Location
The U.S. Naval Support Activity (NSA) Souda Bay is located on Crete, Greece on the Hellenic (Greek) Air Force Base near the village of Mouzouras, 17 kilometers (approximately 10 miles) east of the city of Hania. NSA occupies an area of approximately 110 acres on the north side of the air base, which is home of the Hellenic Air Force’s 115th Combat Wing flying F-16 aircraft. We are physically located on the large, circular shaped Akrotiri Peninsula, which forms the northern face of the Souda Harbor.
History
From the late 1950’s through the 1960’s Advance Aviation Base (AVB) ships were frequently deployed to Souda Bay. The positioning of these AVB ships was the first step taken by the U.S. Navy in supporting forward deployed Sixth fleet units from this Eastern Mediterranean island. These ships were designed to provide fuel, spare parts, technicians and facilities necessary to establish and operate an airstrip for patrol and carrier aircraft in locations where there were no base facilities. U.S. Naval Detachment, Souda Bay was commissioned on 28 May 1969. At that time a sixteen personnel complement, under the command of a First Class Petty Officer, made up the entire detachment. On 1 October 1980, U.S. Naval Detachment, Souda Bay was disestablished and U.S. Naval Support Activity, Souda Bay, Crete, Greece was established.
Mission
At the U.S. Naval Support Activity, Souda Bay, “SUPPORT” is literally our middle name. Our presence is dedicated to taking care of the fleet and airborne operations in this strategically critical area of the world, which is our primary mission, and to building a new spirit of cooperation with our Greek Allies. NSA Souda Bay routinely functions as a Naval Operating Base, Naval Air Station and Naval Weapons Station. NSA Souda Bay skillfully orchestrated joint U.S. Navy (USN) / U.S. Air Force (USAF) reconnaissance missions and air refueling support for Operations Desert Shield/Storm, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and other joint USN/USAF and multi-national operations.
Population Served
NSA Souda Bay is comprised of approximately 20 officers, 300 enlisted personnel, 100 U.S civilians, and 200 contractors, both U.S. and local national. NSA Souda Bay consists of the following departments: Administration, Command Support, Chaplain, Comptroller, Fleet and Family Support Center, Legal, MWR, Operations, Public Affairs, Public Works, Safety, Security, Supply, CROF, Information Systems, Fire, Housing, HRO, Emergency Management, and 13 tenant commands.
Base Transportation
Transportation to/from NSA Souda Bay is extremely limited. It is highly recommended that you ship your vehicle to Souda Bay. There is taxi service available to/from the base to all local areas. There is no bus service regularly available. There is normally a shuttle running to/from the base to designated housing areas in the Akrotiri. The shuttle runs once in the morning and once after work. Please note that you may only bring one vehicle, not a car and a motorcycle both. If you do bring a motorcycle instead of a car, you will be able to drive it only if your state drivers license is endorsed for motorcycle use.
Sponsorship
You will be assigned a sponsor who will contact you to answer any questions you may have. Please be sure to notify your sponsor of your expected arrival date so that they will be available to meet you at the air terminal or civilian airport when you arrive. If the sponsor is unable to meet you, someone else from the appropriate department will be there to meet you. While en route to Souda Bay you may have your mail forwarded to the command.
Temporary Quarters
Bachelor Housing (BH) permanent party accommodations are mandatory for unaccompanied E4 and below. E4 and below personnel will be assigned a permanent party room immediately upon arrival. E5 and above military personnel and all civilians live on the economy during their tour. Upon arrival, if there is space available, they will reside temporarily in the Navy Gateway Inns and Suites (NGIS) while aggressively seeking housing on the economy. Reservations for the NGIS should be made in advance by calling DSN 314-266-1601/02, or 011-30-282-102-1601/02, or faxing your request to DSN 314-266-1193 or 011-30-282-102-1193.
Relocation Assistance
All individuals living on the economy will be supplied with appliances (oven/stove, refrigerator, freezer, electrical transformer, washer, dryer, microwave) to be utilized for the entire length of your tour. Single service members who have not shipped personal items will be loaned furniture (beds, nightstands, dressers, sofa, armchairs, end tables, lamps, coffee table, dining table and dining chairs) for the length of their tour. Others may borrow these furniture items for up to 90 days until household goods arrive.
Fleet and Family Support Center has a loan closet with all kitchen essentials including pots and pans, dishes, and utensils. These items can be borrowed for one month or until your express shipment arrives, whichever comes first.
Incoming personnel attend both a two-day check-in brief and a week long orientation class which provide information on command services, policies, and Greek culture and customs as well as a tour of the local community.
Critical Installation Information
Medical and Dental Services
Branch Health Clinic (BHC) Souda Bay, is a branch clinic of U.S. Naval Hospital (USNH) Sigonella, Italy and is staffed to meet the needs of active duty personnel. Medical services are limited to outpatient care such as sick-call, physical examinations, aviation medicine and primary care. Very limited emergency services are provided. There is only one physician and limited other staff. There is no X-ray or diagnostic laboratory capability. Because of these limitations, all emergency, specialized, or inpatient care is provided by Greek civilian medical facilities. Prescription drugs can sometimes be difficult to obtain. Due to size limitations of our pharmacy, those taking prescription medications should obtain the maximum quantity allowed from their Primary Care Manager (PCM) prior to transfer overseas.
Household Goods and Unaccompanied Baggage
The Greek Government is very strict on the importation and exportation of controlled items. Controlled items include, but are not limited to, all electrical items, cameras, watches, bicycles, furniture items, firearms, metal detectors, televisions, VCRs, stereo equipment, appliances, and scuba equipment. It is important these items be identified by type of item, model no., and serial no. on your Household Goods (HHG)/Unaccompanied Baggage (UB) inventory sheets when you pack out your possessions for shipment to Greece. By direction of the Base CO, members are not authorized to bring any firearms into Greece.
Base Access Required
The NSA Souda Bay is located on the Hellenic (Greek) Air Force Base. As a result, if you are arriving via commercial flight or ferry you must obtain base access permission prior to reporting to NSA Souda Bay. If you arrive via AMC flight, base access in advance of your arrival is NOT necessary but you will need to obtain access before leaving the base in order to come back on. If arriving by commercial air or ferry, it is absolutely essential that you inform your sponsor of your anticipated arrival date so that base access can be arranged for you in advance. You will have extreme difficulty accessing the base from outside the gate without base access. This is true even if you have a military ID card and orders in your possession.
Frequently Called Numbers on Base
Dialing notes: DSN calls from areas outside Europe must use 314 prefix. Commercial callers dial country code for Greece (30), city code for Chania (28210), then “2” followed by last four digits of phone numbers listed below:
Admin Department 266-1234/1245
CMC 266-1361
Housing Department 266-1920/1620/1290
Medical Clinic 266-1590/1591
MWR Kriti Info 266-1794
Navy College 266-1384
Naval Media Center OIC 266-1322
Personnel Support Detachment 266-1241/266-1240
Public Affairs/Community Relations 266-1244