HISTORY

The history of Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southwest (NAVFAC Southwest), has changed dramatically over the years to meet the needs of the Navy and Marine Corps we have been tasked to support.

     The first organization, known as a District organization, was established on October 27, 1917 when CDR Leonard M. Cox, Civil Engineer Corps, U.S. Navy (CEC, USN), was ordered to duty as Public Works Officer on the staff of the Commandant, 12th Naval District, whose headquarters were in San Francisco. The geographical area was tremendous but contained only a few naval establishments.

      When CDR Norman M. Smith, CEC, USN, reported as Public Works Officer in November 1918, the Public Works personnel were all military. CDR Smith, with the assistance of Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NavFac), recruited and selected the best qualified civilians that could be found. The entire original staff consisted of 10 civilians. This force was augmented from time to time as the workload increased, until on June 30, 1941 (just prior to World War II), the total complement was 14 officers, 65 professional and technical personnel, and 45 administrative and clerical personnel.

     The Eleventh Naval District, with Headquarters at San Diego, was established on January 31, 1921. At that time the Public Works Department, Eleventh Naval District, was established, with the District Public Works Officer serving on the District staff as an advisor for NavFac matters concerning the design, construction, maintenance, repair, and upkeep of all stations in the District.

     The Public Works Office was first located at 6th and "E" Streets and was moved later that year to a building at the corner of Rosecrans and Lytton, Point Loma. In May 1922, it was moved to the Naval Supply Center (formerly Naval Supply Depot).

     Increased operations and responsibilities introduced by World War II necessitated that activities located in the Naval Supply Depot obtain additional space. City-owned reclaimed tideland was obtained on a long-term lease at no cost to the government at a location in close proximity to District Headquarters with support utilities closely accessible. Present facilities were constructed and the District Public Works Office moved to 1220 Pacific Highway on April 14, 1945.

     At the end of the war, the total value of land and improvements in the Eleventh Naval District had increased to $420,979,000. The District Public Works Officer was responsible for the design and construction of many additional facilities at existing activities as well as a large number of new activities. An additional 30 Navy housing projects increased housing units from 1,300 to 9,600 units.

     As the command changed from an active wartime unit to a peacetime unit, a reduction in officer and civilian personnel took place.

     During 1947, the officer complement was reduced first to 10, then to 6. By 1950, the total number of civilian employees had been reduced to less than 600.

     In 1951, all per diem personnel were transferred to the Naval Station except the housing maintenance crew and the chauffeur pool. Subsequently, cognizance of housing maintenance was assigned to the Naval Station and the chauffeur pool was absorbed in 1956 by the newly established Public Works Transportation Center. Graded ceiling continued to decline to a low of 254 until the Korean crisis, when the ceiling took an about face and rose to 634 in December 1952.

Past Commanding Officers – prior & up to 2005

Public Works Officer, 12th Naval District, South of San Francisco Bay
Cdr Leonard M. Cox, CEC, USN                                                Oct 26,1917 - Nov 14,1918
Cdr Norman M. Smith, CEC, USN                                             Nov 14,1918 - Jan 31,1921

Deputy Public Works Officer, 11th Naval District
Cdr Norman M. Smith, CEC, USN                                              Jan 31,1921 - Aug 21,1923
Cdr DeWitt C. Webb, CEC, USN                                                Aug 21,1923 - Sep 11,1926
Capt George A. McKay, CEC, USN                                             Oct 18,1926 - Jul 24,1930
Capt DeWitt C. Webb, CEC, USN                                               Jul 24,1930 - Sep 8,1934
Capt George A. McKay, CEC, USN                                             Sep 17,1934 - Oct 1,1937
Cdr James T. Mathews, CEC, USN                                             Oct 1,1937 - Jan 12,1942
Capt Henry F. Bruns, CEC, USN                                                 Jan 12,1942 - Apr 15,1942
Cdr Harold W. Johnson, CEC, USN                                            Apr 15,1942 - Nov 6,1942
Capt Alden K. Fogg, CEC, USN                                                  Nov 6,1942 - Jan 22,1948
Capt Roy W. Fowler, CEC, USN                                                 Jan 22,1948 - Mar 1,1948
Capt Charles R. Johnson, CEC, USN                                         Mar 1,1948 - Mar 15,1951
Capt Arthur I. Flaherty, CEC, USN                                            Feb 23,1951 - Dec 3,1953
Capt Kenneth A. Godwin, CEC, USN                                         Nov 23,1953 - Sep 7,1956
Capt Archibald D. Hunter, CEC, USN                                        Sep 7,1956 - Mar 31,1959
Capt Joseph A. McHenry, CEC, USN                                          Mar 31,1959 - Jan 23,1961
RAdm James R. Davis, CEC, USN                                              Jan 23,1961 - Apr 6,1961

