Navy Move to Bring 450 Jobs to Naval Base
The Navy will relocate a fleet of transport planes here this summer, bringing 450 jobs to the Point Mugu Naval Air Station and bolstering the facility’s chances of surviving another round of base closures.
The secretary of the Navy announced Thursday that the Fleet Logistics Support squadron Five Five will be transferred from the Naval Air Reserve Center in Santa Clara, near San Jose, to Point Mugu by the end of July.
The squadron is a reserve unit of five C-130 Hercules aircraft, maintenance crews and support personnel. A mobile maintenance facility, a maritime patrol mobile command center and a P-3 trainer also will be transferred to the station.
In all, about 200 active duty personnel, 250 reservists and about 600 of their family members will move to Ventura County.
“We’re excited about the additional commitment for Point Mugu,” said Capt. Stephen Beal, the air station’s commanding officer. “With downsizing a major factor, we continue to look for ways to fill the void.”
The Clinton administration announced this month that the president would propose another round of closures in 2001 and 2003 with the goal of cutting base costs about 10%. Shutting bases will help pay for weapons modernization and a military readiness program, according to the White House.
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