DVIDS – News – Naval Aviation Schools Command Hosts Pensacola-area Navy Ball

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Celebrating the installation’s 200th birthday and the nation’s 250th, Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC) hosted the Pensacola-area Navy Ball Oct. 2 at the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.
Featuring guest speaker Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Adm. Karl Thomas, the event highlighted the installation’s enduring legacy as the premiere U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviation training installation and facility, celebrating the U.S. Navy’s 251st as well as the nation’s semiquincentennial birthdays.
Event host NASC Commanding Officer Capt. Ron Rumfelt spoke on the significance of both the U.S. Navy’s continually evolving global role, drawing from the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command’s (NHHC) 2026 Navy Ball theme of “Unwavering Vigilance, Unmatched Lethality,” highlighting the Navy’s focus and emphasizing that Sailors are steadfast, on watch and forward deployed to deliver decisive combat power.
“The service members who pass through these doors today are the future of the organization we have all chosen to serve,” he said, during remarks introducing guest speaker Adm. Karl Thomas. “For more than a century this air station has trained men and women as naval aviators, aviation maintenance technicians, aircrew, rescue swimmers and cyber warfare specialists. We are preparing them to assume the watch and deploy worldwide in defense of the nation we all hold dear.”
October 13 marks the Navy’s official birthday, designated in 1972 by then-Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Elmo Zumwalt as a method of “…enhancing a greater appreciation of our Navy heritage, and to provide a positive influence toward pride and professionalism in the naval service.”
Addressing the crowd of nearly 600 service members and civilian attendees, NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Chandra Newman spoke on legacy the installation maintains with the Pensacola community, highlighting the unwavering commitment and support the community has for the ‘Cradle of Naval Aviation.’
“What makes this air station truly extraordinary isn’t just the runways or the roar of jet aircraft – it is the heart of Pensacola itself,” she said. “For two hundred years, this city and this base have shared a single soul. Through hurricanes and heartaches, through war and peace, this community has welcomed young service members into their homes.”
Initially founded in 1826 as Naval Shipyard Pensacola, selected as a site for the abundance of live oak used for construction of U.S. Navy ships at the time, the installation evolved, transitioning to Naval Air Station Pensacola in 1914. The installation today supports operational and training missions for several tenant commands, including Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC), Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC) and Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG) 21 and 23, as well as serving as the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC). In addition to an active airfield, NAS Pensacola also maintains a deepwater port, directly supporting operations for the U.S. Coast Guard.