Despite the fact that Pascagoula Naval Station in Mississippi was only around for a mere fourteen years, it had an impressive impact on America. The Naval Station was a base for the United States Navy and was located on the 437 mile man-made Singing River Island in the Mississippi Sound; a site partially chosen because of the close proximity to Ingalls Shipbuilding. NAVSTA (short for Naval Station) Pascagoula was known for its modern structure and for being environmentally sound.

NAVSTA Pascagoula was created in 1985 and construction began in 1988. When the USS Gallery arrived in 1992, the Naval Station became an operational homeport with about 2000 active duty military personnel, in addition to their families, stationed there. There were also approximately 200 civilians who worked on the Naval Station while it was still operational. In 2005, the year that NAVSTA Pascagoula closed its doors, the Naval Station vicariously supported over 4,500 people and had an estimated $100 million annual economic impact.

NAVSTA Pascagoula was well noted for its modern design and for it being "environmentally friendly." A 680 foot double deck pier, two quayside berths, and a wide range of "cold-iron" support for both homeland and visiting ships make up the Naval Station's waterfront support. The facilities, having been built after the asbestos scare, were also known to be free of those cancer-causing agents. Some concern has been raised for the workers that repaired older model ships that may have been built using asbestos. Asbestos is an airborne contaminate that was used in many industrial products and is known to be the leading cause of mesothelioma. According to the National Cancer Institute, mesothelioma is a "rare form of cancer in which malignant cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the boy's internal organs. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles." To date, no cases of asbestos exposure or mesothelioma have been linked to the Naval Station in Pascagoula.

Despite Senator Trent Lott's battles in May of 2005, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfield officially marked NAVSTA Pascagoula for consolidation along with many other bases. On September 29, 2006, formal disestablishment ceremony was held in honor of the base, its history, and its people. Over 200 people trekked to the island to say their goodbyes to the fourteen-year-old facility. The facility, which in its time housed thousands of military personnel and some of the world's best naval ships, was honored with the Navy Band New Orleans and the PCU Kidd color guard. As a last symbolic gesture, the flag was lowered and all watches were secured, one last time.

The Naval Base of Pascagoula ran for almost two more months before on November 16, 2006 its doors were officially closed. NAVSTA Pascagoula affected literally millions of lives through its economic and military support. Even though its doors will remain closed, the possibility of the future remains bright. The Commanding officer of Naval Station Pascagoula commemorated its closing with these words, "It is not a day of sadness, but a day of celebration for the new beginning for Singing River Island."

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