FReeper Canteen ~ Road Trip: Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California ~ 28 MAY 2024

Serving The Best Troops And Veterans In The World!! | The Canteen Crew

[laurenmarlowe]

 

 

~The FReeper Canteen Presents~

Road Trip: Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California

Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake is a large military installation whose mission is to support the research, testing and evaluation programs of the U.S. Navy. It is part of Navy Region Southwest under Commander, Navy Installations Command. It was originally known as Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS).

The installation is located in the Western Mojave Desert region of California, approximately 150 miles north of Los Angeles. Occupying land in three counties – Kern, San Bernardino, and Inyo – the installation's closest neighbors are the city of Ridgecrest and the communities of Inyokern, Trona, and Darwin.

China Lake is the United States Navy's largest single landholding, representing 85% of the Navy's land for weapons and armaments research, development, acquisition, testing and evaluation (RDAT&E) use and 38% of the Navy's land holdings worldwide.

In total, its two ranges and main site cover more than 1,100,000 acres, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. As of 2010, at least 95% of that land has been left undeveloped. The roughly $3 billion infrastructure of the installation consists of 2,132 buildings and facilities, 329 miles of paved roads, and 1,801 miles of unpaved roads.

The 19,600 square miles of restricted and controlled airspace at China Lake makes up 12% of California's total airspace. Jointly controlled by NAWS China Lake, Edwards Air Force Base and Fort Irwin, this airspace is known as the R-2508 Special Use Airspace Complex.

All aircraft operations at NAWS China Lake are conducted at Armitage Field, which has three runways with more than 26,000 feet of taxiway. More than 20,000 manned and un-manned military sorties are conducted out of Armitage by U.S. Armed Forces each year.

Foreign military personnel also use the airfield and range to conduct more than 1,000 test and evaluation operations each year.

The area was once home to the Native American Coso People, whose presence here is marked by thousands of archaeological sites; the Coso traded with other tribes as far away as San Luis Obispo County, California. This locale was also a site used by European miners and settlers whose cabins and mining structures are extant throughout the Station.

The Coso Range Canyons are home to the Coso Rock Art District, an area of some 99 square miles which contains more than 50,000 documented petroglyphs, the highest concentration of rock art in the Northern Hemisphere.

Learn More About Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake HERE!!

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT~Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before. 

Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. The Canteen is family friendly. Let's have fun!

We pray for your continued strength, to be strong in the face of adversity.

We pray for your safety, that you will return to your families and friends soon.

We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way.

God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always

 

 

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, lightman...

[laurenmarlowe]

Yup! Wacky indeed, and hoping it’s winding down.

It’s already hot here too, so I think I’ll head to North Carolina for a while, LOL!

Take care and stay safe!

*HUGS*

[left that other site]

Naw...overslept til 6:00 this AM!

It was rainy this morning.

[ExTexasRedhead]

On the Road: Planting flags for fallen soldiers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO0WB-RnEus

As part of our continuing series “On the Road,” Steve Hartman meets with Larry Eckhardt - a man who travels hundreds of miles to honor fallen soldiers with hundreds of flags.

Comments below the video:

“An incredible man. The heartache those families feel must be wrapped in warmth seeing the hero’s welcome Larry creates & inspires other people to create for them. What a difference he makes during an unforgettable moment in a family’s life, bring light to their dark times.”

[radu]

We have a clean week ahead, so they say. And the wild stuff is SUUPOSED to be over with. From here, it’ll be typical summer storms at the worst.
We’ll see what happens when hurricane season cranks up later on.

I heard it’s pretty toasty down your way. We’re getting a little reprieve from the heat as well as the storms but only for a few days. We’ll be bakin’ before long.

Are you planning to go to the coast or to the mountains? I’m longing to go to the Outer Banks, where my brother and S-I-L just got home from. I’m so jealous. LOL

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

Another cloudy day up there, I see. At least you got a little rain with it this time.

[ExTexasRedhead]

The most beautiful version of Hallelujah you ever heard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT5u2xVEO5M

Comments below the video:

“Music like this is truly one of life’s greatest gifts. Universal language that communicates in perfect harmony with our souls.”

[lightman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXDZz3fetFA

[Kathy in Alaska]

It did that for sure at the time...

https://www.dailynews.com/2019/07/09/china-lake-naval-base-declared-not-mission-capable-after-earthquakes-but-weapons-and-ammunition-are-secure/

And recovery continues...

https://www.navair.navy.mil/news/Cutting-edge-energetics-facility-emerges-earthquake-rubble/Tue-12052023-1622

[luvie]

Thanks for the great Road Trip
to the Naval Air Weapons Station, Lauren!
California is a great place to visit...
If you watch where you place your feet.🤣

[Zuriel]

Thank you for bringing Larry Eckhardt’s flag work to the thread. Sadly, Larry passed away in 2020; thyroid cancer.

Before late 2016, my wife and I lived on a small farm just 6 miles from Little York, IL; where Larry lived. Everybody knew Larry and his work in that corner of the state.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Tuesday morning and ((HUGS)) to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country and thanks Lauren for this morning's thread.

I'm going to take the pickup to the tire place this morning for new tires this morning to replace the low tread tires. They were closed yesterday for Memorial Day.

Yesterday at Comanche Lake:

How's everyone doing this morning?

[radu]

Howdy, E.G.C. ((HUGZ))

Another lovely day for an outing. Gizmo didn’t seem to mind too much that others were there to enjoy the fine day. I see a boat. :-)

[Dan_Frisbie]

I was stationed at the then Naval Weapons Center China Lake from 1986-89. It was a pretty interesting area.

[maddog55]

Spent a lot of time at China Lake over the years and flying back and forth to Pt Mugu....

[luvie]

Gooood Mornin', Early Birds!
Haven't gotten to say that in a long time!
Just waitin' for the AC guy to come rescue us.
.....before it reaches 100 degrees here.
Thanks, lauren, for a great Road Trip!
Hope all y'all have a Terrific Tuesday!
Is it just me or does it feel like Monday?
((((hugs))))

[ExTexasRedhead]

How young solders got one of the most dangerous jobs in the Vietnam War: long range jungle recon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byyWvx8ROo4

Military Times Series

https://www.youtube.com/@MilitaryTimesOnline

[bIlluminati]

Things I learned while residing in Eastern California.
1. You can’t go swimming in China Lake
2. You can’t get mono from Mono Lake.
3. Southern California Brings Me Down.
4. Hunter Biden was not named after Hunter Thompson.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Yes...a beautiful version of Hallelujah.

[Kathy in Alaska]

A verse we don’t often hear. Thanks!