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Commander Navy Southwest formerly known as Naval Base San Diego, and the Eleventh Naval District, was established in 1919. Headquarters for the first Commander, with a staff of seven officers, was located at Naval Station North Island. The Naval presnce in San Diego was first established on 20 January 1920 as the San Diego Operating Base with its headquarters on the Naval Air Base at North Island. The new command was a unit of 12th Naval District headquartered in San Francisco. The facilities in the area were the Navy Public Works Department, the temporary hospital at North Island, the Coaling Station and Radio Station in Point Loma, and the Chollas Radio Station. The Operating Base became the Eleventh Naval District in April of 1921. In 1922, when Naval Supply Center buildings at the foot of Broadway Street on Harbor Drive were completed, the Naval Base Headquarters moved to its present site. Its offices were located in downtown San Diego near Broadway Pier. This command controlled all of the shore-based facilities in Southern California, Arizona, as well as a part of Nevada.

With the outbreak of World War II, San Diego's naval establishment played an important role in coordinating the supply provisioning to the war fronts in the Pacific. Naval bases and stations throughout the region were expanded to provide maximum support to combatant forces of the fleet. With Korea, Vietnam and "cold war" commitments, fleet support activities under Commander Naval Base San Diego remained at a very high level.

In 1998, the Navy embarked on a new era in shore management, with San Diego leading the way. As the Navy reduced its operational forces, it became essential for the shore establishment supporting those forces to be realigned. In 1999 the command was officially renamed Commander Navy Region Southwest.

Commander Navy Region, Southwest (CNRSW) in metropolitan San Diego, is the largest military base in the world. As a result of the Navy's regionalization initiative, CNRSW encompasses the former NAS North Island, Naval Station San Diego, Submarine Base San Diego, Fleet Combat Training Center, Fleet Antisubmarine Training Center, Fleet Industrial Supply Center and all of their associated tenant commands. CNRSW is organized into three naval complexes: Coronado, Mainside, and Point Loma. Occupying 178,014 acres, CNRSW employs some 67,000 military and 22,000 civilian personnel. CNRSW is homeport to 51 Pacific Fleet ships, including three aircraft carriers. CNRSW is dedicated to our mission: "To Support The Fleet."

In October 1999, CNRSW expanded its role so it provides environmental operations to non-metropolitan activities at NAS Lemoore, NAS Fallon, NAF El Centro, Naval Base Ventura County, and Seal Beach Weapons Station with financial and policy services

As the Naval shore installation management headquarters for the Southwest region (California, Arizona and Nevada), Navy Region Southwest provides coordination of base operating support functions for operating forces throughout the region. This includes providing expertise in areas such as housing, environmental, security, family services, port services, air services, bachelor quarters, supply, medical and logistical concerns for the hundreds of thousands of active duty, reserve and retired military members in the area. The command also serves as the regional coordinator for the Commander in 

Chief, U. S. Pacific Fleet, headquartered in Hawaii, coordinating support for bases in Southern California and Nevada.

The bases that fall under this region are: Naval Station San Diego; Naval Base Point Loma (former SUBASE San Diego); Naval Base Coronado; Naval Air Facility El Centro; Naval Air Station Lemoore; Naval Base Ventura County; Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach including detachments at Fallbrook and Concord; and Naval Air Station, Fallon, NV.

The Commander also serves as regional environmental coordinator for California, Arizona and Nevada and coordinates and oversees environmental compliance actions with local, state and federal regulatory agencies. Additionally, COMNAVREGSW is responsible for planning and coordinating Department of the Navy response to civil emergencies within the states of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and California.

The Navy in the Southwest region is establishing a regional organization dedicated to providing the highest level of mission support and quality of life services for all operating forces and ashore support activities in the region. By regionalizing services, the Navy can substantially reduce the cost of these services while continuing to meet the Fleet's demand for them. The Navy is looking to the private business sector for ways to provide this support. This means taking advantage of the latest innovations and adapting new technologies and business practices to get the job done. relocate the Navy Reserve Command to Naval Support Activity Norfolk, VA, except for the

In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, DoD recommended to close Naval Support Activity New Orleans, LA. As a result, it recommended to consolidate the Navy Reserve Command's installation management function with Navy Region Southwest at Naval Station San Diego, CA and two other installations. The consolidation of the Navy Reserve Command installation management functions with other Navy Regional organizations would be part of the Department of the Navy efforts to streamline regional management structure and to institute consistent business practices.