Naval Station Ingleside - History

History

Naval Station Ingleside was first authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1987 sponsored by Sen. Barry Goldwater.Groundbreaking took place on on February 20, 1988 and on April 9, 1990, the Station and the community dedicated the main thoroughfare providing access from the community to the Station, Hayden W. Head Boulevard. In September 1990, enough construction had been completed that personnel moved from temporary office and working spaces in the community onto the station and the waterfront was dedicated. The station was completed when the Station accepted its Headquarters Building on December 14, 1990. The USS Scout became the first ship based at Ingleside on June 25, 1992, and the station was placed in an "operation" status on July 6, 1992, during the same ceremony that marked the Station's first change of command.

Naval Station Ingleside was originally constructed to accommodate a Battle Group, with a massive 1,100 ft pier, additional berthing space provided along two quay walls, and a heavy weather mooring system designed to withstand category 2 hurricanes. That Battle Group was initially meant to comprise the training aircraft carrier USS Lexington, the battleship USS Wisconsin, and their surface action group, however changes in the Navy's force structure caused these ships to be decommissioned. In 1991 Secretary of the Navy Henry Garrett decided to make Ingleside the homeport of the Navy's Mine Warfare Force, comprised Avenger class mine countermeasures ships, Osprey class coastal minehunters, and the command and control ship USS Inchon.