Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific |
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Entrance sign at the Main Gate of NCTAMS PAC, Hawaii
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| Active | 1906-present |
| Country |  United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Type | Shore |
| Role | Communications Support |
| Nickname(s) | NCTAMS PAC |
| Decorations | Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation (September 1999-May 2001) |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding Officer | Captain Vincent S. Tionquiao |
| Notable commanders |
RDML Lillian E. Fishburne (Ret.) |
The Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station Pacific (NCTAMS PAC) is a very important part of the United States Navy. It helps all Navy users in the Pacific Ocean communicate with each other.
NCTAMS PAC manages and runs special communication systems for the Navy. They also provide computer services, maintenance, and repair for the United States Department of Defense (DoD) in the Pacific. Think of them as the main hub for all Navy messages and data in a huge part of the world!
Contents
History of Communications in Hawaii
Early Days Before World War II
In May 1888, the United States set up a "coaling station" in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. This was a place where Navy ships could stop to refuel with coal. King David Kalākaua of Hawaii had given the U.S. permission to use this area earlier that year.
The first U.S. Naval Radio Station in Pearl Harbor started working on October 1, 1906. This station helped ships and bases send messages using radio waves. It operated for about ten years.
In 1915, the United States Congress approved money to build a much stronger, long-distance radio station. This new station, called NPM, began operating in 1916 at Hospital Point, Pearl Harbor. On September 20, 1916, the first message was sent all the way from Pearl Harbor to Long Beach, California! It was a big step for naval communications.
After World War I, the Navy's presence in Pearl Harbor grew. The radio station needed more space to expand. So, in 1933, a new area was set aside at Lualualei. Seven tall steel towers, each about 610 feet (186 meters) high, were built there for a new antenna system. This new site officially opened in 1936, and by 1941, it had twelve transmitters working.
World War II and Moving Operations
When many United States Pacific Fleet ships arrived at Pearl Harbor in 1939, it became clear that a new, safer place was needed for receiving and controlling radio messages. A quiet spot called Wahiawa, about 20 miles (32 km) north of Pearl Harbor, was chosen. The Navy bought the land in 1940, and construction began. This new station was considered very important for the Navy's expansion plans.
On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes flew over the Lualualei Transmitter Site on their way to bomb Pearl Harbor. The main Navy radio stations were attacked, but luckily, not many communication workers were hurt. However, the radio stations themselves were easy targets. Lualualei was close to the coast, and its power came from far away. Another station at Wailupe was also too exposed.
Because of these attacks, a quick decision was made on December 10 to move all the equipment from Wailupe to the new, safer site at Wahiawa. Workers moved everything day and night. By December 17, the move was complete without any break in communication services! This new location became known as the Naval Radio Station, Wahiawa.
To make naval communications even better and more secure in the Pacific, a Communications Security Unit (COMSEC) was set up at Wahiawa in 1942. Their job was to help keep messages secret and manage message traffic. After the war, it was clear that the Navy's communication needs in Hawaii would remain very large.
After World War II: Growth and Changes
After the war, there was a discussion about where the main radio communication center should be. For a while, it was thought it should move back to Pearl Harbor. However, by 1956, it was decided that Pearl Harbor didn't have enough space for all the communication facilities. Also, having different parts of the system spread out made it hard to manage. So, the main communication center was moved back to the Wahiawa site.
The Navy needed faster ways to send messages to its fleet commanders. So, in 1957, a new teletypewriter system called HICOM was started. Later, the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet added another fast communication line. By 1959, an even faster system called the "Naval Operation Net" was created. Around this time, some older stations were no longer needed.
In 1967, many communication centers on Oahu were brought together. Message centers at places like Pearl Harbor, Makalapa, and Camp Smith all came under one main control. This helped make operations smoother and more organized.
New digital message systems were introduced in the 1970s to make sending messages even faster and more efficient. For example, the Makalapa Local Digital Message Exchange (LDMX) was activated in 1973. This system greatly improved how quickly messages reached their destination. Over the years, different communication centers continued to merge and reorganize to work better together.
In April 1976, the Naval Communications Station Honolulu was renamed the Naval Communication Area Master Station, Eastern Pacific (NAVCAMS EASTPAC).
On February 18, 1977, NAVCAMS EASTPAC opened a huge new Super High Frequency (SHF) Satellite Facility at Wahiawa. This was the largest facility of its kind!
On December 1, 1990, NAVCAMS EASTPAC merged with another Navy computer center to form the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Eastern Pacific (NCTAMS EASTPAC). This merger helped the Navy keep up with new technology.
The command got its current name, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Pacific (NCTAMS PAC), on October 20, 1997. This new name better showed that the command served the entire Pacific region.
Images for kids
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Entrance sign at the Main Gate of NCTAMS PAC, Hawaii
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Hawaiian King Kalākaua granted the U.S. the exclusive rights to enter and develop a coaling station in 1888.
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Location of NCTAMS PAC at Wahiawā, Hawaii
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The Navy's Satellite Facility at Wahiawa.
