Welcome Aboard
Congratulations on your orders to The Vanguard, and welcome aboard Shipmate! We fly and maintain the MH-53E Sea Dragon. The Vanguard is home ported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. We are looking forward to seeing you soon.
Contact your sponsor for important information and points of contact at HM14_NRFK_SPONSORS@navy.mil. Please include your name, rate and phone number, along with the command you are leaving and the date you will be checking in with HM-14.
The Hampton Roads area comprises the cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Newport News and Yorktown. There are a number of Naval commands in the area, including Naval Station Norfolk; Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth; Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth; Naval Air Station Oceana; Fleet Combat Training Center Atlantic, Dam Neck; Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek; and Naval Weapons Station, Yorktown. These installations serve as homeport for approximately 132 ships and over 40 aircraft squadrons. Together they comprise the Navy in Hampton Roads.
For additional information contact our Command Master Chief or his assistant at (757) 322-2182 or e-mail HM14_NRFK_cmc@navy.mil. The Duty Officer number (757) 322-2151.
The Hampton Roads climate and geography support an abundance of outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, swimming, hunting, camping and golfing to name a few. Naval Station Norfolk’s MWR is equipped to handle most of your recreational needs. Within a day's travel are theme parks such as Busch Gardens, Water Country USA and Paramount's Kings Dominion, as well as numerous state and national parks. The area is rich in history, with attractions such as Colonial Williamsburg, the Yorktown battlefield, Jamestown settlement, numerous Civil War battlegrounds and museums, and our nations' capital at Washington, D.C.
You are encouraged to take full advantage of all opportunities to further your education while you are with HM-14. Old Dominion University, Christopher Newport University, William and Mary College, ECPI College of Technology, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, George Washington University, Hampton University, Johnson and Wales University, Norfolk State University, Regent University, St. Leo University, Tidewater Community College, and Virginia Wesleyan College offer comprehensive studies conducted on-campus or at many of the surrounding bases.
I am sure you will find your tour of duty with the Vanguard both enjoyable and rewarding. Again, let me personally welcome you aboard. I look forward to meeting you upon your arrival.
CMDCM (AW/SW/NWS) MAURICE PURLEY, USN
HM-14 Command Master Chief