Contact Information
Although it is run by the United States Navy, Naval Air Station Whiting Field is known among multiple armed forces of the United States of America for providing training sessions. The Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard also benefit from the facilities and the training courses on site. The installation was established in Santa Rosa County, in the immediate proximity of Milton, Florida. There are just two training bases for professional pilots the United States Navy can rely on and this is one of them. The other one is located in Texas – Corpus Christi. Aside from the American armed forces training on site, the base is open to international students and pilots coming from the allied countries too.
The facility actually consists of two military airfields that are closed to civilian usage. The connection is in the support center, which is common. The facility is named in the memory of Kenneth Whiting. Kenneth Whiting was among the most professional experts in the military field. He was first a submarine commander and dealt with some of the most advanced units, then he became a professional pilot. He conducted multiple operations during World War I and retired before World War II, in 1940.
Mission
NAS Whiting Field is a training site. Therefore, its primary objective is to create some of the finest pilots in the country. Its mission supports all the armed forces relying on it. The facilities on site are also among the objectives, since people always do a better job when they are treated accordingly. In an attempt to make the deployed troops feel like home, the officials provide some of the finest and most advanced facilities. The same rule applies for their families and other civilian workers or contractors.
History
NAS Whiting Field was a wide field of grass and weeds before 1943, when the base was commissioned. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on July, 16-th. There were 1,500 individuals attending the ceremony. One of them was the widow of Kenneth Whiting, for whom this facility was called. These days, it is the backbone of most programs held by the United States Navy. Meanwhile, the activities on site varied from one “age” to another.
Since it was established during World War II, it played a forced role throughout the war. Its most important objective was to hold the prisoners of war. Most of them were German. A few years later, it became the home of the popular Blue Angels. The Blue Angels come as a team of professional pilots performing air shows every once in a while, in different parts of the country. Another significant success was the deployment of the first jet training group in the US Navy. The Navy picked NAS Whiting Field for its advanced facilities and operations.
These days, NAS Whiting Field is changing its aircrafts. It is losing the T 34 models and aims to get T 6B fresh aircrafts only. The transition is almost complete. Other that that, the base is the busiest installation in the world. It supports more than 1.5 million flights on a yearly basis, which means almost 3 flights a minute. It also trains and perfects more than 1,200 students.
