PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WVEC) -- The City of Portsmouth, the Navy and the Coast Guard officially joined forces on Thursday to help each other march forward into a bright future.
A landmark agreement was reached. A 'memorandum of understanding' was signed between the Navy, Coast Guard, and the city government, establishing the 'Portsmouth Military Municipal Partnership.'
The union formalizes plans for leaders to meet on a regular basis to collaborate. The idea is to build relationships, so if problems come up, such as a potential base closing, they can work together.
Portsmouth's military roots run deep.
Built in 1767, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth is the oldest and largest industrial facility belonging to the U.S. Navy. With 10,500 civilian workers, it's the fourth largest employer in Hampton Roads.
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is the Navy's oldest, continuously-operating hospital going back to 1830.
The shared history of Portsmouth and the Coast Guard began in 1820 when the U.S. Lighthouse Service anchored its first lightship off Craney Island. That legacy continues in 2018 at Coast Guard Base Portsmouth.
"This is an outstanding event to participate in today when we formalize a relationship in things we've done all along, and I think it's great to come here today and partner with the Navy as well as the city," said CDR Eric Jones, executive officer of Coast Guard Base Portsmouth.
Captain Scott Brown, commanding officer of Norfolk naval shipyard, said the document will pay big dividends.
"It lets us leverage that relationship to collaborate and communicate even better," he said.
The cities of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake entered into similar memorandums of understanding years ago with the Navy after the Base Realignment Commission (BRAC) threatened to realign Naval Air Station Oceana in 2005.
Portsmouth's Mayor is hopeful this new agreement signed on Thursday will provide safeguards for the future of his city.
"There is going to be another BRAC on the horizon, and I think we need to try to become 'BRAC-proof,' and this helps us do that," he said.
The Memorandum of Understanding also provides a framework to achieve goals of mutual benefits, such as enhanced communication between municipal and military first responders.
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