Naval Amphibious Base Coronado (NAB Coronado)

Naval Amphibious Base Coronado is a United States Navy shore installation at Coronado, California, on the Silver Strand between San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean. It is operated by the Navy under Navy Region Southwest and forms one of the eight components of Naval Base Coronado. The base is the West Coast focal point for special warfare and expeditionary warfare training and operations, and is one of two Navy amphibious training bases in the United States. Its on-base population is about 5,000 military personnel, with a further 7,000 students and reservists.

The installation supports more than 30 tenant commands. Among these are Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific; Naval Special Warfare Command; and Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific. Naval Special Warfare Command exercises control from the base over the Naval Special Warfare Center, Naval Special Warfare Group One with SEAL Teams One, Three, Five and Seven, Naval Special Warfare Group Three with Special Boat Team 12, and the reserve Naval Special Warfare Group 11 with SEAL Teams 17 and 18. Naval Special Warfare Leadership Education and Development is also located there. Amphibious and expeditionary tenants include Amphibious Construction Battalion One, Assault Craft Unit One and Beachmaster Unit One. Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group One is based at Coronado with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Units One and Three. Commander, Tactical Air Control Group One is resident with Tactical Air Control Squadrons Eleven and Twelve and the reserve Tactical Air Control Squadrons 1194 and 1294. The base provides administrative and logistical support to the amphibious units stationed on it and conducts research and testing of newly developed amphibious equipment.

The base covers approximately 1,000 acres comprising the main base, training beaches, a recreational marina, enlisted family housing, a California least tern preserve and a state park. State Route 75 divides the installation into surfside and bayside sections, both used for amphibious training; most of the bayside consists of fill dredged from San Diego Bay in the early 1940s. About 257 acres of ocean beachfront south of the main base, leased from the State of California, carries the bulk of amphibious training. Naval Air Station North Island lies to the northwest.

The Secretary of the Navy authorised an Amphibious Training Base in the San Diego area in June 1943 to train landing craft crews, and the base was formally commissioned in January 1944. It was renamed Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in 1946, when its primary mission changed to administrative and logistical support of the amphibious units resident on the base.