Commander Navy Southwest formerly known as Naval Base San Diego, and the Eleventh Naval District, was established in 1919. Headquarters for the first Commander, with a staff of seven officers, was located at Naval Station North Island. The Naval presnce in San Diego was first established on 20 January 1920 as the San Diego Operating Base with its headquarters on the Naval Air Base at North Island.
The Commander also serves as regional environmental coordinator for California, Arizona and Nevada and coordinates and oversees environmental compliance actions with local, state and federal regulatory agencies. Additionally, COMNAVREGSW is responsible for planning and coordinating Department of the Navy response to civil emergencies within the states of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and California. The Navy in the Southwest region is establishing a regional organization dedicated to providing the highest level of mission support and quality of life services for all operating forces and ashore support activities in the region.