Seal Beach Naval Base Named Best in the World

Best known for its long wooden pier and Main Street charm, Seal Beach has a new claim to fame today: The Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station was named the navy’s best small base in the world.

Officially named the winner of the 2012 Navy Installation Excellence Award for Small Installations, the base beat out every other small base for its environmental stewardship, efficiency and personnel, said Gregg Smith,

“We were basically running against the best of the best. We were picked as the best small installation in the world,” Smith said. “This is the first time the base has ever been honored like this.”

The U.S. Navy evaluated its 30 to 40 small bases around the world, and determined that the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station is the best. Next, the Navy will compare the weapons station to its best large base, the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville Florida.

If Seal Beach beats Jacksonville, it will compete against the best stations in the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps for top honor as the best U.S. military base in the world.

“We have a pool of extraordinary individuals,” said Smith.

They are driven to exceed expectations on a daily basis, and they helped to increase the base’s efficiency by about 5 percent in terms of energy and water usage, cost and environmental sustainability, added Smith.

“Our world-class Sailors, civilians and contractors have led the way in making this command a model for others to emulate,” commanding officer Capt. Terry Auberry said in a written statement.

The base is expected to go up against the best the military has to offer in January.