Naval Station Newport's mission is to support the diverse training requirements and facilitate the success of its tenant commands by providing the environment, facilities and infrastructure essential to achieving optimal performance and mission outcomes.
The NAVSTA Newport community is comprised of a diverse population of U.S. and foreign nation military members, Department of Defense civilian employees and DoD contractors, military family members and military retirees. This creates a population of more than 10,000 people who live, work, study, train and enjoy the many aspects of life at this historic Navy installation.
The Navy’s economic impact in Rhode Island is significant. For many years, it was the state’s largest single employer in terms of personnel and payroll, and is still the largest single employer in Newport County and third overall in the state.
Installation employees work at and support the many commands located at NAVSTA Newport, which includes a large number of formal schools and training commands dedicated to preparing military enlisted members and officers for their future assignments in the armed forces of the United States.
The oldest and most prestigious NAVSTA Newport educational institution is the U.S. Naval War College, which was established on Oct. 6, 1884 and is the oldest such institution in continuous existence anywhere in the world. The college is organized to pursue and integrate both academic and research endeavors. Each year, outstanding mid-level career officers of the Navy, other U.S. military services, civilian federal agencies and international naval officers come to NWC to complete a rigorous 10-month course of postgraduate studies following in the footsteps of such notable War College graduates as Fleet Adms. Chester W. Nimitz, Ernest J. King and William “Bull” Halsey; Adm. Raymond Spruance; Ambassador Christopher R. Hill, assistant secretary of state for East Asian Affairs; Gen. Michael Hagee, former commandant, U.S. Marine Corps; Rear Adm. Alan B. Shepard, first American in space; Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, former chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Adm. James G. Stavridis, former commander, U.S. Southern Command. More than half the graduates of the college’s senior international course, the Naval Command College, have gone on to become flag or general officers, with many being chosen to head their respective services. The college’s Center for Naval Warfare Studies leads the Navy in its maritime strategic thought. The Center’s War Gaming facility conducts some 60 major war games annually in support of the college’s research efforts, as well as fleet and Department of Defense requirements.
Officer Training Command Newport (OTCN) is the largest officer accessions point in the Navy, with the mission of preparing several categories of officers and officer candidates for naval service through initial and enduring professional development needed to lead as officers in the fleet. Annually, OTCN trains approximately 1,500 students/candidates and is the largest officer’s accession training command in the U.S. military. The command currently hosts four separate officer accession and indoctrination programs including Officer Candidate School, Officer Development School, Limited Duty/Warrant Officer/Chief Warrant Officer (LDO/WO/CWO) Program and Naval Science Institute (NSI).
Surface Warfare Schools Command (SWSC) has one of its 12 geographically dispersed locations at NAVSTA Newport. Surface Warfare Officers School Command (SWOS or SWOSCOLCOM) located here trains surface warfare officers to serve on surface combatants as officers, enlisted engineers, and enlisted navigation professionals in order to fulfill the Navy's mission to maintain global maritime superiority.
Naval Justice School (NJS) opened in Newport in 1950. The NJS provides accession-level and long-term legal training for all Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard lawyers, enlisted legal professionals, active and reserve. In addition, NJS provides training for civilian personnel, sea service commanders, legal officers, senior enlisted and others in the administration of military law., which trains personnel of the Defense Department in military law and related matters.
Naval Chaplaincy School located here trains Navy chaplains (1945, 4105, 4100) and religious program specialists (RP) to fulfill a critical role in helping the Department of the Navy achieve and maintain a ready force. Its mission is to to train, develop, and inspire chaplains and religious program specialists to pursue excellence as they strengthen the soul of the warfighter, the family, and the fleet.
The Naval Academy Preparatory School is the Navy's fourth oldest school; only the Naval Academy, Naval War College, and Naval Post Graduate School are older. The mission of the Naval Academy Preparatory School is to enhance midshipman candidates' moral, mental, and physical foundations to prepare them for success at the U.S. Naval Academy.
The U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy (SEA) is a six-week leadership development program for active and reserve E-8 and E-9 personnel serving in the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, Army, National Guard, as well as our international service partners. The SEA focuses on management, leadership, national security, and physical fitness. The SEA is the Navy's only professional military education (PME) institution dedicated to senior enlisted personnel and its charter is to develop agile, adaptive military professionals who inspire their teams to perform at higher levels.
The Marine Corps mission aboard Naval Station Newport has changed many times since 1894, when the Marines first established a permanent tenant command in Newport. Today, Marine Corps Detachment has the primary mission of training Marine Aviation Supply officers and Marine Aviation Logistics Tactical Information System (ALTIS) specialists while providing administrative and logistics support to more than 200 Marine instructors and students attached to naval training commands in the region.
These are just a sampling of the many units and missions supported at NAVSTA Newport. There is so much more to learn and know about the installation. We hope you will continue to explore the many other valued and important commands and activities at NAVSTA Newport during your visit or assignment here.