Naval Support Activity Mid-South (NSA Mid-South, NAVSUPPACT Mid-South, NSAMS), in
Millington, Tennessee
Millington is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and is a part of the Memphis metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 10,176. Millington was granted the title "Flag City Tennessee" by the Tennessee Stat ...
, is a base of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. A part of the Navy Region Southeast and the Navy Installations Command, NSA Mid-South serves as the Navy’s Human Resources Center of Excellence. The base is host to several commands and other military tenants:
Navy Personnel Command,
Navy Recruiting Command, the Navy Manpower Analysis Center, a Marine reserve Company - Bridge Company C (6th ESB, 4th MLG) and the
US Army Corps of Engineers
, colors =
, anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day)
, battles =
, battles_label = Wars
, website =
, commander1 = ...
Finance Center. More than 7,500 military, civilian, and contract personnel are assigned/work on base.
Initially established as Park Field, it was
one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the United States entry into World War I in April 1917.
The Naval Support Activity has over 7,500 enlisted and officer personnel, civilians, and full-time contract personnel, who provide all essential logistic and operational support to the commands and activities on board. As the base has evolved and changed, so has its impact on the area. It plays an important part in the community and is one of the largest single employers in the state of Tennessee.
Major commands aboard NSA Mid-South
![NSA Mid-South Landscape](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/NSA_Mid-South_Landscape.jpg)
Of the more than 30 tenant commands that are located aboard Naval Support Activity Mid-South, these are some of the major commands:
*
Navy Personnel Command
* Navy Recruiting Command
* Navy Manpower Analysis Center
*
Navy Personnel Research, Studies, and Technology
*
Bridge Company C, 6th ESB, 4th Marine Logistics Group, Marine Forces Reserve
*
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Finance Center
Community involvement
Throughout the year, NSA Mid-South partners with the Millington and Memphis communities to put on several projects:
* Flag City Freedom Celebration - the annual Fourth of July fireworks display, seeing more than 40,000 visitors to NSA Mid-South's Navy Lake recreational facility.
*
National Night Out
National Night Out is a community-police awareness-raising event in the United States, held the first Tuesday of August (Texas celebrates on the first Tuesday in October).
History
The event has been held annually since 1984, and is sponsored by th ...
- a community-police awareness-raising event held the first Tuesday of August. NSA Mid-South's NNO event is one of the largest nationwide.
* Leadership Millington - a leadership program sponsored by the Millington Chamber of Commerce, which includes a day touring NSA Mid-South.
Navy Ten Nautical Miler
Beginning in 2010, Naval Support Activity Mid-South is sponsoring the Navy Ten Nautical Miler, the first and only race measured in nautical miles instead of statute miles. The world-class foot race, intended to take the place of the Navy’s previous premiere race, the
Blue Angels Marathon, attracts runners from all over the world.
History
Initially known as Park Field, the facility was established as a World War I training base in 1917. It was named after
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...
Joseph D. Park, who was killed on 9 May 1913 when a military
biplane which he was flying plunged nose-first into a gulley, turned a somersault, and crashed against a tree at
Olive,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, southeast of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. The aviator fell only , but the
radiator crushed his head, and then fell upon his body.
World War I
The
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
entered
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
on 6 April 1917, and the
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, ...
sent a cadre of
officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
to the Memphis area to survey sites for an aviation school. The group decided on a location in the
Millington area, about northeast of Memphis, an agreement to lease the land for the Army was concluded, and the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
Signal Corps — which managed U.S. Army aviation in its early days — established the Park Field site in May 1917. The construction of some 50 buildings began.
[National Archives of the United States: Records of the Training and Operations Group (Air Service) and the Training and Operations Division (Air Corps) Records of the Army Air Forces (AAF), (Record Group 18) 1903-64 (bulk 1917-47)](_blank)
/ref>
Park Field covered over and could accommodate up to 1,000 personnel. Dozens of wooden buildings served as headquarters and maintenance facilities and officers’ quarters. Enlisted men
An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or warrant officers, except in United States ...
had to bivouac in tents. The first unit stationed there was the 160th Aero Squadron, which was transferred from Kelly Field, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, in November 1917. A few United States Army Air Service
The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...
aircraft arrived with the 160th, Most of the Curtiss JN-4
The Curtiss JN "Jenny" was a series of biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for th ...
