions in a realistic environment. The FTX training method is an integral part of preparing students for their future units throughout the Navy, allowing students to utilize the lessons and skills learned in the classroom.

“FTX prepares junior officers to understand the basics of field operations within Seabee battalions,” said Honolulu native Chief Petty Officer Rodney Pelangka, a learning program manager assigned aboard Center for Seabees and Facilities Engineering Port Hueneme. “I really enjoy having an opportunity to help mentor these new officers, helping prepare them for their CEC careers.”

In order to simulate real-world combat conditions, students eat three MREs (meals, ready-to-eat) each day and have limited hygiene opportunities. They are also required to perform a two-hour overnight security detail.

“FTX is critical foundation training that lays the ground work for more advanced training when they join an operational unit,” said Capt. Peter Maculan, Woonsocket, R.I., native and 1994 CECOS graduate.

Maculan, who is the commanding officer of CECOS, reminds new officers that FTX is not designed to make them subject experts, but rather to familiarize them with expectations for those under their leadership.

Upon arrival to their FTX campsite, students were tasked to construct a tent city within a five-hour time limit. CECOS Basic Class 272 completed the tasking in just over four hours. During the FTX, students were separated into four squads with an assigned officer, Chief Petty Officer, and Marine adviser.

“Instructors guide and share their knowledge of weapons handling, writing orders and teaching CEC students the basics of field operations,” said Gunnery Sgt. Nicholas Cox, senior Marine non-commissioned officer in charge.

The student squads were assigned missions to plan and conduct security patrols, command post exercises, and engineering reconnaissance. One training mission performed by the students was the reconnoitering of a potential helicopter landing zone. Students were tasked to plan the mission, develop a patrol order, conduct reconnaissance, and maintain security each step of the mission. Realistic security patrols provided unique challenges, combining squad tactics, operational procedures, radio communications, and engineering problem solving.

Each squad presented a final debrief to a notional combat logistics battalion commander after working through the exercises. The debrief provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their verbal communication skills, ability to organize information, and leadership.

Lt. j.g. Brandon Jackson, a native of Charleston, S.C., who served as CECOS Basic Class 272 student officer in charge, enjoyed the challenges of the exercise. A prior Marine, Jackson grew up in a Navy family.

“This is what I wanted to become a part of all along,” said Jackson. “I would not mind extending this training for another week. The real life experiences will be valuable in my career.”

Center for Seabees and Facilities Engineering Command Master Chief Alonso Cadena, a native of Guanajuato, Mexico, congratulated CECOS Basic Class 272 students at the end of the FTX for their performance during the training exercise.

“This is just a taste of the real world,” said Cadena. “Being a CEC officer requires toughness, to include taking care of your mind, body, and soul.”

CECOS students receive classroom and laboratory instruction, before and after the FTX, covering construction methods, contingency planning and operations, engineering reconnaissance, and land navigation. The total length of their training in Port Hueneme is 15 weeks and is typically followed by Expeditionary Combat Skills training in Gulfport, Miss.

CECOS provides Seabees, civil engineer corps officers, facility engineers and environmental professionals with the necessary skills, knowledge, and education to enhance lifelong learning and to provide quality support to the fleet.

Basic Class 272 is scheduled to graduate from the 15-week course May 6.

Toufue Chang, director and chief operating officer for the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division Avionics, Sensors, and E*Warfare Department, walked into a regular Monday afternoon meeting ready for an hour of updates from the admiral and executive director.

He walked out with a stunned smile and a Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award.

Capt. Matt Sniffin, NAWCWD vice commander, presented Chang with the award during a surprise ceremony in Point Mugu, California, on Oct. 7; NAWCWD Commander Rear Adm. Scott Dillon and Executive Director Joan Johnson participated via VTC, as did much of NAWCWD’s leadership team.

“I was so surprised,” Chang said. “I come to work every day thankful for an opportunity to help nudge things along with the goal of delivering the best products and services to the warfighter on behalf of the taxpayer.”

Chang went on to thank his team for the help and support throughout the years, asserting that there are others more deserving of recognition.

“The Navy and NAWCWD have given me so much more than I deserve,” he said. “I’m very thankful for all of my teammates who have helped me every step of the way. This recognition is for them.”

Over his nearly 30 years at NAWCWD, Chang has supported programs ranging from EA-6B and Airborne Electronic Attack and managed projects for multiple EW software products. He’s also been tapped for special projects outside his engineering background.

Most recently, Chang voluntarily accepted a special development assignment for the executive director studying, identifying and assessing the overall health of the command’s facilities infrastructure. According to Smiley’s nomination, “the findings and recommendations of this study have been instrumental in the command’s revised approach to facilities management and prioritization of investment funding.”

Dr. Ron Smiley, NAWCWD Research and Development Group director, nominated Chang for the award.

“Mr. Chang … has consistently distinguished himself by exceptional meritorious service in every position he has held with unmatched personal commitment, tremendous professional initiatives, and extraordinary engineering and leadership skills,” Smiley wrote.

The nomination also focused on Chang’s ability to bring diverse groups together to focus on a common goal and inspire others to continue learning and growing. As a mentor, he mentors several junior engineers and hosts brown-bag discussions focused on personal and organizational leadership. That dedication to people does not go unnoticed.

“You were one of the first people I met,” Sniffin said, addressing Chang. “Your passion for the mission was obvious, but so was your passion for the people.”

Johnson echoed Sniffin, saying Chang sets “the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, compassion and focus on the mission. It’s really an honor for all of us, quite frankly, to not only be here, but to work with you. You really do lead by example.”

The Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award is the Navy’s third-highest civilian honor, given for meritorious service or contributions resulting in high value or benefits for the Navy or the Marine Corps.