Naval Station Ingleside
Ground was broken in 1988 on Naval Station Ingleside in a Gulf region of Texas known as Coastal Bend. Construction efforts were completed in 1990 with a ceremony that included the dedication of Hayden W. Head Boulevard, the station's primary thoroughfare, which was named after a distinguished South Texan who played a critical role in bringing Naval Station Ingleside to Coastal Bend.
The station's was initially intended to be the permanent docking station of the USS Lexington, an aircraft carrier used for training purposes, and the battleship USS Wisconsin. However, changes in the Navy's force structure resulted in the decommissioning of these particular vessels. Adapting to circumstances, on May 3rd 1991 the Secretary of the Navy announced that Naval Station Ingleside would now be homeport to Avenger Class mine countermeasure ships as well as Osprey Class coastal mine hunters. The Station would be refocusing into what was to become the Navy's "Mine Warfare Center of Intelligence." Naval Station Ingleside was homeport to 14 of the Avenger Class vessels and 10 Osprey Class vessels, with most of the Navy's mine countermeasure actions taking place in South Texas.
A Department of Defense Recommendation in 2005, detailed that Naval Station Ingleside and nearby Naval Station Pascagoula be closed to re-align Naval assets in more militarily advantageous regions. A U.S. Navy commission was formed to evaluate the recommendation from the DoD and estimate the economic impacts of such a closure. Citizens of the region were rightly concerned about the loss of civilian jobs and the impact that the re-alignment would have on the regional economy. Initial reaction out of the commission seemed to be much more in the line with the civilian concerns than that of the DoD. The commission agreed that a naval presence in the region was imperative due to the fact 50% of the country's oil and gas shipments were processed through the Gulf region. In the end, the commission ultimately ruled that while a naval presence in the region was important, a response to any naval situation could be forged from any of the other naval stations in the region, particularly those in Florida.
Just as the Navy sailors with whom they worked alongside, the civilian employees of Naval Station Ingleside worked hard to establish a strategically important base for their country in the Gulf region. The building of a naval installment and the repair work done on naval craft can be a dangerous occupation, but the employees of Naval Station Ingleside forged ahead knowing that they were protecting their military and their region. Each day, they put themselves into harm's way in a number of ways. The construction and repair in naval shipyards is a dirty but important occupation. Several of the older vessels that were stationed at Naval Station Ingleside may have contained deadly toxins within their original construction materials, such as asbestos. It is essential to realize the important work of a shipyard's employees, who toil in a skilled and difficult trade.
