When a huge winter storm blew into Diego harbor in 1980, many of the personal and special sevices boats moored in the marina were in danger of damage. NTC security personnel and SSC students assisted the marina, but several free-swinging bows dug severe gashes into the pier, causing several thousands of dollars in damage to the marina. A few weeks later another storm warning tookk effect and the word was passed that NTC and SSC personnel living off base Icould leave at 11:30 a.m. The exodus reuIted In a mass traffic jam on Rosecrans, as local business workers also left the area. NTC security personneI were posted at all gates and helped direct the traffic.
The CPO club was robbed on June 16, 1980, by three armed men who grabbed $6,200 from the club's safe. The men led NTC and San Diego police on a chase out the gates and into the Point Loma community. One man was caught and arrested; the other two escaped.
A few weeks later, several vending machines were vandalized and money boxes were stolen in five NTC buildings. The vandals were never caught.
By November, 1982, the Hoist was reporting that the recreation department was losing $ 1,000 per month in vending machine thefts and other break-ins. Eventually the crime spree ended, but not before five separate robberies resulted Ina $3,952 loss.
San Diego rolled out the red carpet for a royal visit from England's Queen Elizabeth II as her yacht, HMY Britannia, sailed into San Diego harbor, Feb. 26, 1983. RTC provided a 27-man honor guard, and the Navy Band performed, The recruits were chosen from three drill division companies and 'had from five to eight weeks of training.
Chief Petty Officer Delano Genee "Casey" Jones directed two gun crews to fire the 21 gun salute using NTC's two portable 40mm salute-battery guns. The salute was fired as the queen's 412-foot yacht passed Ballast Point. A second round of gun salutes was fired as she disembarked Britannia onto Broadway pier. The battery was moved from Ballast Point down to the Navy pier for the second salute.
In 1982, building 40 was demolished under a CNO pride and professionalism program designed to upgrade appearances of military bases around the county. The unused building was a 63-foot high brick smoke built In 1942.
The area around gate one received a nautical touch when NTC Seabees used Self-Help techniques to create a cement anchor to border a flower bed. The anchor was composed of 4.5 cubic yards of concrete and rose 18 inches yet only five inches protruded above ground. The Flowers were planted by AdCom's First Lieutenant Division. As a result of this beautification, NTC won the 1983 CNO's Bronze Hammer Award for self-help. The Bronze Hammer Award was established in 1972 to recognize activities that make outstanding contributions to quality of Navy life by improving living quarters and personnel support, welfare and recreation facilities utilizing self-help. The biggest project Sailors helped out with was the construction of RTC Graduation Visitors' Park. More than 60 Sailors filled 2,400 cubic yards of earth to landscape the park. Other work included repairs to enlisted barracks and the renovation of the pedestrian walk-thru at gate one.
Self-Help Division received this award again for fiscal year 1987 for renovations to the Recruit Chapel, AKC and the Top Four Club.
SSC won the Chief of Naval Technical Training Silver Anchor Award for fiscal year 1988. This award is the runner-up to the Golden Anchor Award, which is presented to commands for superior excellence in retention, career information and program management.
The following year, NTC was nominated as a finalist in the Capt. Edward F. Ney Memorial Award for food service excellence. This was the first time NTC was nominated for this prestigious award, competing against Naval Station Norfolk, Va., in the finals for large shore category. These two commands surpassed 79 other Navywide general messes to compete for the first place honors. On June 21, 1989, the evaluation board convened at NTC and inspected its galley and mess facilities, warehouses and administrative procedures. After the judging, NTC took second place behind Norfolk. In 1989, NTC had the third largest of the 685 general messes in the Navy.
Service School Command won the Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET) Silver Anchor for large command retention excellence in fical year 1987. The Silver Anchor is the second place award given to the command with the highest retention rate. At that time, SSC had 35 career counselors on hand to advise Sailors on their careers. Factors that determined the award included training, community involvement, recognition and command morale.
In addition, Personnel Support Activity received two awards from CNET in the small command category: Silver Anchor Award for retention and the Management Excellence Award (training support category). The latter award recognized PSA's excellence in pay, personnel, transportation, quality of service, and positive life programs. However, on Oct. 1, 1988, PSA formally disestablished and the facility transferred its functions to PSA San Diego, under the command of Capt. Anthony C. Sicarl. The disestablishment occurred in order to save money and manpower. In 1998, PSA had nine officers, 170 enlisted personnel and 88 civilian servicing 24 commands approximately 700 staff, transients and recruits. In the ten years since it began, PSA/NTC served 115,000 personnel and the pay disbursing function grew from $85 million in 1979 to more than $146 million in 1988.
