Coast Guard Island

Last updated
Coast Guard Island
Coast Guard Island May 2009.jpg
Location Map San Francisco Bay Area.png
Red pog.svg
Coast Guard Island
Relief map of California.png
Red pog.svg
Coast Guard Island
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Coast Guard Island
Geography
Location Oakland Estuary
Coordinates 37°46′57″N122°14′57″W / 37.782553°N 122.249207°W / 37.782553; -122.249207
Total islands1
Area0.271139 km2 (0.104687 sq mi)
Administration
State California
Governing bodyFlag of the United States Coast Guard.svg United States Coast Guard
USCG 11th District emblem USCG D11.jpg
USCG 11th District emblem
USCG Pacific area emblem USCG Pacarea.png
USCG Pacific area emblem

Coast Guard Base Alameda also referred to as Coast Guard Island is an artificial island in the Oakland Estuary between Oakland and Alameda, California. It is home to several major United States Coast Guard commands and cutters, including the Coast Guard Pacific Area. It is one of the largest Coast Guard bases on the West Coast. From 1942 until 1982, the island was the site of the Coast Guard's recruiting training center (boot camp), enlisting and training hundreds of thousands of Coast Guardsmen including many of the 214,239 who served in the Pacific and European Theaters of World War II.

Contents

The 67-acre (27 ha) island is situated in the historic Brooklyn Basin, now known as Embarcadero Cove. It is within Alameda city limits, but is tied to land only via a bridge from Dennison Street in Oakland.

Tenant commands

The island houses a number of U.S. Coast Guard commands and its facilities are managed by Base Alameda. Over 1200 personnel are assigned to the island. Area commands include:

It is also the homeport for four Legend-class cutters:

Coast Guard Island also houses and supports a number of other Coast Guard commands with detachments or regional offices located on the island, including:

Coast Guard Electronic Support Unit (ESU) Alameda and Naval Engineering Support Unit (NESU) Alameda were also located on the island until those units were decommissioned in 2013. The functions and capabilities of the units remain as departments within Base Alameda.

The facilities on Coast Guard Island also include an Integrated Support Command (ISC), enlisted barracks, a medical and dental clinic, and public works facilities to service the island.

History and formation

Originally known as Government Island, this artificial island was formed in 1913 by the dredging project that extended the Oakland Estuary to San Leandro Bay. The Coast Guard first came to the island in 1926 when it established "Base 11" under an Executive Order signed in September 1931 that gave title to a 15-acre (6.1 ha) tract for a permanent base. Improvements were started at that time and by 1933 included streets, utilities, spur tracks, a trestle bridge from Oakland, a transformer station, and rebuilding of the existing wharves. The cost was more than one and a half million dollars and provided facilities for Base 11 and the Coast Guard Store (warehouses).

Establishment

The shore establishment expanded in 1939 with the amalgamation of the Lighthouse Service. A training center was established in 1940 to meet the service's increased personnel needs.

An area of 35 acres (14 ha) was acquired from the City of Alameda in 1939 with an additional 17 acres (6.9 ha) purchased by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1942. The entire island of 67 acres (27 ha) was devoted to training center facilities. The first contract provided for five barracks, mess hall and galley, engineering and administration buildings, an infirmary, roadways, heating, plumbing, electrical and fire protection. The contract was awarded February 21, 1942 and completed June 30, 1942 at a cost of $1,680,082.94. Additional contracts for another half million dollars provided for additional barracks, clothing issue building, paving a drill field, band room, incinerator, anti-aircraft trainer building, and docks for small boats.

Recruit Training Center

The training center was first opened on June 1, 1942, with accommodations for 900 men. It was solely to train recruits. Specialty training was added later to include fireman, signalman, laundryman, radioman, boatswain's mate, cooks and bakers, and port security.

After the war, Government Island remained a Coast Guard Training Center with addition of the Weather Bureau, Internal Auditors, and the Bureau of Roads. During the late 1960s the Training & Supply Center was the Coast Guard's largest field unit on the West Coast. The Training Center graduated 60-100 seaman apprentices and fireman apprentices each week. The Supply Center provided support to the western area districts including Squadron One and Squadron Three in Vietnam. The cutters Taney , Gresham , and Barataria were homeported on the island at the time.

