Where Victory Begins: High Level Visit at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown Underscores Shore Readiness and Capabilities

Yorktown, Va. (May 7, 2026) On Friday, May 1st Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Yorktown hosted a visit by The Honorable Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition & Sustainment (USWA&S). The USWA&S was sworn in his current role at the Department of War in June 2025; he is responsible to the Secretary of War for all matters pertaining to acquisition, contract administration, the defense industrial base along with logistics and materiel readiness among other high level responsibilities.

The visit commenced when a VH-60M “Gold Top” belonging to the U.S. Army’s 12th Aviation Battalion touched down at Landing Zone Mason onboard the installation. He was met at the flight line by Captain Dan Patrick, NWS Yorktown’s Commanding Officer and leadership assigned to the installation’s Public Works Department and other personnel supporting his visit. After brief welcomes were completed, the group boarded vans and followed installation law enforcement escorts to commence his tour of York County’s largest civilian employer according to statistics released last year.

A key first stop was the installation’s R-3 weapons pier. The pier sits on the scenic York River and is within site of the scenic Coleman Bridge. While there, he received an overview of the ongoing and planned infrastructure improvements that are crucial to support the U.S. Navy’s newest classes of surface combatants and submarines. Additionally, he received a brief overview regarding the logistics of ordnance handling by personnel assigned to the Navy Munitions Command Atlantic (NMCLANT). Personnel present detailed the recent uptick in demand for ordnance amid global tensions and also addressed current capabilities among other points of discussion during this brief visit to the pier.

Thereafter, the group proceeded to NMCLANT’s P-169 magazine group. These new state of the art weapons magazines are the U.S. Navy’s most advanced munitions storage and handling magazines that are designed to accommodate ordnance currently in use today. The new weapons magazines are also capable of accommodating the weapons being procured for the future. The new weapons magazines group were built with heavily reinforced concrete and includes advanced safety features such as specialized lighting and ventilation systems designed to ensure the thermal stability and security of stored munitions. The P-169 magazine group, along with a host of other weapons magazines currently under construction at the installation is aligned closely with efforts to ensure that ordnance production meets contracted demand.

A final stop in the tour of the installation was a visit to NMCLANT’s Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) facility. This segment of the visit included an overview of the unique capabilities of the facility; it also offered a candid look at the current operational realities of maintaining and delivering this critical weapon system. This focus on current operation operations, among other facets of this facility tour underscored readiness challenges. Additionally, this segment of the tour allowed the USWA&S along with those in the tour group to meet personnel assigned to the facility who work tirelessly to meet contracted demand for TLAMs and other pieces of ordnance being utilized effectively across the globe.

Following his tour of the installation, the USWA&S attended an industry roundtable event in Williamsburg. This meeting with defense industry leadership emphasized the collaborative efforts required to sustain the naval enterprise. Discussions during this meeting provided a forum to align the capabilities of the industrial base with the evolving needs of the U.S. Navy, among other points of interest.

The visit concluded with the USWA&S meeting several high performing personnel at Landing Zone Mason before he embarked on the VH-60M “Gold Top” helicopter for a brief flight back to the nation’s capital. Among those recognized at the flight line were Master-at-Arms Seaman Khaleb Mair, who was selected as the installation’s Blue Jacket of the Quarter and Master-at-Arms Second Class Christopher Osborne, who was selected as the installation’s Senior Sailor of the Year in 2025; both are assigned to the installation’s Security Department. Culinary Specialist Third Class Samuel Burgett, assigned to the installation’s award-winning Scudder Hall galley was recognized by the USWA&S for his recent selection as the installation’s Junior Sailor of the Quarter; along with Mr. Antonio “Tony” O’brien, who was selected as the installation’s Civilian of the Year in 2025. This high performing group of personnel received accolades and a coin from the USWA&S. This brief gesture of recognition served as a reminder that even the most technologically advanced pieces of naval ordnance relies on the best, highly trained and uniquely capable personnel who are truly the embodiment of naval power. Lastly, this high level visit served as a powerful affirmation that the installation, situated in the heart of Virginia’s Historic Triangle, serves as a vital engine of combat readiness.