[Page H8792]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF FLEET READINESS CENTER SOUTHWEST

  (Mr. PETERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th 
anniversary of the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest at Naval Air 
Station North Island in Coronado, the birthplace of naval aviation 
maintenance.
  In 1912, the entire Navy aviation squad consisted of four officers 
and three planes, which called North Island home. As more planes 
routinely landed at sea, it became necessary for the Navy to have an 
official aviation maintenance facility.
  Shortly after the U.S. Government obtained the island in 1917, it 
established the Overhaul and Repair Department, the first maintenance 
repair and overhaul facility in the Department of Defense.
  Now designated as the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, the goals are 
the same: to produce quality equipment and provide support to our 
Nation's aviation war fighters through the overhaul, repair, and 
modification of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps frontline aircraft.
  Encompassing 358 acres and over 80 buildings, the Fleet Readiness 
Center is one of the largest aerospace employers in San Diego County, 
employing approximately 3,500 civilians and 900 military personnel.
  Please join me in honoring one of the best facilities in the U.S. 
Navy, the Fleet Readiness Center Southwest at Naval Air Station North 
Island, on its 100th anniversary.

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