Naval Air Facility El Centro

05/29/2026

Congratulations to Firefighter A***n Verdin who was selected as this week's Desert Warrior for his tremendous efforts everyday at The Pearl of the Desert.

05/26/2026

Greetings Desert Warriors and Imperial Valley Neighbors,

Security will conduct training on May 26th and June 2nd.

Training will begin at or around 0900 and should last less than an hour.

During that time there may be brief delays at the gate.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as our teams hone their skills.

05/21/2026

Desert Warriors and Imperial Valley friends. Here is the Commissary schedule for the holiday weekend.

05/19/2026

This was a sad day for . We responded along with our partner agencies the Bureau of Land Management - California, U.S. Border Patrol El Centro Sector and the Imperial County Sheriff's Office. We also want to thank the kind people of the Imperial Valley who supported us.

This event happened a few years ago, but we still remember as we get closer to Memorial Day.

https://www.facebook.com/share/18VszDUYar/?mibextid=wwXIfr

MV-22B Osprey Crash — Southern California Desert
An MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364, based at MCAS Camp Pendleton, went down during a routine training flight near Glamis, Imperial County — a remote desert area approximately 35 miles north of the U.S.–Mexico border. None of the five souls on board survived.

The five Marines who perished were pilots Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, 31, and Capt. John J. Sax, 33, along with crew chiefs Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, 21, Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson, 21, and Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland, 19 — ranging in rank from lance corporal to captain, representing five different states. The aircraft went down at approximately 12:25 p.m. and the cause remains under investigation.

Squadron commander Lt. Col. John C. Miller expressed the weight of the loss on the entire "Purple Fox" unit and their families, stating their primary mission had shifted to supporting the next of kin. This incident was not isolated — previous Osprey mishaps had also claimed the lives of Marines in Norway and Australia in prior years, raising ongoing questions about operational safety of the tiltrotor platform.

04/30/2026

Important information for some of our Shipmates.

Attention Sailors, federal civilians, and families who recently departed Bahrain:

As you coordinate your onward journey, the Evacuation, Travel & Employee Assistance hub is actively updated to help you through this exact situation.

Available support includes:

✈️ Travel & Evacuation Guidance: Get the latest information on onward travel procedures, temporary lodging, and logistical next steps.

🤝 Employee Assistance: Access confidential counseling, stress management, and workplace support tailored for federal civilians and service members.

❤️ Family Resources: Find support for essential needs, accountability updates, and family well-being services.

You do not have to navigate this transition alone. Please take a moment to review these resources, share them with others in your network who recently departed Bahrain, and connect with the support teams standing by to assist you.

🔗 Access your resources here: https://www.navylifeeurafcent.com/installations/nsf-ramstein/efac

04/30/2026

Imperial Valley Family,

DEERS will be closed for one hour for lunch on 30 April and 1 May. From 1100-1200 no services will be available.

04/30/2026

As the month of the military child comes to a close. We must remember to honor military children throughout the year as they are truly remarkable and resilient.

Military children faces challenges most kids never will!

New schools,new towns, long deployments and the constant weight of worry. Yet they still choose to show up and adapt with all their heart and courage. They do this day in and day out everyday of the year. So even though we are closing out this month let’s not forget to check in with the children who carry more weight than we could ever understand as a child.

04/29/2026

Recently, the Desert Review interviewed Chaplain Bertholet on his new program at - Gizmo the Therapy Dog. This is an opportunity to provide more relilency tools to the warfighter and their familes.

EL CENTRO — Lieutenant Jericho Bertholet, the chaplain at Naval Air Facility El Centro, has served the base military community for a year and a half alongside his therapy dog,