PORT TOWNSEND — As one of his first acts of public outreach, Cmdr. George Whitbred volunteered Tuesday at the site of a Habitat for Humanity house being built in Port Townsend near Fort Worden State Park.
Working alongside other Navy and civilian volunteers Whitbred, who assumed command of Naval Magazine Indian Island on Aug. 25, sawed and hammered wood and chatted with other volunteers.
Whitbred, 41, said that as the new commanding officer of the base, he’s devoted to getting to know community members of Jefferson County and Port Townsend.
“The community is our family, and without the community there would be no Indian Island,” Whitbred said Tuesday.
“This is an opportunity for me to reach out, listen, feel, understand and appreciate the outstanding Americans that live in this community.”
Public outreach
Whitbred said he expects to pursue public outreach to become acquainted with community members of Jefferson County, but that he doesn’t know what shape it will take yet.
Asked about one of the paramount concerns of some Port Townsend residents, the existent of weapons containing depleted uranium on the base and the risks involved, Whitbred didn’t have an answer.
“I haven’t had enough time to dig into that, but I know it’s a concern,” he said.
Although the base’s mission — ordnance logistics — hasn’t changed since World War II, security has changed, said Whitbred.
“The effects of 9/11 have changed some of the measures we take as far as security on the base and access to the base,” Whitbred said.
The terrorists attacks “did increase our operational frequency of ordnance logistics, but it has returned to the pre-9/11 operation.”
Glad to be back
Although new to Indian Island, Whitbred commanded the explosive ordnance disposal unit on Whidbey Island, and said he’s glad to be back in the Northwest.
Before that he was commander of Navy Readiness Command in Boston, Mass.
He said the Navy places people where they are needed without much input from the individual.
“It’s like a chess piece game,” Whitbred said.