Camp Allen, is a small

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

base in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

, a satellite of the

Naval Station Norfolk Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hamp ...

. In 1942 the Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks (now NAVFAC) wanted the first

Seabee United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Force (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Depending upon ...

training center close to an existing Naval training facility with Norfolk being chosen because of the available land that could be purchased. On 25 March 1942 the Commandant of the 5th Naval District announced that the U.S. Naval Construction Training Center, Naval Operating Base Norfolk had been commissioned 4 days prior. The base was named Camp Allen in memory of the CEC Captain Walter H. Allen founder of the naval construction regiment at Great Lakes Naval Training Center during WWI. Camp Allen later became home to the 3rd

Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team The Marine Corps Security Force Regiment is a dedicated security and anti-terrorism unit of the United States Marine Corps. It provides security forces to guard high-value naval installations, most notably those containing nuclear vessels and w ...

(FAST) Companies.Marine Corps news article
detailing FAST deployments The base had a supply warehouse, battalion aid station, and transportation area, but all have been re-purposed. All units are members of the

Marine Corps Security Force Regiment The Marine Corps Security Force Regiment is a dedicated security and anti-terrorism unit of the United States Marine Corps. It provides security forces to guard high-value naval installations, most notably those containing nuclear vessels and w ...

, headquartered aboard

Naval Weapons Station Yorktown Naval Weapons Station Yorktown is a United States Navy base in York County, James City County, and Newport News in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. It provided a weapons and ammunition storage and loading facility for ships of the United S ...

References

Allen Allen, Allen's or Allens may refer to: Buildings * Allen Arena, an indoor arena at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee * Allen Center, a skyscraper complex in downtown Houston, Texas * Allen Fieldhouse, an indoor sports arena on the Univer ...

Military in Norfolk, Virginia Buildings and structures in Norfolk, Virginia Military installations in Virginia {{USMC-stub