Marines Moving to Yorktown This Summer

By Desiree Parker Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Marine Corps announced Tuesday that it will consolidate its Security Force Regiment to Naval Weapons Station Yorktown this summer, adding about 800 military and civilian personnel to the area.

The Security Force Regiment Headquarters and two Fleet Anti-Terrorism Teams (FAST) Companies will relocate from Camp Allen, Norfolk, and Naval Station Norfolk in June and join the 2nd FAST Company already at Yorktown. The groups provide anti-terrorism and force protection platoons to protect Naval assets around the world.

The decision was made “in order to provide a consolidated security force training and operations complex within the mid-Atlantic region and improve mission training capabilities and operational readiness to meet current and future mission requirements,” according to Tuesday’s press release from the Marines.

“America’s First District is home to so many Marines, and we are pleased to welcome this addition of approximately 800 Marines, Sailors, and civilians, and effective consolidation of critical training here in Yorktown,” said Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1). “As I have worked with the Marines on this issue in the past months, Yorktown has consistently stood as a great venue, providing the resources they needed for consolidation.”

The Marines chose Yorktown out of three preferred locations, which also included Naval Support Activity Northwest Annex in Chesapeake and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina.

“York County is very pleased the Marines have chosen to locate the battalion at the Yorktown Naval Weapons Station,” said County Administrator James McReynolds on Tuesday. “We believe it will have a positive impact on the county’s economy, as well as the region’s. It is our understanding they will be constructing support facilities needed on the base.”

The move will begin in June with 150 Marines moving into temporary facilities at Cheatham Annex in Williamsburg. A total of 825 Marines, sailors, and civilians may be reassigned to Yorktown.

The impact on York County schools is not yet known, but schools spokesperson Betsy Overkamp-Smith said they’ve heard most housing on the base is already occupied. If Marines choose to move their families close to the base, the schools most likely to see enrollment increases would be Yorktown Elementary School, Yorktown Middle School, York High School, Magruder Elementary School, Queens Lake Middle School and Bruton High School, she said.

“The York County School Division is excited about the relocation of the United States Marine Corps Security Force Regiment to the Naval Weapons Station, and we look forward to working closely with the Marines and their families,” said Carl James, chief operations officer for the school division.

The school division already receives impact aid from the Department of Defense because of its high population of military children. At a school board meeting on Monday, Chief Financial Officer Dennis Jarrett indicated the division might have to make budget cuts because 200 fewer children were enrolled this year than expected; the incoming Marine families could have some impact on that.

The weapons station will compete for military construction funding in fiscal year 2013 in the hopes of constructing several new facilities.

The first phase of construction to be completed by 2015 would include the creation of a regimental headquarters, bachelor enlisted quarters, supply and motor transport facilities and an armory. Phase two would include facilities for Alpha FAST and associated base support, with completion set for 2016, and phase three would create facilities for Charlie FAST and associated base support, to be completed the following year.

Naval Weapons Station Yorktown is the Navy’s premier ordnance handling facility on the Eastern Seaboard. Their mission is to provide installation management services for the 38 tenant commands as well as ships conducting ordnance operations.