Jennys to be used for flight training were shipped in wooden crates by railcar.
Park Field served as a base for flight training for the United States Army Air Service. In 1917, flight training occurred in two phases: primary and advanced. Primary training took eight weeks and consisted of pilots learning basic flight skills under dual and solo instruction with a student capacity of 300. After completion of their primary training, flight cadets were then transferred to another base for advanced training.
Training units assigned to Park Field were:[Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the First World War, Volume 3, Part 3, Center of Military History, United States Army, 1949 (1988 Reprint)]
* Post Headquarters, Park Field, December 1917–July 1919
* 65th Aero Squadron (II), April 1918 Transferred from Kelly Field, Texas)
: Re-designated as Squadron "A", July–December 1918
* 87th Aero Squadron, December 1917 (Transferred from Selfridge Field
Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens. Selfridge Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the Unit ...
, Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
)
: Re-designated as Squadron "B", July–December 1918
* 160th Aero Squadron, December 1917 (Transferred from Kelly Field, Texas)
: Re-designated as Squadron "C", July–December 1918
* 214th Aero Squadron, December 1917
: Re-designated as Squadron "D", July–December 1918
* Squadron "E", August–December 1918
* Flying School Detachment (Consolidation of Squadrons A-E, December 1918-July 1919
By February 1918, flight operations were in full swing, but with the sudden end of World War I on 11 November 1918, the future operational status of Park Field was unknown. Cadets in flight training on 11 November were allowed to complete their training, but no new cadets were assigned to the base. The separate training squadrons were consolidated into a single Flying School detachment in December 1918, as many of the personnel assigned were being demobilized. Flight training activities ceased in July 1919.
Inter-war years
In March 1920 the Department of War officially purchased Park Field, and a small caretaker unit was assigned to the facility for administrative reasons. At that time the airfield began pioneering airmail
Airmail (or air mail) is a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of at least one leg of its journey being by air. Airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send. Airmail may be t ...
routes throughout Tennessee and the surrounding states. The airfield declined until it was little more than a storage area for aircraft and parts. By 1921, the decision was made to phase down all activities at the base in accordance with sharply reduced military budgets. The Department of War ordered the small caretaker force at Park Field to dismantle all remaining structures and to sell them as surplus. The field was closed and abandoned in January 1922.
The Stock Market Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange colla ...
and the ensuing Great Depression breathed new life into Park Field. During the 1930s the field served as a transient camp for unemployed workers. In 1937 the Resettlement Administration
The Resettlement Administration (RA) was a New Deal U.S. federal agency created May 1, 1935. It relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government. On September 1, 1937, it was succeeded by the Farm S ...
(succeeded by the Farm Security Administration in 1937) took over the land and developed model farms used to demonstrate what could be achieved with correctly managed land. Park Field remained under Farm Security Administration's jurisdiction until the United States entered World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
in December 1941.
World War II
Just as the onset of World War I had given Park Field its birth in 1917, the declaration of war on 8 December 1941, had similar results, heralding the arrival of naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases.
Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based ...
in the Memphis area. In February 1942, the Navy Shore Station Development Board recommended approval of a reserve aviation base on the former site of Park Field. On September 15, 1942, the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
commissioned the Naval Reserve Aviation Base on the south side of the station.
On 1 January 1943, the Naval Reserve Aviation Base was renamed Naval Air Station Memphis. During the war, Naval Air Station Memphis was a primary flight training center for aviators. It had a training capacity of about 600 flight cadets, and could support up to 10,000 cadets for ground crew training. The facility was expanded to about in size, and it supported 16 naval outlying landing field
An outlying landing field (OLF) is an auxiliary airfield, associated with a seaborne component of the United States military. When associated with the United States Navy (who operate the majority), they are known as naval outlying landing fields ...
s for training and emergency landings in the area. In 1943, the training facility was designated as the Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATT).[Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, Memphis Naval Air Station, Millington](_blank)
/ref>
Cold War
the Cold War followed the conclusion of World War II. As part of the consolidation of facilities after World War II, HQ NATT was transferred to Naval Air Station Memphis in 1946 and all the operations of the command were consolidated there in 1947. In April 1949, the base's functions completely changed, and a new naval air station was established, different in both scope and function.