Director, Southwest Division, BuDocks
RAdm James R. Davis, CEC,USN                                               Apr 6,1961 - Jul 19,1963
RAdm Lewis C. Coxe, CEC, USN                                                Jul 19,1963 - May 1,1966

Commander, Southwest Division, NavFacEngCom
RAdm Lewis C. Coxe, CEC, USN                                                 May 1,1966 - Dec 29,1966
Capt George E. Fischer, CEC, USN                                             Dec 29,1966 - Jan 25,1967
RAdm Robert R. Wooding, CEC, USN                                         Jan 25,1967 - May 12,1970
Capt Perry M. Boothe, CEC, USN                                               May 12,1970 - Jun 30,1970

Resident Officer in Charge of Construction, San Diego
Capt Malcolm T. Mooney, CEC, USN                                            Jun 30,1970 - Feb 25,1973
Capt Benjamin L. Saravia, CEC, USN                                           Feb 25,1973 - Jul 14,1974
Cdr Allen P. Boothe, CEC, USN                                                    Jul 14,1974 - Oct 28,1976
Capt James E. Bodamer, CEC, USN                                              Oct 28,1976 - Jul 28,1979
Capt Donald C. Crumbley, CEC, USN                                           Jul 28,1979 - Jun 15,1983
Capt Patrick W. Drennon, CEC, USN                                           Jun 15,1983 - Jun 30,1984
Capt William F. Frazier, CEC,                                                      Jun 30,1984 - Aug 15,1986
USN Capt James W. Owens, CEC, USN                                        Aug 15,1986 - Aug 17,1987

Officer in Charge of Construction, Southwest
Capt William J.O'Donnell, CEC, USN                                            Aug 17,1987 - Sep 29,1988
Capt Francis D. Schlesinger, CEC, USN                                        Sep 29,1988 - Dec 24,1988

Commanding Officer, Engineering Field Activity, Southwest
Capt Francis D. Schlesinger, CEC, USN                                        Dec 14,1988 - Sep 29,1989

Commanding Officer, Southwest Division, NavFacEngCom
Capt Francis D. Schlesinger, CEC, USN                                         Sept 29,1989 - Jun 28,1990
Capt Thomas C. Crane, CEC, USN                                                 Jun 18,1990 - Jun 15,1993
Capt Thomas E. Gunn, CEC, USN                                                   Jun 15,1993 - Aug 16,1995

Commander, Southwest Division, NavFacEngCom
Capt Michael R. Johnson, CEC, USN                                              Aug 16,1995 - Oct 29,1997
Capt Thomas M. Boothe, CEC, USN                                               Oct 29,1997 - Oct 29,1999
Capt Robert L. Phillips, CEC, USN                                                 Oct 29,1999 - Sep 18,2000
Capt Gary A. Engle, CEC, USN                                                       Sept 18,2000 - Aug 2,2002
Capt Christopher Schanze, CEC, USN                                           Aug 2, 2002 - Jul 22,2004
Capt Daniel P. King, CEC, USN                                                       Jul 22, 2004 - Aug 2,2005

Commanding Officer, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southwest
Capt Daniel P. King, CEC, USN                                                        Aug 2, 2005 - Jun 23, 2006
Capt Michael A. Giorgione, CEC, USN                                             Jun 23, 2006 - Jun 2, 2007
Capt Steven M. Wirsching, CEC, USN                                             Jun 2, 2007 - Aug 7, 2009
Capt S. Keith Hamilton, CEC, USN                                                 Aug 7, 2009 - Jul 22, 2011
Capt Cliff Maurer, CEC, USN                                                          Jul 22, 2011 - Sep 20, 2013
Capt Darius Banaji, CEC, USN                                                        Sep 20, 2013 - Aug 27, 2015
Capt John Adametz, CEC, USN                                                       Aug 27, 2015 - Sep 6, 2017
Capt Mark Edelson, CEC, USN                                                        Sep 6, 2017 - Aug 30, 2019
Capt Michael Oestereicher, CEC, USN                                           Aug 30, 2019 - Jul 29, 2022
Capt Laurie Scott, CEC, USN                                                          Jul 29, 2022 - Present