Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek–Fort Story

Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek–Fort Story
Name	Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek–Fort Story
Location	Virginia Beach, Virginia, Northeastern United States
Type	Naval Base / Army post
Controlled by	United States Navy, United States Army
Used	2009–present
Occupants	United States Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command

Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek–Fort Story Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek–Fort Story is a combined United States Navy and United States Army installation located in Virginia Beach, Virginia that consolidates the former Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek and Fort Story to support amphibious warfare, expeditionary operations, and joint force training. The base provides staging, logistics, and training areas for units assigned to commands including Naval Surface Forces Atlantic, Fleet Forces Command, United States Fleet Forces Command, Military Sealift Command, and tenant units from United States Marine Corps formations and other joint components. The installation sits at the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, and Currituck Sound, enabling access for amphibious assault ships, landing craft, and joint logistics platforms.

History

Little Creek traces origins to the establishment of Naval Landing Force Equipment Depot activities and pre-World War II United States Navy expansions near Norfolk Navy Yard and Hampton Roads to support amphibious doctrine influenced by leaders such as Admiral Ernest King and planners from Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. Fort Story originated as a coastal defense post with batteries constructed under the Endicott Period program and later modernized during World War II in response to threats exemplified by the Battle of the Atlantic. During the Cold War era the installation supported Atlantic Fleet readiness, Amphibious Ready Group deployments, and SEAL and Special Warfare training aligned with Naval Special Warfare Command. Post-Cold War realignments and the 2005 recommendations of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission precipitated administrative consolidation, and in 2009 the two sites were combined under a joint structure reflecting contemporary concepts from National Defense Strategy and interoperability directives from Joint Chiefs of Staff publications.

Geography and Climate

The installation occupies barrier spit, cape, and peninsular terrain adjacent to Cape Henry, Cape Charles Lighthouse historic navigation corridors, and the Intracoastal Waterway, with training waters that include shoals and tidal flats encountered in historic campaigns such as Normandy landings-era littoral operations. Its coastal location yields a humid subtropical climate influenced by the Gulf Stream, with seasonal weather patterns shaped by Atlantic hurricane tracks such as Hurricane Isabel and nor'easters that have impacted Hampton Roads. Proximity to transportation nodes including Interstate 264, U.S. Route 58, Norfolk International Airport, and the Port of Virginia facilitates strategic mobility for units destined for theaters associated with U.S. European Command and U.S. Central Command.

Facilities and Infrastructure

Facilities encompass piers and berthing for amphibious transport dock, dock landing ship, and amphibious assault ship classes, maintenance depots supporting landing craft air cushion and LCU platforms, assault ranges with beach access used by Marine Expeditionary Units and Amphibious Construction Battalions, and cantonment areas with family housing proximate to Virginia Beach Boardwalk amenities. Infrastructure supports expeditionary logistics hubs interoperable with Military Sealift Command surge prepositioning and includes small-arms ranges, a dive school area connected to Navy Diving and Salvage Training Center curricula, and vehicle marshaling yards compatible with High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle and M1 Abrams rail movements. Medical, administrative, and legal support align with standards from Navy Medicine and Judge Advocate General's Corps protocols.

Units and Operations

Tenant and assigned units include elements of Naval Beach Group, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group, Naval Construction Force (Seabees), Riverine Squadron, Coast Guard liaison detachments at times, and rotational Marine Corps units tied to II Marine Expeditionary Force and 6th Fleet taskings. The base facilitates embarkation for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief missions coordinated with United States Southern Command and United States Africa Command support operations, and supports predeployment workups for Carrier Strike Group-adjacent amphibious forces. Special operations units associated with Naval Special Warfare Command utilize the littoral and surf zones for insertion and recovery evolutions tied to joint task force objectives from Joint Special Operations Command mission sets.

Training and Exercises

Training activities feature combined arms amphibious exercises, live-fire events, dive and salvage training, and joint interoperability drills conducted in concert with allied navies such as elements of Royal Navy, Canadian Armed Forces, Spanish Navy, and NATO partners during exercises akin to Trident Juncture and Baltops. Annual and rotational events include amphibious assault rehearsals, humanitarian assistance tabletop exercises linked to U.S. Northern Command contingency plans, and small craft anti-swarm tactics that reference concepts explored in Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations doctrine. Training ranges interface with instrumentation from Naval Warfare Development Command and incorporate lessons from historic amphibious operations like Operation Torch and Battle of Iwo Jima.

Environmental and Community Relations

Environmental stewardship programs address dune and maritime forest conservation, coastal wetlands protection under regulations influenced by Clean Water Act-era practice and coordination with Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for species including sea turtles and migratory birds protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Community relations engage City of Virginia Beach officials, local business groups tied to Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, and educational partnerships with institutions such as Old Dominion University and Virginia Wesleyan University to support workforce development and veteran transition services coordinated with Department of Veterans Affairs. Emergency response cooperation includes memoranda with Virginia Department of Emergency Management and mutual aid with municipal first responders to mitigate impacts from storms and support regional resilience.

Category:Military installations in Virginia