Naval Station Everett history began in 1983 when the Secretary of the Navy first proposed a new Puget Sound area naval base as part of the Strategic Homeport concept. On April 17, 1984, Everett was selected from among 13 ports as the ideal location for the new homeport. Congress approved the first funds for construction on Oct. 2, 1986 and the official ground breaking ceremony was on Nov. 9, 1987. The Navy awarded the $56 million carrier pier construction contract on Sept. 9, 1988, and in June 1992, three Navy ships participated in the formal opening of the new pier.

A second groundbreaking ceremony was held on Aug. 30, 1993 for the Naval Station Everett Navy Support Complex, located off 136th St. in Smokey Point. The Navy acquired the 52-acre site to build facilities not available at the waterfront location. At Smokey Point is a commissary, large exchange, family support service center, thrift shop, education offices, bachelor and visitor quarters, chapel and religious education center, an auto hobby shop, ball fields and courts, fleet parking for personnel assigned to deployed Everettbased ships and a 50-room Navy Lodge.

During the first week of 1994, Naval Station Puget Sound personnel moved to the recently completed Fleet Support and Administration buildings and on Jan. 4, 1994, officially began operating at Naval Station Everett. On April 8, 1994, the official dedication ceremony was conducted with more than 1,000 guests in attendance.

On Sept. 3, 1994, USS INGRAHAM (FFG 61) and USS FORD (FFG 54) arrived as the first of seven ships to be assigned here. On Nov. 22, 1995, USS PAUL F. FOSTER (DD 964) arrived at the naval station. On that same date, the Navy officially announced the assignment of USS DAVID R. RAY (DD 971), USS CALLAGHAN (DDG 994) and USS CHANDLER (DDG 996) to Naval Station Everett. USS DAVID R. RAY arrived July 29, 1996 and USS CALLAGHAN and USS CHANDLER both arrived Sept. 27, 1996. To complete the complement of ships at Naval Station Everett, USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) made a change of homeport from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton to Everett on Jan. 8, 1997.

In March 1998, USS CALLAGHAN (DDG 994) was decommissioned and in May 1998, two ships based in Japan, USS FIFE (DD 991) and USS RODNEY M. DAVIS (FFG 60), made their official change of homeport to Everett on May 5, 1998. The Housing Welcome Center at the Navy Support Complex opened in February 1999 and the third bachelor enlisted quarters was opened in May. In September 1999, USS CHANDLER (DDG 996) was decommissioned.

The year 2000 found Naval Station Everett growing more. The station added a Navy Federal Credit Union branch, two gas stations and mini-marts, a small movie theater in The Commons and expanded their facilities for off-duty college courses. Also in this banner year, the naval station welcomed the Coast Guard buoy tender USCG HENRY BLAKE (WLM 531) to their ship compliment.

Naval Station Everett gained two new Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyers to replace the decommissioned Spruance Class destroyers — USS DAVID R. RAY (DD 971) decommissioned in February 2002, USS FIFE (DD 991) decommissioned in February 2003 and USS PAUL F. FOSTER (DD 964) decommissioned in March 2003. USS SHOUP (DDG 86) was the first to be homeported here in May 2002 and was followed in October 2004 by the USS MOMSEN (DDG 92). In July 2005, the Coast Guard cutter USCGC BLUE SHARK (WPB 87360) made Naval Station Everett their official new home.