Naval Station Norfolk

09/21/2024

Guten Tag!
Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Station Norfolk MWR hosted their annual Oktoberfest event this afternoon, at the Main Gate Movie theater.
This event offered a wide variety of activities including fun competitions, free music, bounce houses, carriage rides and much, much more!

09/19/2024

Who is ready for Oktoberfest?!???

09/19/2024

Thank you to all the Sailors and civilians who came out to support the Su***de Prevenion Walk this afternoon!

A special THANK YOU to our Fleet and Family Support Center for coordinating this important awareness event!

09/19/2024

Let the countdown begin! We are EXACTLY one month away from Fleet Fest 2024!

👉Free and open to the public!👊
👉Guided tours on USS Gonzalez - DDG 66, USS Iwo Jima LHD 7, and several U.S. Coast Guard Cutters.⚓️⚓️⚓️
👉FREE carnival, FREE games, FREE prizes🎡🎢🎠
👉Live music by U.S. Fleet Forces Band and The Deloreans 80's Band!👩‍🎤👨‍🎤🎤
👉Live military demonstrations!🚁⚓️
👉Food trucks, vendors and more!🍕🥙🌮🍦🍧

We will see you there! Please share and spread the word!

Fleet Fest 2024

09/16/2024

Does your command have a static display or would like to conduct unit sales at Fleet Fest 2024 on October 19? Please shoot us a message and we will send you the information!

09/13/2024

Right around the corner!!!!

09/13/2024

🐕‍🦺🐕⚓️Let's end the week on a PAWSITIVE note! Check out some of our Military Working Dogs. Introducing Tina, Daisy and Teddy!

We hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend!

09/12/2024

Check it out! Open to all spouses of active duty, reserve, retired, deceased and warrant officers!

09/11/2024

This morning Sailors from across Naval Station Norfolk gathered together for a wreath laying ceremony in honor of those who lost their lives during the tragic terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

The Sailors and civilians of Naval Station Norfolk will never forget.

09/11/2024

🍭🎡🎠Who doesn't love a carnival...especially a FREE carnival!!!

FREE rides! FREE games!! FREE prizes!!! ALL FREE!!!

Fleet Fest will feature a COMPLETELY FREE carnival! Fun for all ages!

October 19th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.! Don't miss it!

🙌🍭🎠Please share! Help spread the word!

09/10/2024

Join Fleet and Family Support Center Norfolk for our Su***de Prevention Awareness Walk. See flyer for more information or call FFSC Norfolk at 757-444-2102.

09/10/2024

🤩🙌👏Guess what's just around the corner?!?!?!? Octoberfest!

Come on out to the Main Gate 10 movie theater parking lot for live entertainment, food and beverages, kids activities and giveaways!

Fun for all!

Please help spread the word!

09/10/2024

🙌🫑🍅Fleet Fest Chili Cook-Off! Does your command have what it take?!??! Please help spread the word!
Naval Air Station Oceana
Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story
Fleet Fest 2024

09/09/2024

🏈🏈🏈Thank you for popping in today Rob Gronkowski -Gronk!

Thank you to Navy Exchange and Defense Commissary Agency for hosting such an awesome event!!!!

Let us know if you want to come back for Fleet Fest 2024!!!!

09/06/2024

We had an amazing "Run with the Chiefs" this morning! Thank you to all those who participated and supported the event! A huge shout out to Naval Station Norfolk MWR for organizing another awesome event!

09/06/2024

More than 3,800 Chiefs, Chief Selects, family members and supporters came out to run this morning for the annual Run with the Chiefs!

09/05/2024

We are going green with this week’s as we take a look at one of the oldest living landmark of Naval Station Norfolk, the Willoughby Oak!

With estimates in age ranging from 400 to 700 years old, the Willoughby Oak is the oldest know tree in Hampton Roads and potentially one of the oldest trees in the state of Virginia; however, its true age cannot be verified due to strict protections on cutting the tree. Currently the tree is around 50ft tall with a trunk circumference of 21 feet, and a crown spreading 65 feet.

The tree gets its name from Thomas Willoughby, one of Norfolk’s first settlers who came to Virginia in 1610. When he had purchased the land in the 1620s, in what would become Willoughby Bay, the tree had already been growing for quite some time.

While most of the tree’s history is unknown, a long-standing rumor mentions that the infamous Dread Pirate Edward Teach, also known as his more famous moniker Black Beard, climbed the tree during his stays in the area to survey the Chesapeake Bay for British Navy vessels and other pirates

The Willoughby Oak still stands today, protected by an iron fence, and is free to view up close by those with access to the installation. For those who do not have access, the tree can be viewed outside the base perimeter fence along Rippard Avenue.

