U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert was at White Sands Missile Range March 25 to visit the Navy operations.
Greenert was greeted by WSMR Commander Brig. Gen. Timothy Coffin, Executive Director Paul Mann, and Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division's White Sands Detachment leadership upon his arrival at the Desert Ship. The CNO is the senior military officer of the Department of the Navy.
John Winstead, Site Manager, NSWC PHD Detachment at White Sands, said Greenert's staff had requested the visit several months ago.
"There are things NSWC gets done at White Sands that peaked his interest and he requested a visit," Winstead said. "I believe the work we do here and the results we get got his attention."
The CNO is a four-star admiral and is responsible to the Secretary of the Navy for the command, utilization of resources, and operating efficiency of the operating forces of the Navy and of the Navy shore activities assigned by the Secretary.
"The CNO visit reinforces how valuable the Joint WSMR team and our capabilities are to National Security objectives in the future," Mann said. Through technical excellence and extreme stewardship, Navy and MDA stakeholders are leveraging an effective partnership between the Port Hueneme Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center and TEAM WSMR."
Winstead said Greenert's staff relayed the message that he was impressed by the caliber of professionals and the quality of work done by the Navy at WSMR and how those programs align with his primary missions.
"I think he found it extremely useful that he has a detachment here at WSMR that is directly aligned with his plans for the future," Winstead said.
Winstead said Greenert's takeaway is that White Sands is the finest Navy test range the CNO has access to.
"I think that was backed by the missions and testing that we do here and the fact that they align with his strategic approach."
Following an abbreviated helicopter tour of the range, NSWC staff provided Greenert with a briefing on the major programs to include the Naval Integrated Fire Control --Counter Air system and the Electromagnetic Railgun launcher.
"We here at WSMR have many missions, but we specifically took him to three focus areas that we knew would be of interest to him," Winstead said.
"We tried to give him some sense of what WSMR is as a capability for him. He was impressed." Greenert visited the Desert Ship and the Missile Assembly Facility during his four hour visit. He also got a chance to meet with members of the military detachment.
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