Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Military Installation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
NAS Whiting Field highlights 2025 operations, new facilities and award
Summary
Captain Elkins told the Santa Rosa County commission that NAS Whiting Field completed nearly 1,200,000 flight operations in 2025, outlined construction projects including a new air-traffic-control tower and simulator facility, and said the installation won a 2026 Installation Excellence Award in the small-base category.
NAS Whiting Field briefed the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners on facility operations and construction projects on Jan. 8, with the installation’s captain describing a busy training year and new infrastructure coming online.
"In calendar year 2025, we completed nearly 1,200,000 flight operations at our aviation complex," Captain Elkins said, placing Whiting Field among the world’s busiest training installations and noting the base trains a large share of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard pilots. He added that the base now handles 60% of primary flight training and provides 100% of vertical/rotary-wing training for certain aircraft types.
The captain outlined several near-term construction projects: a new air-traffic-control tower slated for occupancy in April, a new simulator facility, and a consolidated Rotary Wing Operations Center to replace older buildings and consolidate squadron and maintenance spaces. He also noted the service transition from the long-serving TH-57 helicopter to the TH-73 and described local industrial partnerships—naming Leonardo and SpaceX as firms that have connections to work done in the region.
Elkins said Whiting Field was selected as the 2026 Installation Excellence award winner in the small-base category and will compete for a broader Commander in Chief Excellence Award. "We were the small base category winner," he said, and credited community partnerships and military‑civil collaboration for the recognition.
Commissioners thanked the installation and asked whether county projects such as a discussed land swap would affect the base mission. Captain Elkins replied that any county actions would be evaluated with mission protection in mind and said past land swaps had produced improved training sites, asserting the county–base collaboration ‘‘guarantee[s] our mission well into the future.’’
The briefing closes with the base preparing to occupy the new tower in April and continuing construction on simulator and training facilities. Commissioners applauded the award and said they value the base’s economic and workforce ties to Santa Rosa County.