In 1982, the Training Center was closed and recruit training was moved to United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, New Jersey, where it remains today. Support Center Alameda was established June 1, 1982 and the island was renamed Coast Guard Island. The Coast Guard Pacific Area, Coast Guard 11th District (then known as Coast Guard 12th District), and Marine Safety Office San Francisco moved from downtown San Francisco to the island. On June 24, 1987, Maintenance & Logistics Command Pacific was established and located on the island until its decommissioning. The Support Center was redesignated as Integrated Support Command Alameda on March 15, 1996, and today is Base Alameda.

Notable Commanders

See also

Related Research Articles

Hanahan is a city in Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 12,937 at the 2000 census. The 2010 census puts the population at 17,997. Portions of the Naval Weapons Station Charleston, including the Naval Consolidated Brig Charleston, are located in Hanahan. As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used by the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes only, Hanahan is included within the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville metropolitan area and the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Station Newport</span> US Navy base in Rhode Island

The Naval Station Newport is a United States Navy base located in the city of Newport and the town of Middletown, Rhode Island. Naval Station Newport is home to the Naval War College and the Naval Justice School. It once was the homeport for Cruiser Destroyer Force Atlantic (COMCRUDESLANT), which relocated to Naval Station Norfolk in the early 1970s. In 1989 the base was added to the National Priorities List, after contamination had been discovered years earlier. Newport now maintains inactive ships at its pier facilities, along with the United States Coast Guard. In BRAC 2005, NAVSTA Newport gained over five hundred billets, in addition to receiving, again, the Officer Candidate School (OCS), the Naval Supply Corps School, and several other activities, to include a few Army Reserve units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Base San Diego</span> US Navy facility in California

Naval Base San Diego, also known as 32nd Street Naval Station, is the second largest surface ship base of the United States Navy and is located in San Diego, California. Naval Base San Diego is the principal homeport of the Pacific Fleet, consisting of over 50 ships and over 150 tenant commands. The base is composed of 13 piers stretched over 1,600 acres (650 ha) of land and 326 acres (132 ha) of water. The total on base population is over 24,000 military personnel and over 10,000 civilians.

USCGC <i>Bertholf</i>

USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750) is the first Legend-class maritime security cutter of the United States Coast Guard. She is named for Commodore Ellsworth P. Bertholf, fourth commandant of both the Revenue Cutter Service and Coast Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Port of Embarkation</span> Former United States Army command

The San Francisco Port of Embarkation (SFPOE) was a United States Army command responsible for movement of supplies and troops to and from the Pacific during World War II with extensive facilities in the San Francisco area. SFPOE was established 6 May 1932 and disestablished 1 October 1955. It was originally composed of the long term Pacific terminal at Fort Mason that had been the home port and terminal for the Pacific Army Transport Service ships. That facility was far too limited to serve the requirements of a full port of embarkation. In 1940 the port began expansion to include Army owned and leased facilities throughout the San Francisco Bay area and for a time sub ports at Seattle and Los Angeles. Those eventually became separate commands as the Seattle Port of Embarkation and Los Angeles Port of Embarkation.

The history of the United States Coast Guard goes back to the United States Revenue Cutter Service, which was founded on 4 August 1790 as part of the Department of the Treasury. The Revenue Cutter Service and the United States Life-Saving Service were merged to become the Coast Guard per 14 U.S.C. § 1 which states: "The Coast Guard as established January 28, 1915, shall be a military service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times." In 1939, the United States Lighthouse Service was merged into the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard itself was moved to the Department of Transportation in 1967, and on 1 March 2003 it became part of the Department of Homeland Security. However, under 14 U.S.C. § 3 as amended by section 211 of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006, upon the declaration of war and when Congress so directs in the declaration, or when the President directs, the Coast Guard operates as a service in the Department of the Navy.

USCGC <i>John Midgett</i> U.S. Coast Guard cutter

USCGC John Midgett (WHEC-726), previously USCGC Midgett (WHEC-726), was the twelfth and latest of the United States Coast Guard's fleet of 378 ft (115 m) high endurance cutters. With her crew of 24 officers and 160 enlisted men and women, she was homeported in Seattle, Washington under the operational and administrative control of Commander, Pacific Area (COMPACAREA). Prior to Fleet Renovation and Maintenance (FRAM), the Midgett's homeport was Alameda, California.

