Our Sponsored Units
The Imperial Valley Council proudly sponsors the men and women and their families of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and the United States Coast Guard. In addition to supporting our active duty military, we sponsor youth programs through the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corp, Navy Leaguer Cadet Corps, and Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps:
The formal establishment of the installation took place on July 24, 1943. The installation operated as a Marine Corp Air Station until disestablishment and subsequent re-establishment to the Navy in May 1946. Naval Air Facility El Centro is the Navy’s premier tactical training air installation - providing world class operations, world class facilities and the highest quality of life for our personnel and their families. The Imperial Valley Council has been sponsoring NAF El Centro since our charter in 1949.
Established in 1946, the Blue Angels have made El Centro their winter training home since 1967. This year, the Council will celebrate the Blue Angels 50th anniversary in El Centro, and the Council's 50th anniversary of supporting the men and women of this elite flight demonstration squadron. The mission of the Blue Angels is to showcase the pride and professionalism of the United States Navy and Marine Corps by inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country through flight demonstrations and community outreach.
Naval Branch Health Clinic, Naval Air Facility El Centro falls under the directorate for Branch Health Clinics, Naval Medical Center San Diego and offers services for active duty, dependents and military retirees. The Council provides support to NBHC as part of the overall NAF El Centro community
The USS Fitzgerald, named for U.S. Navy officer William Charles Fitzgerald, and is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. Commissioned on 14 October 1995 in Newport, Rhode Island. She was then homeported in Naval Station San Diego, California. Now based at Yokosuka, Japan she is part of Destroyer Squadron 15. The council adopted the Fitzgerald in 1997 while homeported in San Diego, and continues to support the ship and crew in its annual Treats for Troops program.
The Council has been providing support to Strike Fighter Wing Pacific Maintenance Unit El Centro Detachment personnel since 2003. The SFWP maintenance technicians maintain the aircraft and their sophisticated systems for tactical and ordance training for the Strike Fighter community during squadron deployments to this training location.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 214 (VMFA-214) is a United States Marine Corps fighter squadron consisting of F-35B Lightning II jets. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, and is under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 13 (MAG-13) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW). The squadron is best known as the Blacksheep of World War II fame and for one of its commanding officers, Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington. The Council adopted VMA-214 in November 2010, and re-adopted VMFA-214 the newly designated squadron in April 2022.
The mission of the detachment is to operate and maintain explosive ordnance outloading/transshipment to support Pacific Fleet and Department of Defense conventional ammunition requirements. The detachment's focus is to provide Naval Air Facility El Centro detachment commands and fleet warfighters with quality ordnance while training in the desert. The Council adopted "Weapons" in 1995.
United States Coast Guard Cutter PETREL (WPB 87350) is an 87-foot Marine Protector Class Patrol Boat. The PETREL was commissioned in 2002. Homeported in San Diego, California, the mission of the PETREL includes combating drug smuggling, illegal immigration, marine fisheries enforcement and search and rescue support. The Council was proud to adopt the PETREL in a ceremony in January 2016.
Consistent with the Navy League's core mission to support youth programs, the Council supports the Imperial Valley communities with the Desert Eagle Squadron and San Diego County's Escondido communities with the Escondido Battalion and Training Ship Kit Carson.
In August 2016, Calexico Unified School District established the pre-NJROTC program as a Naval National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) Unit at Calexico High School in Calexico, California. The Council proudly adopted the unit in January 2017.