Adm. Len Hering, commander of Navy Region Southwest, meets with a young fire victim and her pet turtle during a tour of a shelter at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. (U.S. Navy photo/ S.C. Irwin.)

One of the memorable images from last October’s wildfires was of the young fire victim allowing the kneeling Navy officer to hold her pet turtle, “Buddha,” in his palm while they talked at a shelter at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado. The shelter was built to refuge more than 100 military families fleeing from the fires. The officer — that would be Rear Adm. Len Hering, commander of Navy Region Southwest — was taking a tour of the shelter when he came upon the girl.

Hering, 53, now two and a half years into his six-state command, says he will never forget those turbulent weeks. “While the widespread destruction was horrific and tragic, what I’ll always carry with me are the memories of so many acts of heroism and professionalism displayed all throughout this community,” he says. “I’m proud that, as a vital part of this community, the Navy was able to answer the call in so many cooperative efforts... Sailors and Navy civilian employees lent their professionalism and expertise to the task of getting these fires under control.”

Len Hering (Len is a shortened version of the Dutch name Leendert), commands a huge territory. Headquartered in San Diego, Navy Region Southwest encompasses naval installations and personnel in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. About 7,500 military and civilian personnel are under his command. The admiral spends between 10 and 15 days a month in trips to various installations. This month he’ll spend some time in Lemoore, El Centro and Salt Lake City.

Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Alphonso Matthews answers question during the chief petty officer exam aboard the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan. More than 245 first class petty officers participated in this year’s exam aboard Reagan. (U.S. Navy photo/ Marc Rockwell-Pate.)

A native of Portsmith, Va., Hering is the son of a Navy chief petty officer who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Although he had an early desire to become a veterinarian, the young Hering took a Navy ROTC scholarship and never left the service after getting his commission. “Every time I turned around, they offered me one more exciting opportunity,” he says.

He and his wife, Sharon, live in Point Loma. They have three sons. Christopher, 16, is a sophomore at Point Loma High. Timothy, 25, recently graduated from Long Beach State. Lee, 27, a submarine sonar technician, teaches sub tactics in Groton, Conn.

Although Hering says he does not know when he will retire from the Navy, his options for a place to live will always include San Diego. “We love it here,” he says.

Metropolitan: Adm. Hering, what changes have taken place on your watch?

Something I’m very proud of is our success stories relative to efficient management and sustainability. I mean doing business in harmony with the environment and local communities as the Navy completes our mission of maintaining, training and equipping combat-ready naval forces capable of winning wars and deterring aggression while preserving freedom of the seas.

In 2007, the city of San Diego recognized our Integrated Solid Waste Management program with the Environmental Partner of the Year Award for the Navy’s ongoing commitment to reduce the amount of military trash and debris entering the Miramar landfill.

Each of my facilities is committed to seeking out renewable energy sources...Our recycling program is a huge success story. We treat our trash like gold...We’re constantly aligning processes that make efficient use of people and resources... We’ve improved bachelors’ quarters, single sailor facilities, piers, runways and much more. I believe the changes made over the past few years will have a positive and long lasting impact on sailors, their families and the fleet.

How will the Navy evolve in San Diego in the short term, and in the next century?

During a safety briefing, sailors aboard the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Asheville demonstrate how the fire party carries out fire-fighting procedures. (U.S. Navy photo/Omar A. Dominquez.)

The future is going to be an exciting one for the Navy in San Diego. In 2006, the Quadrennial Defense Review announced the Department of Defense’s goal to increase our presence in the Pacific, based on trade trends and global issues. For the Navy, that requires a change in force posture and basing in the Pacific region to support national security.

What does this mean for San Diego specifically? Quite a bit, actually.  San Diego is, and will continue to be, playing a vital role in maritime strategy and national defense — through 2008 and in years to come. Last year we welcomed new faces to our waterfront: the brand new Arleigh Burke class destroyers Kidd and Sampson and the amphibious landing dock ship New Orleans. The cruiser Cape St. George moved here from Norfolk, Va., to join the Pacific Fleet. The addition of these ships and their crews to the San Diego community is a milestone.

Soon we’ll be seeing more naval assets arriving in San Diego as part of that expansion in the Pacific, including the LCS platforms, the movement of the mine countermeasure forces here, the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson and two submarines. We have some significant construction projects in the works that will provide us with the opportunity to make a home for our new assets.

As you can see, San Diego is definitely at the center of the Navy’s shifting emphasis from the Atlantic to the Pacific Fleet.