USCGC <i>Waesche</i>

USCGC Waesche (WMSL-751) is the second Legend-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard.

USS <i>Biscayne</i> Tender of the United States Navy

USS Biscayne (AVP-11), later AGC-18, was a United States Navy Barnegat-class seaplane tender in commission as a seaplane tender from 1941 to 1943 and as an amphibious force flagship from 1943 to 1946. She saw service during World War II. Transferred to the United States Coast Guard after the war, she was in commission as the Coast Guard cutter USCGC Dexter (WAGC-385), later WAVP-385 and WHEC-385, from 1946 to 1952 and from 1958 to 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Integrated Support Command Alameda</span> US Coast Guard base in Alameda, California

Integrated Support Command Alameda is a large operating base of the United States Coast Guard, located on Coast Guard Island in Alameda, California Now known as Base Alameda

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles D. Wurster</span>

Charles D. Wurster is a retired vice admiral in the United States Coast Guard who last served as the Commander, Pacific Area and Commander, Defense Force West. He is now retired from the Coast Guard, is the President/CEO of the Port of San Diego, and serves as national commodore of the Sea Scouting division of the BSA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronald J. Rabago</span>

Ronald James Rábago is a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral who in 2006 became the first person of Hispanic American descent to be promoted to flag rank in the United States Coast Guard. He retired as the assistant commandant for engineering and logistics and the United States Coast Guard's chief engineer in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charleston metropolitan area, South Carolina</span> Metropolitan statistical area in South Carolina, United States

The Charleston metropolitan area is an urban area centered around Charleston, South Carolina. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget designates the area as the Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan statistical area used for statistical purposes only by the United States Census Bureau and other federal agencies. The OMB defines the area as comprising Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties, an area with 799,636 residents in the 2020 census. Principal cities include Charleston, North Charleston, and Summerville. The area is commonly referred to as the Tri-County Area or the Lowcountry, though the latter term has historically referred to South Carolina's southern coast in general.

USS <i>Willoughby</i> (AGP-9) Tender of the United States Navy

The second USS Willoughby (AGP-9) was a motor torpedo boat tender that served in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946, seeing service in the later stages of World War II. Transferred to the United States Coast Guard in 1946, she was in commission as the cutter USCGC Gresham (WAVP-387), later WHEC-387 and WAGW-387, from 1947 to 1969 and from 1970 to 1973, seeing service in the Vietnam War during her Coast Guard career.

USCGC <i>Stratton</i> Legend-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard

USCGC Stratton (WMSL-752) is the third Legend-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard. It is the first "white hull" cutter named after a woman since the 1980s. Stratton is named for Coast Guard Captain Dorothy C. Stratton (1899–2006). Stratton served as director of the SPARS, the Coast Guard Women's Reserve during World War II.

USCGC <i>Hamilton</i> (WMSL-753)

USCGC Hamilton (WMSL-753) is the fourth Legend-class cutter, also known as the National Security Cutter (NSC), of the United States Coast Guard. She is the fifth cutter named after Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, who was the first United States Secretary of the Treasury and in that position requested the formation of the United States Coast Guard. The cutter's sponsor is Linda Kapral Papp, the wife of Coast Guard Commandant Robert J. Papp Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Base Charleston</span> US Armed Forces facility in South Carolina

Joint Base Charleston is a United States military facility located partly in the City of North Charleston, South Carolina and partly in the City of Goose Creek, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 628th Air Base Wing, Air Mobility Command (AMC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Support Activity Charleston</span> Base of the United States Navy

Naval Support Activity Charleston, originally designated Naval Weapons Station Charleston, is a base of the United States Navy located on the west bank of the Cooper River, in the cities of Goose Creek and Hanahan South Carolina. The base encompasses more than 17,000 acres (69 km²) of land with 10,000 acres (40 km²) of forest and wetlands, 16-plus miles of waterfront, four deep-water piers, 38.2 miles (61.5 km) of railroad and 292 miles (470 km) of road. The current workforce numbers more than 11,000 with an additional 3,600 people in on-base family housing.

USCGC <i>James</i> Legend-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard.

USCGC James (WMSL-754) is the fifth Legend-class cutter of the United States Coast Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Coast Guard order of battle</span>

The following January 2019 order of battle is for the United States Coast Guard.

References