Welcome to Naval District Washington, “The Quarterdeck of the Navy.“ With the nation's capital at its heart, the naval region encompasses more than 4,000 square miles, including the District of Columbia; the Maryland counties of Anne Arundel, Talbot, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, Worchester, Kent, Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, St. Mary's, Queen Anne's and Caroline; and northern Virginia counties of Loudoun, Fauquier, Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford, King George, Arlington and the cities within their outer boundaries.

The Washington Navy Yard, authorized by the first Secretary of the Navy, Benjamin Stoddert, in 1799, is the U.S. Navy's oldest shore establishment. It occupies land set aside by George Washington for use by the Federal Government along the Anacostia River. The original boundaries that were established in 1800, along 9th and M Streets SE, are still marked by a white brick wall, built in 1809, along with a guardhouse.

The two airports closest to Naval District Washington are Dulles International, located in Centerville, Va., and Ronald Reagan Washington National, in Arlington, Va. Shuttle services are available from both. Washington, D.C., is a stop for Amtrak, Virginia Railway Express and Maryland MARC train services.

The Regional Child Placement Office (RCPO) provides one-stop shopping for all of your childcare needs. The staff can provide information on accredited commercial childcare facilities. Among the services available are assistance in finding care for children ages 6 wks-12 years and children with special needs and information on local summer camps.

A wide variety of non-appropriated job opportunities are available, including in the areas of retail, food and hospitality, recreation, and childcare. Current job openings are listed under the various installations MWR pages on the NDW web site (www.cnic.navy.mil⁄ndw).

The Branch Health Clinic (BHC) Washington Navy Yard is a new state-of-the-art facility that delivers quality medical and dental care to ACTIVE DUTY BENEFICIARIES ONLY in the National Capital Region. The BHC is located in building 175 on Washington Navy Yard.

The DS (Display Ship) BARRY is one of only three remaining Forrest Sherman-class destroyers. Commissioned September 7, 1956, she is the third ship to bear the name of the illustrious Revolutionary War naval hero, Commodore John Barry.

All Naval installations in the National Capital Region function under a single command structure. This was accomplished to help the Navy achieve greater efficiency, improve communication between commands and also provide local community leaders with a clear idea of who is accountable for the Navy's local common operating support mission services.

Throughout our nation's history it has played an important part in the defense of our country and, in recognition of that fact, the National Park Service has designated it as a National Historical Landmark. Currently it is home to a variety of activities including the Regional Headquarters Naval District Washington, which functions as the coordinator for most of the Navy units in the Washington, Northern Virginia and Maryland areas.

DISA is located at 701 South Courthouse Road in Arlington, Virginia. The 30-acre complex has 13 buildings that host both DISA and Navy housing. The complex is on the southwest side of Arlington National Cemetery and is adjacent to Henderson Hall (U.S. Marine Corps) and Fort Myer (U.S. Army). It is also in the immediate vicinity of the Navy Arlington Annex (ARLEX) and the Pentagon.

Naval Support Activity South Potomac (NSASP) was established as a component of Naval District Washington to provide shore installation management services for Naval Support Facility (NSF) Indian Head, Md., NSF Dahlgren, Va., NSF Andrews AFB, Md. and NSF Fort Belvoir, Va.

The primary mission of NSA Annapolis is to serve as installation host for the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis as well as the Naval Research Libratory at Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. NSA Annapolis ensures the integration and coordination of common operating support (COS) service delivery to mission commands within the NSA Annapolis footprint.

Naval Air Station Patuxent River is home to the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) and the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Headquarters.

Naval District Washington serves as the Navy Community Service Program (NCSP) Regional Coordinator for Navy commands located in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and the state of Maryland. The NCSP encourages and expands involvement of Navy volunteers in the communities in which they live and work.

The United States Navy Band is the Navy's premier musical representative in Washington, D.C. The Navy Band is recognized by many as “The World's Finest,“ and is staffed by some of the nation's best musicians. Celebrating 80 years of service to America, President Coolidge signed into law a 1925 bill stating “hereafter the band now stationed at the Navy Yard, known as the Navy Yard Band, shall be designated as the United States Navy Band.“

Established in 1931, the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard is the official Ceremonial Unit of the U.S. Navy and is based at NSF Anacostia in Washington, D.C.

Our Nation's Capital, home of Naval District Washington, is teeming with historical landmarks that symbolize our American history, patriotism and Naval tradition. Buildings constructed during the time of our founding fathers now stand as focal points in the administration of our government, and, more importantly, some of the most interesting locations to visit in the country, if not the world.

The NDW Guide is an authorized publication for the Naval District Washington. It is printed by Comprint Military Publications of Gaithersburg, MD, a private firm under contract with NDW. All editorial content of the guide is prepared and edited by the NDW Public Affairs Office. CMP is responsible for commercial advertising.

• About Naval District Washington