US Naval Station Rota conducted the official arrival of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79), October 16, 2024. Oscar Austin is the first in a plan to homeport two additional destroyers in Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota.
The addition of Oscar Austin will bring an estimated 350 Sailors and 175 family members to the local area, and the homeport shift of both destroyers will grow the base community by 20%. Sailors, civilians, local nationals, and Spanish partners started preparing for the additional manpower in 2022, ensuring the installation was ready to welcome the Oscar Austin’s crew and their families.
“All of the work we’ve done over these past years, is proof of how excited we are to welcome Oscar Austin’s crew and families as the newest members of the community here on Naval Station Rota, and the community of Andalucía,” said Capt. . Teague Suarez, Naval Station Rota’s commanding officer. “Our relationship with the Spanish Armada and the local community is strong, and the addition of Oscar Austin will strengthen both of those ties.”
Base-wide offices worked to ensure the arriving personnel and their families would be met with hospitality and efficiency, and that there would not be any disruptions to normal operations.
NAVSTA Rota base housing finished renovations to family units, ensuring the arriving families have accommodations on the installation. Upgrades to unaccompanied housing are in progress, to include installing free Wi-Fi by the next fiscal year.
Dependent focused programs were evaluated and improved to support the growing population. NAVSTA Rota Public Works and the Department of Defense Education Activity, DODEA, maximized use of facilities to ensure ample space for arriving school-aged dependents. The Child Development Center hired more caretakers, and Moral, Welfare, and Recreation facilities, worked to consolidate a multi-use space to increase the availability of mental health and physical therapy services.
“For years we have been preparing for the arrival of the crew and families, from some of the infrastructure work to supporting more ships, to hiring more caretakers in the Child Development Center and teachers at David Glasgow Farragut Elementary and Middle/High Schools,” said Suarez. “The team here in Rota took a look at every way that we support the people who live and work here to make sure that we are ready for Oscar Austin.”
With the addition of personnel and their families, the local economy will see growth as well. To support the increased population, on-base job opportunities will increase, housing leases in the local area will rise, ship repair contracts will open, and overall expenditure into the local area will increase. Furthermore, the Kingdom of Spain recently signed an agreement allowing telework to US companies for US military spouses and dependents, increasing opportunities and household incomes, which could increase spending on the local economy.
Formerly homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, Oscar Austin’s homeport shift to NAVSTA Rota, Spain increases the US Navy’s forward-deployed operational footprint in the US European Command (EUCOM) and US Africa Command (AFRICOM) areas of responsibility and reinforces the US Navy’s commitment to its relationship with the installation’s host nation and vital defense partner, the Kingdom of Spain.
As the “Gateway to the Mediterranean,” NAVSTA Rota provides US, NATO and allied forces a strategic hub for operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. NAVSTA Rota is a force multiplier, capable of promptly deploying and supporting combat-ready forces throughout the land, air and sea, enabling warfighters and their families, sustaining the fleet and fostering the US and Spanish partnership.