As far as the next century, we continue to make giant technological strides and our people are always ready to make great things happen. Whatever the future brings, the Navy is ready to adapt and lead, and San Diego will always be part of our strength and inspiration. The future of the Navy is the future of San Diego.

Speaking of the future, in what shape are the plans for redeveloping the Navy Broadway Complex? Are you satisfied with that progress?

In 2007 we moved closer to realizing the benefits of the Broadway Complex redevelopment agreement between the Navy and the city of San Diego. We’re looking forward to even more progress this year. This revitalization of our corner of the Downtown waterfront brings numerous benefits to the community: landmark buildings, walkways, shops, restaurants, business centers, broad view corridors and a park. We’re talking large areas of open space and much lower density than other areas of Downtown. This development opens up more access to the waterfront, making E, F and G streets accessible to the public both physically and visually. Each of the features of this project has been conceived in complete harmony with the rest of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan.

The economic benefits of this redevelopment project are substantial. According to a recent San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce report, the $1.3 billion investment to redevelop this Downtown parcel will generate $2.7 billion in gross regional product, and will directly or indirectly support over 22,000 jobs.

Of course, this development will also be beneficial for the Navy and the American taxpayer. We’ll receive a 350,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building, at no cost to taxpayers. The importance of this update to our headquarters building cannot be understated considering the high-tech nature of today’s Navy and our need to operate in a more efficient and effective manner.

The Downtown area, the city of San Diego, and the entire county stand to benefit from this business/recreation redevelopment effort.

Help us understand the size of the U.S. Navy’s uniform presence in San Diego County. Is it best expressed in terms of personnel, bases, ships and aircraft?

Sailors man the rails on the flight deck aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. (U.S. Navy photo/Omar A. Dominquez)

Well, the military presence here in San Diego is impressive no matter how you look at it. San Diego is home to three major Navy bases: Naval Base Coronado, Naval Base Point Loma and Naval Base San Diego. Each of these bases is in turn home to many commands and units, and a whole lot of people.

Coronado is home to the headquarters of both our surface forces and our aviation forces. We have two aircraft carriers and 17 aircraft squadrons homeported at North Island. That impressive footprint represents over 30,000 military and civilian employees.

At Naval Base San Diego, we’ve got 53 homeported surface ships and a variety of tenant commands which provide logistical support and quality of life services to our operating forces. Over 30,000 sailors and civilian employees are there also.

We’ve got 78 tenant commands at Naval Base Point Loma, including four submarines, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command and the headquarters for the United States Third Fleet. Point Loma area commands employ over 10,000 military and civilian personnel.

Such a presence has an incredible economic impact on the region, a very positive impact. In 2004, the military spent $11.7 billion here, almost 10 percent of the total economic impact output in the county. The full economic impact of the military was more than $18 billion in gross regional product. That’s over 13 percent of San Diego’s total economic activity.

How does the Navy’s influence and presence change when you add in spouses and retired naval personnel?

Both of those factors change significantly when you think about families and retirees. There are almost 70,000 active duty family members and over 45,000 retirees in San Diego County. Is it any surprise you hear that term "Navy town" so often here? Our Navy families and retirees are your neighbors, your friends. They’re shopping in the same stores, waiting in line with you at the movie theater, and cheering on the Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. They are San Diegans.

How did the Navy’s bases fare in the Base Realignment and Closure process and do you worry about any being shuttered in the future?

Here in the San Diego metro area, our impacts from BRAC have all been about gains. As they prepare to close Ingleside, Texas, we are preparing to welcome that community of professionals to America’s Finest City.

Along with its ships and aircraft, what other activities does the Navy oversee in San Diego?

The Los Angeles class attack submarine USS Helena departs Naval Base Point Loma for a western Pacific deployment. (U.S. Navy photo/ April M. Currie)

The Navy in San Diego is a very diverse community. Our people are doing every kind of job imaginable, on a variety of platforms and with an assortment of critical missions. So much good work is being done right here.

Look around the county; you’ll see all kinds of Navy activities going on. We’ve got Seabees working on construction projects at our bases. An incredible amount of training occurs every day, whether it be SEALs or Explosive Ordnance Disposal professionals. Our military security forces are patrolling our bases and waters. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, SPAWAR, is a hub of warfighting research and development, providing Navy commanders with mission-essential technology for command, control and communication systems and ocean surveillance.

So much is happening in San Diego’s Navy today. In October last year, Naval Medical Center San Diego opened the doors to its newly renovated Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care facility, a first-rate center that provides state-of-the-art aesthetic, prosthetic and rehabilitation services to our most critically injured warriors and heroes. This facility and the expert level of care provided by the doctors, prosthetists, and corpsmen is a clear illustration of the Navy’s commitment to caring for and supporting our heroes. The bravery, energy and grit these recovering sailors and Marines demonstrate every day and the sheer dedication of the professionals at Balboa inspires me.

