USN

Fleet Combat Training Center, Atlantic (FCTCLANT) Dam Neck, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has a storied history as a premier training facility for the United States Navy. Established during World War II, the site originally served as a gunnery school and later evolved to support advanced fleet combat systems training. Over the decades, FCTCLANT Dam Neck has played a crucial role in preparing sailors and officers for modern naval warfare, with a focus on radar, missile systems, and tactical operations. Today, the facility continues its legacy by providing state-of-the-art instruction to ensure the operational effectiveness of the Atlantic Fleet.

Harbor Clearance Unit One (HCU-1) was a specialized U.S. Navy unit established in 1966 during the Vietnam War to provide salvage, diving, and clearance operations in Southeast Asia. The unit's primary mission was to clear harbors, rivers, and coastal waters of sunken vessels, unexploded ordnance, and other hazards to navigation, thereby ensuring the safe movement of military and civilian shipping. HCU-1 operated a variety of craft and utilized advanced diving equipment, often working under dangerous conditions in combat zones such as Da Nang, Cam Ranh Bay, and the Mekong Delta. The unit played a crucial role in maintaining logistical supply lines throughout the conflict and contributed significantly to postwar salvage and clearance operations in the Pacific region.

Naval Air Station (NAS) Albany, located in Albany, Georgia, was originally established as Turner Field by the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1941. During World War II, the base served as a training site for bomber crews and later functioned as a Strategic Air Command base during the early Cold War era. In 1967, control of the installation shifted to the U.S. Navy, becoming NAS Albany and serving as the home of Reconnaissance Attack Wing One, which operated the A-3 Skywarrior and A-5 Vigilante aircraft. The base was closed in 1974, with its facilities transferred to the Marine Corps, where it became part of the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany.

Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, located in Kingsville, Texas, was commissioned in 1942 as an advanced naval aviation training facility during World War II. Originally established to meet the urgent demand for naval aviators, NAS Kingsville played a crucial role in training carrier-based pilots for combat operations. Over the decades, the base has remained a premier jet aviation training center, primarily hosting Training Air Wing Two and supporting advanced strike training for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Today, NAS Kingsville continues to be integral to naval aviation, preparing pilots for fleet assignments and ensuring operational readiness for the nation’s defense.

The Naval Training Station (NTS) is a key military facility dedicated to the initial and advanced training of naval personnel. Established during periods of expanding naval operations, particularly in the early 20th century and both World Wars, NTS locations across the United States prepared recruits with essential seamanship, technical, and combat skills. These stations played a crucial role in rapidly scaling up the Navy’s manpower, ensuring sailors were ready for deployment at sea and in support roles. Over time, many NTS facilities evolved or merged with other commands, but their legacy remains central to the Navy’s training mission.

NAVCOMSTA Sidi Yahia, short for Naval Communications Station Sidi Yahia, was a United States Navy communications facility located near Sidi Yahia el Gharb in Morocco. Commissioned in the early 1950s, the station played a vital role during the Cold War, providing critical communications support for the U.S. Sixth Fleet and other naval operations in the Mediterranean and Atlantic regions. Operated under the United States Naval Communications Command, the base maintained secure lines of communication, supported naval intelligence, and relayed messages between Washington, D.C., and deployed forces. NAVCOMSTA Sidi Yahia was eventually closed in the early 1970s as part of the U.S. withdrawal from its Moroccan bases following renegotiations with the Moroccan government.

USS Bausell (DD-845) was a Gearing-class destroyer commissioned into the United States Navy in February 1946. Named after Marine Private First Class Lewis K. Bausell, a Medal of Honor recipient, the ship served extensively during the Cold War, including multiple deployments to the Western Pacific. USS Bausell saw action during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, providing naval gunfire support and participating in various operations. After decades of service, she was decommissioned in 1978 and later transferred to the Republic of Korea Navy, where she served as ROKS Taejon (DD-919).

USS Caron (DD-970) was a Spruance-class destroyer commissioned into the United States Navy in 1977. Throughout her service, Caron participated in numerous exercises and operations, including deployments to the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf, as well as involvement in Cold War naval confrontations. Notably, in 1986 and 1988, USS Caron was involved in incidents with Soviet forces in the Black Sea while asserting freedom of navigation rights. The ship served until 2001, when she was decommissioned and later sunk as a target during a training exercise in 2002.

USS EMORY S LAND

U.S. Navy

USS Emory S. Land (AS-39) is a submarine tender of the United States Navy, named in honor of Admiral Emory S. Land, a key figure in naval shipbuilding. Commissioned on July 7, 1979, the vessel was designed to provide maintenance, logistics, and support services to submarines and their crews while deployed at sea or in port. Over its service life, USS Emory S. Land has operated in various regions, including the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific, supporting both attack and ballistic missile submarines. The ship remains active and forward-deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet, continuing to play a vital role in sustaining naval undersea operations.