New facilities were opening up in the 1980s. A new child care center opened at NTC in 1983. The center waslocated near gate one in building 11. This child care center remained here until a newer facility was opened in building 619, March 1992.
Construction began on a 720-person bachelor enlisted quarters in February, 1985. Rear Adm. Norman Campbell, center commander and Capt. Richard Schleicher, commanding officer, SSC, held a ground breaking ceremony on the area at the corner of Truxtun and Farragut Roads for the 584 barracks complex. Costing $7.7 million, construction was completed by June, 1987, and the new barracks housed mess management specialist and machinery repairman students.
In 1987, another BEQ was built. This open-bay style barracks housed 360 Sailors and had a lounge, game room and laundry facilities.
The largest BOOST graduation ceremony was held on June 4, 1982 when 243 Sailors, Marines and Coast Guard personnel graduated following ten months of college preparation. This was the largest BOOST graduation up to that time.
Another Hepatitis case was confirmed at NTC in 1982. A Navy Exchange cafeteria employee contracted hepatitis in March and all cafeteria employees and military personnel who ate there received inoculations. No other cases were reported and no one was seriously hurt from the outbreak.
M inor upkeep on the USS Recruit began in 1981. The hull was refabricated and repainted Navy haze gray. By April, 1982, the upkeep was complete. The newly refitted landlocked ship included the addition of a helicopter landing area, internal classroom spaces and a pilot house. The ship was also equipped with devices which simulated ship engineering and propulsion systems, communications networks and authentic command and control stations.
A huge celebration was held Oct. 28, 1983 commemorating the 60th anniversary of NTC. The day kicked off with a 10,000 meter and two-mile fun-run. The base held bus tours which took visitors to USS Recrult, RTC headquarters for a slide presentation and other areas around the base.
SSC had several static displays including demonstrations of Morse code and teletype, cake garnishing, soundpowered telephones, and molding and sand casting. There was a huge cake cutting ceremony with Capt. H. L. Plowman, center commander; Airman Recruit Jay M. Hight, honor recruit; and CWO Raymond Littrell, USN (Ret.) and Chief Machinist Mate Luther M. Nelson, USN (Ret.) two 1923 RTC graduates. Five years later, Littrell returned for the 65th anniversary celebration. For this event, San Diego Charger Kellen Winslow was on hand at Ingram Plaza signing autographs for Sailors before the opening ceremonies there. Along with Littrell and Winslow, other special guests were Gloria McColl, Deputy San Diego Mayor; Mrs. Pete Wilson; Rear Adm. W.E. Aut, former NTC center commander; and co-chairman San Diego's Accolades committee Morris Wax.
Many distinguished officials sent proclamations to NTC thanking the base for it�s 65 years of service to San Diego and the Navy. Those sending proclamations included Congressman Duncan Hunter, Senator Pete Wilson, San Diego Mayor Maureen O'Connor, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral C.A.H. Trost, and the Secretary of the Navy.
NTC's basketball team captured the Naval Southern Regional Basketball Championships in January, 1984, with a win over Miramar, 69-56.
Roy Moore Jr., NTC's judo coach since 1959, retired In 1984 after 25 years of coaching. His career began as a wrestler and judo competitor In 1927.
Seaman Recruit Adrian L. Fender from company 135 was selected to carry the 1984 Olympic torch during a pass through San Diego. He made a one-kilometer uphill jog on July 24 near Escondido and practiced for the torch relay by running with a flashlight on Preble Field.
In 1987 NTC started a component command competition called the "NTC Commander�s Cup." The award was given for athletic excellence. SSC was the recipient of the first commander's cup. SSC repeated as champions again in 1988.
A new club opened at NTC in 1989. Section 193 was an all-hands sports bar that opened In building 193 In June. Redd Foxx of TV's "Sanford and Son" visited and toured the base in August, 1980. He was greeted by recruits at Camp Nimitz, had lunch In the SSC wardroom and signed the initiation charge books of several prospective chief petty officers.
"Boot camp was fun. I met a lot of people from all over the country ... My training at NTC San Diego was excellent because everything I learned here, I used on my first ship."
-- IC3 Charles Israel
Boot Camp, 1992Singer/Actress Tina Turner came to NTC to see her son, Craig R Turner, graduate from RTC Company 903, Feb. 27, 198 1. Craig later attended Radioman "A" school.
The brother of Miss America, 1982 was in boot camp when his sister, Elizabeth Ward was crowned. Seaman Recruit Van Ward was training with company 165 and could not watch the pageant on television. Following his graduation on Sept. 18, 198 1, he flew to Los Angeles to meet her where she was appearing on a game show.
As a new decade closed in, the first round of base closure recommendations was announced. NTC was not on the list - yet.
Continue to 1990s