[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17831-17832]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               RECOGNITION OF NAVAL WEAPONS STATION EARLE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 17, 2010

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Naval Weapons 
Station Earle (NWS Earle) based in Colts Neck, New Jersey as they 
celebrate the 235th Anniversary of the United States Navy. NWS Earle 
covers 10,160 acres and promotes a long-standing history of aiding the 
country in combat. I applaud the work, achievements, and dedication NWS 
Earle has provided the U.S. Navy, local community, and State of New 
Jersey.
  Long before the beginning of the Second World War, officers in both 
the Army and Navy saw the need to establish a base for loading 
explosive ammunition. NWS Earle is strategically located in the Port of 
New York, a focal point for all important rail lines throughout the 
country. Thus, construction for the Naval Ammunition Depot Earle--named 
in honor of Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, Chief of the Bureau of Ordnance 
during the First World War, began on August 2, 1943. Naval Ammunition 
Depot Earle was later commissioned on December 13, 1943. The south side 
of Sandy Hook Bay in the Leonardo section of Middletown was 
strategically chosen for the new Naval Ammunition Depot Earle, quickly 
becoming the focal point for ordinance shipping, loading the majority 
of ammunition used by the allies for the invasion of Normandy. In 1974, 
Earle's name was officially changed to Naval Weapons Station Earle.
  NWS Earle has tirelessly provided the U.S. Navy with a safe location 
to house their materials and equipment. Today, the primary mission of 
the Naval Weapons Station Earle remains the receipt, storage, 
segregation and issuance of ordinance for all Carrier and Expeditionary 
Strike Groups of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, which includes the Navy, 
Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Department of Defense conventional 
ammunition requirements. Naval Weapons Station Earle currently houses a 
combined workforce of over 1,600 civilian, military and contractor 
personnel. They are home to over 20 tenant units where they also 
support over 250 military personnel and dependents in their housing. It 
is the hard work of the people employed at NWS Earle that make it 
possible for the station to run smoothly and efficiently. Most 
recently, Naval Weapons Station Earle has provided its assistance as 
the Department of Defense transshipment site for ordnance used in 
Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
  NWS Earle and staff have tirelessly devoted their time to the 
community, epitomizing what it means to give back in time of need to 
protect our country. Madam Speaker, please join me in leading this body 
in acknowledgement of the extraordinary contributions of NWS Earle. The 
station is a valued component of

[[Page 17832]]

the State of New Jersey, and I am honored to recognize them today.

                          ____________________