Naval Station Rota, Spain

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The Naval Base is printed in grey

U.S. Naval Station Rota (NAVSTA Rota) (ICAO: LERT) in Rota, Spain, located in the small fishing village and tourism center of Rota and near the Spanish town of El Puerto de Santa María, is the largest American military base in Spain and houses U.S. Navy Sailors and Marines and their families. There are also small Army and Air Force contingents on the base.

Described by the Navy as the "Gateway to the Mediterranean", Naval Station Rota is home to an airfield and a port; the airfield has often caused the base to be misidentified as "Naval Air Station Rota." The base is the headquarters for Commander, U.S. Naval Activities Spain (COMNAVACTSPAIN), as well as one of the primary gateways for Air Mobility Command flights into Europe.

NAVSTA Rota has been in use since the 1950s when Francisco Franco strengthened relations with the Americans to improve local economies. While somewhat crucial to Cold War strategy, the base did have nuclear weapons stationed on it for some time, and at its peak size, in the early 1980s, was home to 16,000 sailors and their families. With the downsizing of the Navy during the late 80s, and especially after the end of the Cold War, the base's population declined. Rota is now home for about 1200 American Service Members and their families.

The base is technically a tenant facility of the Rota Spanish Navy base. As such, certain U.S. military customs are not observed, such as the display of a U.S. Flag, which is only allowed during the annual Fourth of July celebration.

NAVSTA Rota has also served as a primary holding facility for troops and supplies on their way to and from the Middle East during the recent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[edit] Trivia

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The naval base at Rota is the home of the only Taco Bell on the Iberian Peninsula.
The naval base at Rota was the first stop of the Harlem Globetrotters during their tour in Europe in appreciation of different military bases across the continent.
U.S. Navy Admiral David Glasgow Farragut is honored by both the elementary and high school in the Naval housing on base. Both schools were named after him. The logo of the schools is the admiral.
Due to the fact that in the 1980s, all Spanish Navy Harrier pilots used to go through flight training at NAS Meridien, MS, many EA-3B flight crews had established bonds with Rota before receiving orders posting them there.
The American Navy housing is divided by two different-looking homes. Las Palmeras are one-story homes clearly influenced by Spanish architecture. Las Flores homes are two-story American style homes.
VQ-2 was based at Rota from 1959 until 2005. In that time, the squadron flew the P4M Mercator, EC-121 Super Constellation, EA-3 Skywarrior, the P-3 Orion and EP-3 series of aircraft.
VR-22, flying C-130s operated there from 1982-1992.
A large community of retired American service men and women who married Spanish men and women still live in the Cadiz metropolitan area. A figure cited anecdotally was that 20% of American servicemen and 15% of American servicewomen stationed in Rota intermarried with Spaniards.
The DOD made an effort to post Spanish-speaking service members to Rota.
Among American service men and their families stationed in Rota, the early 1970s saw the revival of an old depression era phenomenon known as the dance marathon. The first one was held in late 1973 and was billed as a 16 hour dance marathon, with contestants dancing continuously for 50 minutes, then getting a 10 minute bathroom break before beginning another 50 minute dance session. The planned 16 hours turned into 24 at which time the contest was stopped and the remaining couples were declared joint winners. The second such contest was held in early 1975 and lasted 34 hours and 44 minutes before Bob and Marsha Kelley outlasted the competition and were declared the winners.