Saufley Field

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Saufley Field is an active U.S. Navy facility and former Naval Air Station that is located 10 miles (16 km) north of NAS Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida. The base opened in August 1940 and is named after LTJG Richard C. Saufley, USN, Naval Aviator #14. It was commissioned in 1943 as a Naval Auxiliary Air Station and was redesignated a Naval Air Station in 1968. Saufley Field's historical role was initial training of student naval aviators. It continued in this mission through 1976, when it was home to Training Squadron ONE (VT-1) and Training Squadron FIVE (VT-5), flying the T-34B Mentor and T-28 Trojan. With the introduction of the T-34C Turbomentor version of the T-34 Mentor in 1976, VT-1 and VT-5 were disestablished, Saufley Field's control tower was closed and its status as an active Naval Air Station was changed to that of a Navy Outlying Field (NOLF) supporting NAS Pensacola and NAS Whiting Field.

In 1979, Saufley Field was reactivated as Naval Education and Training Program Development Center (NAVEDTRAPRODEVCEN) following that activity's relocation from the nearby NETPDC Ellyson Field (formerly NAS Ellyson Field), Florida. With NETPDC's relocation, Saufley Field concurrently maintained its NOLF status. In 1996, Saufley Field became home to the Naval Education and Training Professional Development and Technology Center (NETPDTC), a major shore command. As the host command for Saufley Field, NETPDTC supports 10 major DoD and Navy tenant commandss and has a total base population in excess of 1,000.

Tenant commands at Saufley Field include the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) and Navy Operational Support Center Pensacola, the latter which supports several colocated Navy Reserve surface and support units, as well as providing Reserve-specific administrative support for Reserve Component Naval Aviator flight instructors, Naval Flight Officer flight instructors and other Selected Reserve and Full-Time Support Reserve Component personnel physically assigned to Training Air Wing FIVE at NAS Whiting Field and Training Air Wing SIX at NAS Pensacola. [1]

Saufley Field currently operates two active runways in support of Naval Aviator and Naval Flight Officer training by Training Air Wings FIVE and SIX using T-6A, T-34C and TH-57 aircraft. The installation also has in excess of 34,425 square feet (3,198.2 m²) of hangar space which can support these same aircraft. [2].

In 1988, Federal Prison Camp Pensacola was established at Saufley Field to provide inmate manpower to various components of the Pensacola Naval Complex. The agreement between the Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Navy is similar to existing ones with the U.S. Air Force in the establishment of minimum security Federal Prison Camps at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Saufley Field's prison camp has a fluctuating population, but can house up to 600 inmates, with over half always dedicated to provide manpower to the Navy. Inmate labor is primarily used statutorily for ground maintenance and for other Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs. The prison camp has a staff of about 85 personnel. [3]

In September 2004, the Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agencydesignated Saufley Field as a temporary Logistical Staging Area (LSA) for Federal, State and non-governmental agencies in response to Hurricane Ivan, considered one of the worst storms ever to hit the United States until that point. [4]