PROUD PARTNERS
In Portsmouth, our extraordinary military community and connections have always played a big role in shaping our city and the flow of our daily lives. This proud partnership stretches all the way back to colonial days.
The U.S. Military Gives Portsmouth a Commanding Presence
Here are the four main military commands in Portsmouth today, along with a few of the many reasons we’re so glad they call Portsmouth home base.
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
Established in 1830, this is the Navy’s oldest and longest continually operating hospital. Its long history of outstanding service to the fleet – through nearly two centuries of disease outbreaks, wars and everyday life – added another “first” in 2023 with its designation as the first U.S. Navy-led level-II trauma center.
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Originally established as Gosport Shipyard in 1767, this is the U.S. Navy’s largest and oldest shipyard. It provides repair and modernization services for every type of Navy ship, from submarines to supercarriers, though its main focus is now nuclear ships and support ships. With its long, colorful history and unmatched importance and service to our country, it has earned its “America’s Shipyard” nickname many times over.
Coast Guard, Atlantic Area & 5th District
The jurisdiction for this command includes 156,000 square miles of ocean, bays, rivers, wetlands and tidal marshes throughout the mid-Atlantic. In addition to their mission promoting risk reduction and prevention, they also stand ready to respond to any maritime incident or emergency.
U.S. Coast Guard Base Portsmouth
Known as “Base Portsmouth,” this facility began in 1870 as a U.S. Lighthouse Service depot providing navigation aids in Hampton Roads waters. In 1939 it expanded to become the only shore-based facility designed by the Coast Guard, for the exclusive use of the Coast Guard. Its scope and importance have continued growing by leaps and bounds ever since.
