Before You Arrive
Naval Station Rota History
Rota was established in 1953, following the signing of an agreement for facilities use between the United States and Kingdom of Spain. The agreement required two years of surveys, negotiations and planning which led to the ground-breaking of the base in 1955. Rota Naval Base was constructed under the technical supervision of the Navy’s Bureau of Yards and Docks. Some 10,000 concrete tetrapods, resembling large jacks, were carefully placed to provide a seawall to protect a large artificial harbor. Located near the Strait of Gibraltar and nestled on the Bay of Cádiz between the towns of Rota and El Puerto de Santa María, NAVSTA Rota is at the halfway point between the United States and Southwest Asia. The base is the strategic lens into European Command (EUCOM), Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Central Command (CENTCOM). Installation areas of cooperation include port operations, air operations, installation security,
logistics, installation infrastructure and multi-national training. The enduring partnership between U.S. and Spanish forces aboard NAVSTA Rota is indispensable to the safe and secure refueling, rearming, resupplying, and repairing of U.S. and NATO forces operating in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Access to base is through four entry gates – Rota, Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, and Fuentebravia – operated by Spanish security forces. Security inside the base is provided by both Spanish and U.S. Navy security teams. Basé naval de Rota is owned by Spain and commanded by a Spanish admiral. U.S. personnel are guests and should behave as such. That said, the U.S. and Spanish navies work well together and share many facilities under the guidance of the Agreement on Defense Cooperation (ADC). Commander, U.S. Naval Activities (COMNAVACT) Spain is headquartered in Rota and serves as the area coordinator for all U.S. Naval Activities ashore in Spain and Portugal. COMNAVACT Spain also serves as the commanding officer of NAVSTA Rota. The commander reports directly to Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central (EURAFCENT) headquartered in Naples, Italy.
4
Past and Present
Enabling NAVSTA Rota to accomplish its mission are the people who work here. The approximately 6,000 U.S. service members, DoD civilians and their families provide unparalleled support, innovation and effort to provide quality service and support to the European theater and Sixth Fleet area of operations. Additionally, the NAVSTA Rota workforce also includes nearly 1,000 Spanish national indirect-hire employees. The American base population is composed of approximately 3,000 active duty service members, 2,500 dependents, and 500 civilians. Approximately 650 retired military personnel and family members reside on the Iberian Peninsula. The U.S. Navy is responsible for maintaining the station’s infrastructure, including a 670-acre airfield, four active piers, 400 facilities, and approximately 373 family housing units. The 6,100-acre Spanish-owned installation provides vital support to units transiting in or through the theater. The base provides quality-of-life support to Morón Air Base and National Support Elements (NSEs) in Madrid and Valencia, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal. Rota also supports ongoing operations in the European theater of operations.
