If you live in Ventura County, you know about ‘the Navy base’. It’s down there on the far side of the Oxnard plain, sitting on the coast like you’d think a naval base should. (Wait until I write about NAWC-WD and China Lake!) The base we see from outside the fenceline is called Naval Base Ventura County, and it consists of two, non-contiguous parts: Point Mugu Air Base and Port Hueneme. OK, there’s a couple other parts: the antenna array on Laguna Peak and San Nicholas Island. But let’s focus on Mugu and Hueneme.

Think of this real estate as a large commercial building. The organization called Naval Base Ventura County is the building manager who keeps everything functioning so the tenants can live and work in the building. ‘Everything’ includes basic municipal services (e.g., water, electricity) and base security operations for over 75 tenants and tenant commands. This means that Naval Base Ventura County does the work of a small city that is home to some very unique industries and many people. The base along with all its tenants is Ventura County’s largest employer! With 14,175 employees (not counting contractors), Naval Base Ventura County makes a huge contribution to our regional economy.

Surrounding Naval Base Ventura County and containing all its tenants (including the Coast Guard Air Station I wrote about a little while ago) is ‘the fenceline’, a Department of Defense security perimeter that is tightly controlled by high fences, guarded gates, and armed patrols. To be allowed to physically cross the fenceline a person must have a Common Access Card (CAC) or must be escorted by someone with a CAC card and escort privileges. The fenceline defends Navy property and intellectual assets. For the base’s neighbors, the fenceline also shrouds the organization in mystery. In my next couple ‘hidden gem’ posts, I hope to share with the neighborhood what some of those tenants do and the world class assets they manage in our backyard.

In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions about NBVC. You can find me on Mastodon, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

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