09/04/2024

🏈🏈🏈Guess who is doing a Meet and Greet at the Commissary!?!?!?!?

Please help spread the word!

09/04/2024

⚓️🙌Calling all Riders…Join us Sunday, 20 October for the Annual RUMBLE THROUGH THE TUNNELS motorcycle ride with 100% of the gate going to NAVY-MARINE CORPS RELIEF SOCIETY!

09/04/2024

🙌🙌🙌Naval Station Norfolk will be hosting the annual Run with the Chief's 5K this Friday, September 6th. The run is scheduled to kick off at 8:20 a.m.

Please note, there will be road closures that will impact traffic.

- Starting at 8 a.m. there will be no left turn on Gilbert Street from Gate 3A.

- Gilbert Street will be completely closed between Bldg. N-30 and Farragut Avenue. There will be Sailors posted at Gilbert Street and Bainbridge Avenue to allow access for those working at the buildings in that area.

- At 8 a.m., all Gate 2 traffic will be diverted either left or right onto Morris Street after entering the base.

Please help us spread the word! We appreciate everyone's support and flexiblity to make this a successful event.

09/03/2024

Create Origami Cranes with FFSC Norfolk to promote National Su***de Prevention Awareness Month!

Origami Cranes symbolize hope, resilience, and a long life. You can assist FFSC Norfolk in reaching its military community goal of creating and collecting 1,000 origami cranes to build a stunning visual display during National Su***de Prevention Awareness Month!

See the attached flyer for more information or contact FFSC Norfolk at 757- 444-2102.

09/02/2024

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Labor Day!

08/26/2024

☀️☀️☀️The Summer is coming to a close, but thats doesn't mean the good times have to end for the Sailors of NAVSTA Norfolk!☀️☀️☀️

On August 29, NAVSTA Norfolk will be holding its "End of Summer" Command Cookout! All Sailors and civilians assigned to NAVSTA Norfolk are invited to attend. See the flyer below for more details.

08/24/2024

Additional photos from yesterday’s Change of Command and Retirement Ceremony! What an awesome celebration of these amazing leaders!

08/24/2024

Today the world's biggest and best naval installation, Naval Station Norfolk, held a Change of Command and Retirement Ceremony. During the ceremony, Captain Matt Schlarmann assumed command of the installation and we bid 'Fair Winds and Following Seas' to Captain Janet Days!

We thank you for your 37 years of dedicated service Ma'am! Best wishes on your retirement!

08/22/2024

For this week’s , we remember the Sailors who were lost on July 29, 1967, during the tragic explosions and fire aboard the USS Forrestal (CVA 59) that forever reshaped the U.S. Navy’s damage control procedures.

Commissioned in 1955, the USS Forrestal (CVA 59) was the first of the Forrestal-class aircraft carriers and was homeported in Naval Station Norfolk. From 1956 through 1966, the Forrestal accomplished a plethora of special operations and took part in experimental flight operations. Although the ship had a strong showing in its first decade, its name would be infamous for the events surrounding a fateful day in 1967 during the Vietnam War.

The Forrestal left its homeport early in June 1967, traveling to Brazil as a show of naval might. It would then leave the area to sail around the Horn of Africa in-route to Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. On July 25, 1967, the Forrestal arrived at its destination, and would launch 150 bombing missions, with Attack Carrier Air Wing 17, for the next four days. It was on the final day of these operations when calamity unfolded.

In the morning of July 29, 1967, 27 of the aircraft assigned to the Forrestal were performing routine preflight checks in preparation for taking off to strike North Vietnamese targets. At roughly 10:51 a.m., one of the aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom jet, accidentally fired a Mark 32 five-inch Zuni rocket due to an electrical power surge during the switch from external to internal power. The Zuni rocket would fly across the flight deck for 100 ft. severing the arm of a crewmember and then impact the external fuel tank of a A-4 Skyhawk, piloted by LCDR Fred D. White causing 40,000 gallons of highly flammable JP-5 jet fuel to spill across the flight deck. While a safety mechanism in the Zuni rocket’s warhead prevent it from going of the pure force of impact ignited the fuel and cause a chain reaction of explosions from the highly volatile ordinance causing seven massive holes throughout the flight deck and shrapnel to fly across the deck. During the chaos, 1,000-pound bomb dislodged from its aircraft fell on the deck, and it was engulfed in flames

By 10:52 a.m., fire quarters and general quarter alarms sounded and first on the scene was Damage Control Team No. 8, who tried to smother and prevent the explosion of the large bomb. The raging fires spread to nearby planes and below deck into the interior of the ship. The fire rage multiple pilots, including White and future U.S. Senator John McCain, who at the time was lieutenant commander, made daring escapes to get out of the engulfed area and to get out of range of the potential blast. Despite efforts by Damage Control Team No. 8’s leader Chief Gerald W. Farrier’s attempt to keep the fallen ordinance from exploding, the bombs casing would split and he would order the withdraw of his team. The explosion went of quicker than expected, killing Farrier and all but three of his men, and would injure 27 Sailors in less than one minute and 35 seconds after the fire began.

