GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY — Pictured from left at Monday’s ground breaking ceremony for a new fitness center at Naval Air Station Kingsville, are NAS Public Works Director, Cmdr. Troy Hamilton; NAS MWR Director, David Haigh; NAS Fitness Director, Kristy Lenzy; U.S. Congressman Solomon Ortiz; NAS Commanding Officer, Capt. Mark McLaughlin; Training Air Wing 2 Commodore, Capt. Mark Brooks ; NAS Executive Officer, Fitness Center Cmdr. Scott Wilmot; Ross Group CEO Warren Ross; and Mark Jackson, Project Manager with Leo A. Daly. (Photo by Erika Hernandez) for NAS

U.S. Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz was the guest speaker at a ground breaking ceremony Monday for a new $10.5 million Naval Air Station Kingsville fitness complex.

Indoors, the 28,000 square-foot facility will include a basketball court, volleyball court, free-weight area, group exercise rooms and racquetball courts.

Architect’s drawing of new NAS fitness center. Outdoor features will include a 25-meter/6-lane heated swimming pool with zero depth entry, 6-lane 400-meter track, synthetic turf football field and jogging trail.

After a tour of the base with Commanding Officer Mark McLaughlin, Oritz said he was excited to see all of the new construction that is taking place.

“I drove around on a tour of the base, and I see that there is a lot of construction going on, and I am looking forward to what is coming next,” Ortiz said.

“These are exciting times at NAS Kingsville,” he said.

He praised the Kingsville community for its constant

NAS support of all things NAS Kingsville.

“This is a joint effort between the military personnel and the civilians who support their mission as well as the community,” Ortiz said.

JOB WELL DONE — U.S. Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz, right, greeted Naval Air Station Kingsville Fire Chief Ruben Perez, left, who was named the Navy’s best fire chief by the Department of Defense earlier this year. The NAS Kingsville Fire Department was also selected as the Navy’s 2009 Fire Department of the Year for medium size installations. The department and its 46 firefighters were recognized for their work in a wide variety of areas, ranging from their internal training program to their broad community fire prevention efforts. (Photo by Erika Hernandez) “Kingsville has been very supportive of what you do here and that is evident as soon as you drive into town and you see the ‘Kingsville loves jet noise’ sign,” Ortiz told the crowd gathered for the ground breaking ceremony.

“You would be surprised to see how many communities do not like the noise,” Ortiz noted.

The congressman thanked the NAS Kingsville staff for its hard work and dedication, and said the staff deserves only the best when it comes to facilities and equipment.

“Thank you so much for the fine work that you do; we have problems ahead of us with two wars and trying to cut back, but our military men and women need the best,” Ortiz said.

“We could not keep the military without giving them what they need,” he said.

“We need to be able to give them brand new equipment and facilities not only for them, but for their families as well,” Ortiz said.

“So again, thank you for what you have done for this base; your contributions have made this base to what it is today,” Ortiz concluded.

The fitness complex is to be completed in spring of 2012.

The Ross Group is the design-build contractor; Leo A. Daly is the architect-engineering firm.

Other construction at NAS Kingsville includes refurbishing of a hangar that will house an Army Medevac team with up to seven Blackhawk-type air ambulance-rescue helicopters and an Armed Forces Reserve Center.

NAS Kingsville has also been designated for a solar energy

Crops experimental project.