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Homeported at NS Mayport, USS Jason Dunham’s (DDG 109) namesake was a Marine corporal posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for service in the Iraq War. (Photo USN)
One, rightfully so, visualizes Navy warships and a busy seaport when Naval Station Mayport’s role comes up. Since 1942, Mayport has been home to whatever the Navy fleet has had to offer to the defense of the nation.
The mouth of the St Johns River has been home to warships from patrol craft to massive aircraft carriers as well as the various support vessels and harbor craft. The current inventory of warships, some 21 that call Mayport home, include Arliegh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, littoral combat ships (LCS) and a Coast Guard cutter.
Offering the “Finest Service to the Finest Fleet,” Team Mayport was recently named the Navy’s best shore installation of 2023. There are over 80 tennant commands and services calling Naval Station Mayport home.
The on and off-again plan to homeport a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on The Liberty Coast seems more off for now. Allied navy ships and submarines still make regular port calls to Mayport Naval Station.
More Than Warships, Much More. As the third largest fleet concentration area in the United States, Mayport has numerous impactful commands and diverse operations. One example is Mayport’s flightline.
The Admiral David L. McDonald Airfield with its 8001 foot runway, can accommodate any DoD aircraft, conducts more than 100,000 helicopter and fixed-wing flights each year and recently averaged processing 13,000 passengers a year. Several Navy SH-60R Seahawk helicopter squadrons operate from the Mayport airfield. These multi-purpose helicopters and their crews deploy aboard and operate from Navy warships.
Jacksonville Beach residents are seeing the very large MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System regularly flying out of Mayport. Read more about this aircraft size drone at this link.
The warships at Mayport have a huge economic impact and are job producers across The Liberty Coast. Defense firms line Mayport Road and the Jacksonville Area Ship Repair Association is a key trade association. Not far down the river from Mayport is BAE Systems’ Jacksonville Ship Repair facility.
The oldest surviving building in Mayport is The St Johns River light. Standing 85 feet, it was built in 1858, and restored in 1980. The Mayport Lighthouse Association hopes to undertake a full restoration and open the structure to the public.
Hand Salute. Under the trees at the main intersection on Mayport is Stark Memorial Park. On May 17, 1987, 37 Sailors died when two Iraqi missiles struck Mayport-based USS Stark (FFG 31) while deployed in the Persian Gulf. Each year, surviving shipmates and families of those lost gather under the trees to remember and honor their military service.