Indian Island Naval Magazine, Washington
The strategic mission of Naval Magazine (NAVMAG) is to provide ordnance logistics support to the Pacific Fleet and the joint services in peace and war. The island is approximately seven square miles and NAVMAG comprises the entirety of the 2,716- acre Indian Island located on the northeast corner of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula. Indian Island is home to a wealth of cultural and natural resources. There are several Native American sites on the island, as well as historically significant pioneer homestead sites and WWII era buildings.
Island employees live in nearby communities including Port Hadlock, Port Ludlow, Marrowstone Island and Port Townsend-which is the largest city about 12 miles to the north. Others enjoy commutes across the Hood Canal Bridge or travel north from Sequim. In 1941, the Navy commissioned NAVMAG to store Navy munitions and to assemble mines and submarine nets. The island was placed in a reduced activity status in 1959 and then reactivated in 1979 when munitions storage and handling facilities at Bangor were moved to Indian Island.
After the Persian Gulf War, NAVMAG was selected as one of two West Coast ports to be upgraded for the efficient trans-shipment of containerized ammunition in the event of mobilization. Several infrastructure improvements were made including construction of a rail-to-truck transfer facility on Naval Base Kitsap and the installation of the Department of Defense's largest crane at the Indian Island ammunition pier in 2000. The crane, "Big Blue" is capable of lifting 89,600 pounds and is a very noticeable land mark. Towering over the island's ammunition pier, it serves as a proud reminder of NAVMAG Indian Island’s superior ordnance handling capabilities.
By 2000, NAVMAG was supporting numerous joint exercises designed to test and validate the mobilization of ordnance to the Pacific Theater of operations. At the same time, a significant part of the NAVMAG and the Navy mission and vision has been to incorporate and develop the best practices of environmental stewardship and sustainability.