Local Navy League council reaches out to Kirtland

  • Published
  • By Ryan Stark
  • Nucleus staff writer
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Getting Kirtland Airmen interested in joining the New Mexico Council of the Navy League of the United States might sound like a tall order.

But given that the chapter successfully put together a grassroots effort to convince the Navy to name a ship for its state, overcoming the differences between military branches doesn't look like too big of a task.

The chapter -- which successfully lobbied the Secretary of the Navy to name a new Virginia-class submarine the USS New Mexico a few years ago -- is reaching out to Airmen as part of its mission to support and honor active-duty service members of all branches while educating the public as to the national importance of sea power.

"We work to support the Air Force, the Navy, the Marine Corps ... all our active-duty personnel," said Navy League regional president Angie McKinstry. "It's our way of giving back and making something positive for New Mexico."

When it comes to looking past the rivalries, local member and USS New Mexico committee member Joe Loisel, a retired Army colonel, knows all about it.

He said working with other branches helps remind everyone of the shared mission. "Yeah, they got an Army colonel involved in naming a submarine," Loisel said with a laugh. "But we work in support of all forces because, when we work together, there's no question (about dedication)."

Loisel and his fellow committee members began lobbying the Navy to name a vessel after the state in the early 2000s. There had not been a USS New Mexico since the battleship bearing that name -- once the flagship of America's Pacific fleet -- was decommissioned in 1946. Submarines USS Albuquerque and USS Santa Fe were already in service, and the local chapter supports and promotes them as well.

To get a new USS New Mexico in the water, the local council launched a letter-writing campaign. Despite a few submarines slated for construction being given different names, the local committee persevered.

"We got school kids writing letters and mayors of every town in New Mexico," Loisel said. "The Secretary of the Navy was getting letters left and right."

Their persistence paid off. In 2010, the USS New Mexico was launched.

The local Navy League chapter has provided many New Mexican touches for the crew. Shipments of New Mexico food, pen-pal campaigns between sailors and local elementary school students and visits by local dignitaries are part of the chapter's outreach to those who serve on the submarine.

The Navy League recently sent a shipment of food from Las Cruces' famous La Posta restaurant. The council also supports young people who are looking to serve in the military. It sponsors 21 Junior ROTC units representing the Navy and Marine Corps, Navy Sea Cadet programs and others.

McKinstry and Loisel are staging the league's annual Navy Ball on Oct. 11 and have invited all members of the Kirtland community to attend.

The event will feature speeches by the current commanders of the USS New Mexico, Albuquerque and Santa Fe submarines, and a celebration of the Navy's 239th birthday.

For more information on the New Mexico Council of the Navy League, visit www.nmnavyleague.com.