Little Creek, big welcome: Navy base opens doors to public

VIRIGINIA BEACH

The folks at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base are used to it feeling like the kid brother to some of the larger bases around here.

At Oceana Naval Air Station, multimillion dollar jets rip through the skies. At Norfolk Naval Station, towering ships form their own skyline. And Tom Cruise never starred in a movie about riverine units.

"Everybody's used to 'Top Gun,' and they know Maverick, and the planes are sexy," said base Public Affairs Officer Scott Mohr.

But base officials hope members of the public might find amphibious craft sexy, too - once they get a closer look at them.

The base was opened to members of the public on Sunday for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001, as part of this year's Fleet Week. But it was also part of an effort to showcase a side of the Navy that often doesn't get as much attention.

Before Sept. 11, 2001, Little Creek "was kind of considered a sleepy hollow," Mohr said. But since then, he said, it's become the fastest growing base in Hampton Roads, mainly because of the expansion of Naval Network Warfare Command, which was set up in 2002 to oversee information security, and the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command, which was established in 2006. Both commands are based at Little Creek.

In 2001, there were about 9,000 personnel based at Little Creek, Mohr said. Today, there are more than 14,000.

Still, when people think of the Navy, their first thoughts aren't typically about the construction crews that lay the groundwork for beach landings, or the coastal patrol ships that protect oil platforms in shallow waters.

On Sunday, civilians could tour a 609-foot-long dock landing ship, play underwater tic-tac-toe with a diver, take rides on World War II-era vessels, and go for a spin on a pair of Naval Special Warfare Rigid Inflatable Boats, or RIBs, the high-speed craft used to get SEALs in and out of enemy territory.

"Very rarely do we let these things out for the public," said Katt Whittenberger, public affairs officer for Naval Special Warfare Group 4. "But Hampton Roads - these are our neighbors and our friends. It matters that we let them out here."

Virginia Beach Public Schools Superintendent James Merrill has paid a visit to Little Creek, along with several other city officials as part of community outreach efforts, Mohr said. The base got more than 500 visitors Sunday, and will be open to the public from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. today as well.

Devon Greer brought her two sons and a neighbor's son to the base Sunday. The family went for a ride on one of the RIBs, where the driver whipped them through hairpin turns, raced a nearby boat, and sent them bouncing across the other boat's wake.

Greer said she thought her sons enjoyed Little Creek more than they would the big ships at Norfolk Naval Station, which can be a little overwhelming.

"I was really happy to see it here this year," she said. "There's a lot more than 'blue Navy' to the Navy."

Alicia Wittmeyer, (757) 222-5216, alicia.wittmeyer@pilotonline.com