The fire would continue to spread to more of the ship and detonate further ordinance leading to more shipboard damage and major loss of life. The flight deck fire would finally be under control by 11:47 a.m. and was out by 12:17 a.m., however Sailors fought the fire below deck for many more hours to come finally coming to an end by 4:00 a.m. in the morning on July 30.

In the after math and investigation into the event in was determined that a combination of improper training, weather conditions, outdated firefighting methods being utilized and improper storage of unstable ordinance allowed the fires to spread effortlessly throughout the vessel. In the end, 134 Sailors were lost in the efforts to save the ship, and 161 were injured. In addition, 21 of the ship’s 73 aircraft were damaged and 40 were damaged.

The events that took place aboard the USS Forrestal had completely reshaped the Navy's approach to firefighting efforts and training procedures. The Navy Recruit Training Command shows the footage of the event and the investigation’s findings as a cautionary tale for Sailors entering the Navy to inform and ensure history does not repeat itself. The Navy honored Chief Farrier, who lost his life valiantly trying to prevent the explosion of the ordinance on the flight deck, by naming the Farrier Fighting School located on Naval Station Norfolk after him. It is here were Sailors learn advanced Damage Control techniques to prevent another event of this scale from ever happening again.

08/15/2024

We are shooting for the stars in today’s Throwback Thursday! Today we will look out how Naval Station (NAVSTA) Norfolk became the Recovery Control Center Atlantic for Apollo 7 mission.

In 1961, NASA established the Apollo program with the intent to fulfill President John F. Kennedy’s national goal of “landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” The program had a rocky start, with the first manned mission, Apollo 1, ending in disaster before the rocket ever left the launch pad. This event partially led to the cancelation of the manned Apollo 3 mission and made NASA reorganize their strategy for the space flights.

After 21 months and many unmanned test flights, NASA was finally comfortable enough to launch a manned mission into space again. The Apollo 7 mission was set to launch on October 11, 1968 with the crew of consisting of Walter M. Schirra, Donn F. Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham.

While NASA was preparing for the launch, they needed a Recovery Control Center (RCC) on the east coast of the United States to coordinate recovery efforts of the mission in the Atlantic Ocean. NASA decided that Naval Air Station (NAS) Norfolk, now the air operations side of NAVSTA Norfolk, would be the location of Recovery Control Center (RCC) Atlantic.

On October 11, the Apollo 7 mission took off without a hitch much to the relief of NASA, the astronauts onboard and the public who tuned into the live broadcast of the event. The mission orbited the earth for a total of 10 days 20 hours 9 minutes and 3 seconds. The crew began reentry in to earth atmosphere and splashed down just north of Puerto Rico.

During this event Recovery Control Center (RCC) Atlantic was in charge of provide command and communications to the ships and aircraft that were a part of the recovery mission. One of these vessels under their command, the USS Essex (CV-9), recovered the mission’s Command and Service

Module with the crew inside. The Command and Service Module was offloaded on NAS Norfolk were it was evaluated and deactivated before being shipped to its manufacturer in California

With the successful flight and recovery of the crew, the Apollo 7 mission would pave the way for future missions including the historic Apollo 13 mission, which landed the first man on the moon. The Apollo 7 Command and Service Module is currently on display at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, Texas.

08/15/2024

Check out this awesome back to school event taking place at our base chapel!

Please help spread the word!

08/14/2024

Join Fleet and Family Support Center Norfolk for our Touch-a-Truck/Officer Friendly Event, where the police and fire department will provide a sensory-friendly experience tailored to Exceptional Family Members (EFM). This event will be free of cost to our EFM families. Don’t miss out on this special day of fun and learning.

08/12/2024

Check it out!

The female Summer Dress White Short-sleeve Overblouse is HERE! You spoke, we listened, and we delivered ➡️ Join us at the Hampton Roads Fit Clinic (Aug. 13-16, 0900-1600) to find your perfect ‘fit’ with the help of our experts! No purchase necessary, but blouses will be available for immediate purchase & wear.
For additional details, please visit: https://www.mynavyexchange.com/uniformfit