The new NAS assumed logistic support for all the commands at Navy Memphis, except the naval hospital. The boundaries included all Navy property on both sides of the Millington-Arlington Road (Navy Road). NAS Memphis continued its support and logistics role for approximately 50 years. The faculty became a permanent naval installation during the Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, and during the 1950s, it supported approximately 13,000 uniformed and civilian Naval personnel. During the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
, 23,000 trainees were assigned to Naval Air Station Memphis, which continued to provide service to the U.S. Navy into the 1990s.
Modern era
The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense in 1993 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It recommended closing 33 major United States military bases.
...
(BRAC) directed the realignment of Naval Air Station Memphis. The largest segments of this BRAC action were as follows:
* Disestablishment of Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) Memphis and the establishment of a new NATTC Pensacola at Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...
, Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, on the grounds of the former Naval Aviation Depot (NADEP) Pensacola. (BRAC also directed the disestablishment of NADEP Pensacola).
* Relocation of all U.S. Navy and 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 ...
enlisted aviation "A" schools and "C" schools at NATTC Memphis to NATTC Pensacola.
* Disestablishment of Naval Air Reserve Memphis and disestablishment or transfer/relocation of all assigned Naval Air Force Reserve and 4th Marine Aircraft Wing
The 4th Marine Aircraft Wing is the reserve airwing of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana but its subordinate units are scattered throughout the United States.
Mission
Conduct air operations in support ...
/Marine Air Reserve aircraft and aviation squadrons.
* Relocation of the Navy Personnel Command (NAVPERSCOM)/ Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) from Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, to buildings and facilities previously occupied by NATTC Memphis.
NAS Memphis was redesignated Naval Support Activity Memphis on 30 September 1995. The name was changed again to Naval Support Activity Mid-South on 1 October 1998 to more accurately identify the base's mission requirements and to reflect the Navy's approach to regionalization.
In September 2015, Bridge Company C, part of the 6th Engineer Support Battalion
The 6th Engineer Support Battalion (6th ESB or 6th EngSptBn), is an engineering battalion of the United States Marine Corps Reserve. They are headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and they fall under the command of the 4th Marine Logistics Group.
...
, 4th Marine Logistics Group
The 4th Marine Logistics Group (4th MLG) is a reserve logistics unit of the United States Marine Corps. The group is headquartered at New Orleans, Louisiana while its subordinate units are spread across the United States.
Mission
Provide gene ...
, dedicated a new building for the Bridge Company at Naval Support Activity Mid-South. It was the first time since the BRAC-directed changes of 1993 that a U.S. Marine Corps unit had resided on the base.
Guardsman shooting on 24 October 2013
On 24 October 2013 a gunman shot and injured two Army National Guard soldiers at Naval Support Activity Mid-South. The suspect was taken into custody after the shooting. The two injured soldiers had no life-threatening injuries., breaking, text, FRONTPAGE Two wounded in Millington Naval base shooting; suspect in custody
See also
* List of Training Section Air Service airfields
With the purchase of its first airplane, built and successfully flown by Orville and Wilbur Wright, in 1909 the United States Army began the training of flight personnel. This article describes the training provided in those early years, though W ...
References
External links
Naval Support Activity Mid-South's official Web site
Naval Support Activity Mid-South's official Facebook page
Naval Support Activity Mid-South's official Twitter page
{{coord, 35, 20, 05, N, 89, 52, 09, W, display=title
Naval Support Activities of the United States Navy
Buildings and structures in Shelby County, Tennessee
Military installations in Tennessee
World War I airfields in the United States
Military installations established in 1917
1917 establishments in Tennessee