Congressman Gonzalez and U.S. Secretary of the Navy Del Toro Tour Naval Air Station Kingsville
Visit Highlights Congressman’s Efforts to Improve NASK and its Positive Impact on Local Community
KINGSVILLE, TEXAS –Yesterday, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) and U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro visited Naval Air Station Kingsville (NASK). Together, they toured on-site facilities and spoke with NASK leadership on plans to improve the physical security and well-being of the base and its personnel.
These projects include the construction of a new “Pass & Tag Facility” to improve visitor flow and screening onto the base while reducing strain on security personnel, and the construction of a new fire station training facility to accommodate modern firefighting equipment such as fire trucks. NASK’s only fire station was built in 1956 and is in desperate need of renovation.
“Naval Air Station Kingsville not only provides over 4,000 jobs to the surrounding region and generates over $1 billion for our state’s economy, but it remains a crucial part of our nation’s national defense strategy by training 50 percent of the Navy & Marine Corps' tactical jet pilots each year,” said Congressman Gonzalez. “However, we must secure funding for this critical installation and ensure NASK’s safety and security. That is why I invited Secretary Del Toro to South Texas so that he could see firsthand the need to strengthen NASK’s readiness and operational capabilities.”
“Naval Air Station Kingsville plays a critical role in training so many of our future naval aviators, many of whom earn their wings of gold here,” said Secretary Del Toro. “I want to thank Rep. Gonzalez for supporting this installation and thank all the Sailors, Marines and Navy Civilians who advance its mission.”
Earlier this year, Congressman Gonzalez joined U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz in sending a bipartisan letter to Secretary Del Toro asking to prioritize the two installation projects when preparing the U.S. Department of the Navy’s 2026 Presidential Budget request. Congressman Gonzalez also introduced two amendments to the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to highlight the importance of these two projects.
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