Abstract:
The southern Maryland region experienced considerable growth in population when the 1991, 1993, and 1995 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act relocated facilities from Warminster, Pennsylvania; Trenton, New Jersey; and Arlington, Virginia to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station (NAS), located in Lexington Park, Maryland (shown in figure 1). No longer considered a “Frontier Navy” town, the base has become the Navy’s principal research, development, test, evaluation, engineering, and fleet support activity for naval aircraft, engines, avionics, aircraft support systems and ship/shore/air operations. With the BRAC consolidation and additional multi-billion dollar programs, the station has become the largest employer in St. Mary’s County, hosting three major Navy commands: the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) headquarters, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), and the Air Test Wing Atlantic.
