Last modified 7/10/2008 - 10:35 pm
Originally created 071208
  

By DREW DIXON, Shorelines

MAYPORT - The reinstatement of a long-dormant fleet and a new commander of the Navy's Southern Command will mean a higher profile for Mayport Naval Station, two rear admirals said.

Rear Adm. Joseph Kernan will take over for Rear Adm. James Stevenson today as commander of the U.S. Naval Southern Command. Also, Kernan will reintroduce the U.S. Fourth Fleet, which has been dormant since the 1950s.

Mayport has had its challenges in recent years, most notably the 2007 decommissioning of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy and the 5,000 jobs lost when the aircraft carrier departed the basin to be mothballed in Philadelphia. But the high-level commands to be stationed at Mayport could help.

In anticipation of retiring at Mayport Naval Station, the 54-year-old Stevenson said the regional aspects of commands assigned to Mayport will help with the base's future.

"I think Mayport itself has benefited because of the refocusing of this command, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command. Especially now with the re-establishment of Fourth Fleet, I think this lends a lot more credibility and a little bit more prestige to this base," Stevenson said. "Hopefully, the people that do work in Mayport and are assigned in Mayport will consider working for this command in the future."

While people have debated about the future of Mayport Naval Station and if it will ever get another aircraft carrier, Stevenson said studies are under way to see where all ships should be homeported, which ultimately Congress will decide. But Mayport does have a high profile, he said.

"I think Mayport is a fabulous base. I think it's a base that could be much better utilized with any type of forces, whether it be a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, whether it be large amphibious ships or an amphibious-ready expeditionary strike group, Mayport could facilitate that," he said.

"If you look at Mayport with any increase in forces, you'd probably have to do some infrastructure improvements and that would be required, especially for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. When the decision's made, I think this is a perfect location for any of those types of forces," Stevenson said.

Kernan said reinstating the long-dormant Fourth Fleet is a positive sign for Mayport.

"In standing up the Fourth Fleet, it makes a statement about the relevance of the area that I'm responsible for," Kernan said.

"That status affords me the opportunity to come to the table and petition more for resources and petition for the things that I think are important for me to execute my operations in the southern area of operations.

"Just being at a fleet commander level, I expect to sit at the table with other fleet commanders," Kernan said.

Kernan said while the Southern and Fourth Fleet commands are largely administrative, the posts will bring attention to a base that lost a major aircraft carrier last year.

The Fourth Fleet is responsible for the Southern Command, which includes the Caribbean, Central America and South America, Kernan said.

Fourth Fleet missions will include counter-drug and narco-terrorism operations, Kernan said. Navy resources from throughout the southern region of operations will be under Kernan's command, which he coordinates with other fleets.

Reinstituting of the Fourth Fleet will help keep focus on Mayport, Kernan said. That command was established in World War II and disestablished in 1950; it was always anchored at Mayport.

"Its re-establishment is to place some equity with an important region," Kernan said. "It elevates the status of that region of the world with an equitable status with other regions of the world."

Kernan will wear two hats as commander of the Fourth Fleet and the Southern Command.

"A lot of the ships in Mayport certainly came under this command's operational control and tactical control," said Stevenson, noting the Mayport Naval Station basin still has 22 ships after the Kennedy left.

"I would say in the basin right now, 80 percent of the ships have at one time worked for us in the last three years and some on multiple occasions," Stevenson said.

Drew Dixon can also be reached at (904) 249-4947, ext. 6313.