NSA La Maddalena

NSA La Maddalena used to be a military base that was entirely run and operated by the United States of America. It was a co-base, which means it might have been operated by the USA, but it could not be done without the authorization of the Italian government. The Americans had to follow the current laws and regulations in Italy. The base used to be located in the southern part of Italy. It hosted a few submarines and not less than 1,300 military troops. If you count their families too, the population was way higher. Just like most of the bases established in Europe, this one had a standby role too over the past few decades. Of course, slight activities were performed every once in a while, especially with the latest invasions started by the United States of America.

Location

NSA La Maddalena was established close to Sardinia. It was an island, just like its larger neighbor. The connections with the rest of the Italy were possible by air or water only. La Maddalena is only the largest island in a more important archipelago with the same name. The archipelago consists of seven different islands. The island was not too popular during the ancient times since it had a huge population of rabbits that would destroy anything around them. A few centuries ago, things changed a little though. People got to understand its important location. It was a strategical site. The first to use its location were the pirates, which found it to be a great place to establish small headquarters and hide treasures. Around the 18-th century, there were not more than 400 inhabitants. Most of them were coming from Corsica. As time passed by, more and more different cultures benefited from its strategical location. Some of the most important names that used this island include Napoleon Bonaparte, Lord Nelson or Garibaldi. Today, there are more than 50 forts and remains. They turn the island into an excellent archaeological site, hence its attraction for a lot of tourists.

History

NAS La Maddalena has a recent history, although the first connections of the United States of America with this island date back to 1822. The American government asked for permission to take over the island only to protect its ships in the area, but it was refused by the Italians, as they were building a large base with the same purpose. The actual base was established in 1973 by the US Army. The purpose hasn’t changed throughout the past centuries. The Americans wanted this island only to protect their machines. In 1993, the base was renamed to NAS La Maddalena and was taken over by the US Navy.

The base lost its importance in the modern age. The Department of Defense decided it was no longer useful for its interests. Besides, its closure was supposed to save a lot of money. In 2006, it was chosen for closure. All the 1,300 workers were affected, while the machines and submarines hosted there were moved to other similar bases. The men working on site were deployed to more important places.