What Is the Washington Navy Yard?
Following Monday’s tragic mass shooting that 13 people dead, including gunman Aaron Alexis, many people who don’t live in the Washington, D.C. area may be wondering, what exactly is the Washington Navy Yard? It is not an active navy base, but rather serves as a ceremonial and administrative center for the U.S. Navy.
The oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy, the former shipyard and ordnance plant is now the headquarters for the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Historical Center, the Department of Naval History, the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, Naval Reactors, Marine Corps Institute and the United States Navy Band. The complex is located in southeastern Washington, D.C. with M St. SE as its northern border and the Anacostia River to the south. Tourists can visit the National Museum of the U.S. Navy, located within the Navy Yard.
View Larger Map
The Washington Navy Yard was first established on October 2, 1799 and from the start served as the navy’s largest shipbuilding and shipfitting facility. It became an integral facility in the defense of Washington D.C. in both the War of 1812 and the Civil War.
During the first part of the 20th century, the yard mainly served as a naval ordnance factory, employing nearly 25,000 workers spread across 188 buildings on 126 acres of land.
Today, it is estimated that about 3,000 service members and civilians work at the navy yard, which also houses offices for high-level naval personnel.
The mass shooting on September 16th, 2013 began at approximately 8:15am ET within Building 197, which serves as the headquarters for the Naval Sea Systems Command. The 34-year-old gunman Aaron Alexis reportedly had security clearance for the yard because he was working as a subcontractor for the tech company Hewlett-Packard.
Even so, Navy Cmdr. Tim Jirus told CNN that as a contractor Alexis would have had to go through security before walking in to the yard. “You have to go through a couple of layers of security to get into Building 197,” Jirus said, “first to get access onto the Yard, and then through the doors to get in.”
[photos via Wikimedia Commons]
— —
