 Tucked away in the North Puget Sound area, NAS Woodby Island is one of the Navy's most important naval air stations. Today, NASWI is the only naval air station in the Pacific Northwest and one of the most modern, with more than 50 tenant commands that support the DOD mission. NASWI is at the forefront of our nation's ability to fight and win in foreign conflicts. In 1941, the Navy surveyed the Pacific Northwest area to build a base for re-arming and refueling seaplanes. The Navy found a home in the small town of Oak Harbor and broke ground for the seaplane base. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, the plans expanded to include what is now Alt Field. Seaplane base was commissioned on September 21, 1942. As the U.S. entered the war, seaplanes based at NASWI filled the critical role of patrolling the waters around the Aleutian Islands. Meanwhile, the base expanded capabilities to be a training and testing platform for military aircraft, an enduring legacy that would remain with NASWI to this day. After the war, NASWI remained the only air station suitable for all type, all-weather aircraft. In the 1950s, NASWI expanded from patrol aircraft to tactical attack aircraft in response to Cold War efforts. This eventually led to electronic attack aircraft in the late 1960s and back to maritime patrolling and the latter part of the 20th century. From the beginning, NASWI integrated into the local communities by contributing with search and rescue efforts and coordinating local emergency services and volunteer programs. In a 2017 study, the base contributed more than $1 billion to the regional economy and accounted for almost 13,000 military and civilian jobs. NASWI is home to all electronic attack squadrons which fly the E-8 18G Growler. The base is also home to one of two maritime patrol and reconnaissance wings. Wing 10 flies P-8 Poseidons, P-3 Orion and E-P-3 Aries. From humble beginnings as a small farming community to one of America's premier naval air stations, NASWI Island is an important cutting-edge installation in support of our nation's strategic goals.