Population increases sparked a building boom at several Coastal Bend Navy bases, as military officials worked to meet the housing and space demands of hundreds of new arrivals.
Overall, local and area military facilities fared well during the past year, increasing the number of personnel and missions at a time when bases across the nation were closed.
However, two local facilities are targeted for possible reduction during 1997. The Naval Hospital could be downsized to an outpatient clinic, Navy officials have said. The hospital's fate is to be determined in October.
And the Corpus Christi Army Depot, South Texas' largest industrial employer, could face a 300-employee reduction in force, officials have said.
At the same time, an increasing Navy population put the housing market to the test. To meet such demands, Navy officials chose the Coastal Bend as the site for a public-private housing venture that is to serve as a model for Defense Department facilities nationwide.
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held recently for the projects, which will provide 302 townhomes for military personnel at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi and Naval Station Ingleside and another 102 townhouses at Naval Air Station Kingsville.
The two housing projects, Hawk's Landing in Kingsville and Bridge Pointe in Portland, are the first in the United States under a new law that allows the military to become partners with private corporations to build military housing in areas near bases. Under the construction agreement, the Navy will pay $9.5 million of the $29 million project costs. Landmark Organization Inc. of Austin is the private developer for the project.
In addition, the Navy launched a dozen construction projects at the bases, many targeted at renovation of older facilities or expanding current space. Much of the work is part of establishing the Navy's Mine Warfare Center of Excellence, while other portions are targeted at developing the Coastal Bend as a fleet concentration area for mine warfare sailors as well as aviators.
"This has been one of the few areas that really grew during the downsizing," said Capt. Richard W. Strickler, base commander. "We have been in a growth period."
Strickler said he wants to try to do more with less, to be both safe and efficient. The base recently won the Chief of Naval Air Training's Shore Safety Award, a recognition of all sailors' efforts to work safely, Strickler said.
"That was a significant achievement in light of the growth here at the same time, which involved many new people working in a different environment than they were used to," he said.
A sign of the growth can be seen in scheduled construction projects which include:
The ever-popular Blue Angels will be at NAS Corpus Christi Aug. 23-24. In addition, there is a Navy regatta in August, a gospel concert in March, and a possible visit by the pro volleyball tour, Strickler said.
"In my 25 years of naval service, this is the closest relationship I've ever had between a naval unit and the community outside," he said. "It's going to be a banner year."
"We've got a lot of construction projects that cover Navy activities and partnering with the community activities and quality of life," said Capt. Donald Peters, commanding officer at Naval Station Ingleside.
Two more ships will arrive at the base this year, USS Falcon and USS Cormorant, both coastal mine hunters.
Also:
In addition, officials are talking about creating a single-sailor activity center that would feature a library learning center, a music area complete with soundproof rooms, dart game area, table tennis, kitchen, laundry, mini storage, patio and expanded game room.
Peters said such a facility, which is only in the planning stages now, would meet the recreational needs of single sailors stationed on the base.
"We've got about 3,200 sailors out there right now. Forty percent of them are single. They need a place to go, other than Corpus Christi, without having to drive 37 miles in the middle of the week," Peters said.
Finally, the base recently launched a community outreach program with local churches in which churches adopt a ship or command, providing social and support services for the sailors, Peters said.
"It helps the churches understand what Navy families and Navy life is like," Peters said. "And it also gives them an opportunity to share and fellowship with each command. It's not meant to proselytize nor to expand the church's budget."
The churches provide a network of support for spouses and children when the sailors are gone on deployment, he said.
Military housing facilities in Kingsville are outdated, and Navy officials have said they should be demolished and replaced.
Capt. Kris Ackerbauer, base commander, said Navy officials continue to try to do more with fewer resources.
"Our budget seems to be declining, but our mission isn't," he said.
McDonnell Douglas Aerospace officials, who maintain a staff of about 500 personnel at NAS Kingsville, said they don't anticipate any changes in the number of personnel this year.
Kingsville trains student pilots on McDonnell Douglas' T-45 Goshawk jet trainer and accompanying computer simulator system. So far, Kingsville officials have received 72 of the aircraft, and will continue to receive one per month during 1997 for a total of 84 planes.
Construction projects include:
Officials also plan to start renovations for two more buildings that house enlisted and officer personnel.
"They are buildings that are late 60s'-vintage barracks that need to be renovated for mechanical (aspects), and also to accommodate the new space requirements for single sailors," Ackerbauer said.
Col. John R. Penman, depot commander, said his staff was notified in October that there could be a reduction of 300 employees, but he doesn't know if or when that would occur.
"If it happens, it would be a significant challenge for us," Penman said. That's because the workload at the depot, which has a $400 million annual budget, will remain robust this year, Penman said.
Penman said the depot has many initiatives in place to help employees progress from the traditional industrial mindset to a more team-oriented, customer-focused approach. Officials have brought in consultants and used some of the corporate models in order to make the facility even more efficient and to improve the quality of their products, Penman said.
"1997 is going to be kind of a year of change for CCAD, and that's tied to many things," he said. The depot's vision is that, "CCAD becomes the source of excellence for rotary wing aviation maintenance," he said.
"Along with a year of change, we would say this is the year of the customer for us," Penman added. He said the depot hopes to establish better communication with its Navy, Army, Air Force and Marine Corps customers.
An ongoing issue is the depot's efforts to be a good environmental steward -- the depot has received several awards recently for its efforts to replace some of its processes with more environment-friendly systems.
In addition, the depot's $22 million advanced metal finishing facility should come on line this year. And a whirl tower, which is used to refurbish helicopter blades, will be transferred to Corpus Christi from Pensacola, Fla.
Late in the year, the depot will also implement its $8 million fiber-optic cable communication system.