We’ve got some of the largest and most exciting new developments occurring right here every day. Our area of responsibility is across 23 business lines in six states and the demands seem to grow every day, but I can say that Region Southwest does it better than anywhere else and that many of the Navy’s best support programs and models have been developed right here.

What kind of partnerships do you have with private sector businesses in San Diego?

Balloons and bunting decorate the bow of Military Sealift Command dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Robert E. Peary during christening ceremonies at General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard. The ship is named for the man who led the first expedition to the geographic North Pole. (U.S. Navy photo/Brian Brannon)

Actually we have many, but one particular partnership that is very important to the Navy here in San Diego is the Pacific Beacon project at Naval Base San Diego. Developed by Clark Realty and the Navy, Pacific Beacon is the first large-scale privatized housing facility for sailors in the country. It raises the bar for housing for single enlisted sailors. Forget the military barracks of yesterday. When it’s completed, Pacific Beacon will be four 18-story towers featuring state-of-the-art apartments with open living areas, full kitchens, washers and dryers, and balconies. Every sailor will have a private bedroom suite, large walk-in closets, and private bathrooms. The complex will house a fitness center, a resort-style swimming pool, lounges, a coffee bar, classrooms, and a theater.

This project is an important initiative for the Navy, and will help alleviate a current housing shortfall of approximately 3,000 beds. I’m very proud of this initiative: our sailors deserve the highest quality-of-life benefits we can provide them, and private, comfortable quarters are a basic need. Pacific Beacon goes well beyond the basics; this living environment is going to improve the lives of our single sailors, and will be comparable to — and often superior to — many apartment or condo complexes in the area. Once again, San Diego’s Navy has set the standard for the military’s future.

What can you tell us about the typical sailor in San Diego? What is the level of education and training? What percentage of young sailors are women these days?

Sonar Technician 2nd Class Joel Sharp, right, and Ens. Frederick Nelson both stationed aboard the guided-missile frigate USS Jarrett, conduct a search and rescue training drill. (U.S. Navy photo/ Eric D. Shuey)

Our sailors are representatives of their country, their states, and their hometowns. They come from all over — from large metropolitan areas to small rural or desert towns. The average age of the Navy sailor is 29. Almost 65 percent of our force falls in the 18-30 age range. Women represent 15 percent of our force.

Education is critical because of the highly technical nature of today’s Navy. About 95 percent of our enlisted men and women have high school degrees or higher, and 90 percent of our officers have a college degree. For the most part they represent the top 10 percent of their graduating high school class.

These sailors come from different cultures, educational backgrounds, religions and general life experiences. These unique experiences and perspectives help enrich the Navy and make it stronger. They are absolutely the best this country has to offer. There’s nothing they can’t do and there’s nothing that appears too difficult or challenging. They’re loyal, patriotic, dedicated to a higher calling and willing to sacrifice so others might live free, not just here in their own country but around the globe where oppression and poverty abounds.  They are the sole reason I still look forward to coming to work everyday.

How many sailors stay in longer than a single term? What kind of skills do those people have?

Rear Adm. Len R. Hering Sr., commander of Navy Region Southwest, tours the construction site for a 1,199-unit building for single service members. The 941 two-bedroom market-style apartments at Naval Station San Diego will include a fitness center, parking and other amenities. (U.S. Navy photo/Michael C. Barton)

Today over 50 percent of our enlisted sailors continue past their first enlistment. When you consider the challenging nature of today’s armed forces — the deployments, the family separations, combat missions — that number is impressive. It’s clear evidence that our fighting men and women are professional, dedicated and patriotic. They care about their country and are willing to sacrifice quite a bit to be a part of our national defense.

Our sailors also have so many different skill sets. We have mechanics and medics, electricians and engineers, air traffic controllers and aerographers, chefs and chaplains, divers and dentists, steelworkers and storekeepers, musicians and machinists. The Navy has over 60 different job fields, and professionals in each of those fields are hard at work on our bases and ships around San Diego right now.

What else is it important San Diegans understand about the Navy and its relationship with San Diego?

San Diego is a great Navy town. As we shift even more forces to the Pacific, the significance of San Diego to national defense will continue to grow. As I said earlier, the future of the Navy is the future of San Diego. We respect the special bond we have and wish to thank San Diego and the entire county of San Diego for keeping that support strong.