Naval Support Activity Philadelphia is a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

base located in the Lawncrest section of

Northeast Philadelphia Northeast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Northeast and the Great Northeast, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the 2000 census, Northeast Philadelphia has a population of between 300,000 and 450,000, depending ...

, Pennsylvania and located east of its parent command, NSA Mechanicsburg. With the exception of a few buildings, much of the base is industrial in style, and consists of office-converted warehouses for the various Naval supply commands located on the installation. According to the base guide, its warehouse offices and other buildings amount to of cubic space on the base. It also provides support services to Navy units that are situated at the Philadelphia Navy Yard Annex.

History

The history of what is now Naval Support Activity Philadelphia began during World War II as the Naval Aviation Supply Depot in 1942. Prior to its purchase by the Navy in 1942, NSA Philadelphia was home to the Keystone Brick Company. A bustling enterprise that provided many facades throughout the city. One of the company’s most famous buildings was its headquarters. With elaborate brickwork, both interior and exterior, it was a structure of regional prominence. After purchasing the brickyard site, the Navy refurbished the building into “Quarters A” home to the highest-ranking officer on the installation. From its inception, the Depot would act as not just a home to Naval Aviation parts, but was also the headquarters of Defense Industrial Supply Center, the predecessor to

Defense Logistics Agency The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is a combat support agency in the United States Department of Defense (DoD), with more than 26,000 civilian and military personnel throughout the world. Located in 48 states and 28 countries, DLA provides su ...

., who operated out of the

Schuylkill Arsenal The Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot, now known as the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, was founded as the Schuylkill Arsenal in 1799. History The Schuylkill Arsenal was built in 1800 to function as a quartermaster and provide the U.S. mili ...

in Philadelphia. Built to function as a quartermaster and provide the U.S. military with supplies, one of its most famous tasks was outfitting the Lewis and Clark Expedition. This organization would grow and transition into the Defense Industrial Supply Center, and its headquarters would locate at the Naval Aviation Supply Depot Compound in Northeast Philadelphia in the mid-1940s. In the late 1940s, the supply depot mission at NSA Philadelphia began to phase out. In response, the Navy converted storehouse space into offices, a trend that continued for decades. Through its more recent history the Naval Support Activity has grown as Base Realignment and Closure Commission actions consolidated missions and moved them to the installation.

Tenant Commands

(DLA) and the

Naval Supply Systems Command The Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) is the United States Navy's supply command, providing the Navy and United States Marine Corps with supplies, services, and quality-of-life support. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, the NAVSUP ...

(NAVSUP) are the two major tenants of the installations. Navy Recruiting Command's District Philadelphia is headquartered here as well, along with

Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...

(CAP) Squadron 104, U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps's San Antonio Division and the Navy Special Emphasis Office of the

Defense Contract Management Agency The Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) is an agency of the United States federal government reporting to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. It is responsible for administering contracts for the Department of D ...

(DCMA). The Navy Office of Civilian Human Resources has also maintained its Philadelphia Operations Center on the base, since it moved from the Philadelphia Bourse building in 2011 after a BRAC decision.

References

External links

Base Guide for NSA Mechanicsburg - NSA Philadelphia - Philadelphia Naval Yard
{{PAMilitary Naval Support Activities of the United States Navy Military installations established in 1942