Our Neighborhood

From the Antelope Valley en route to Las Vegas, Nevada, the 25th district encompasses parts of the San Bernardino County, including Victorville and Barstow. This area is made up of deserts and mountainous terrain. The mountain ranges are composed of striking, jagged rocks that rise abruptly out of flat sun-baked basins—land that is sparsely covered by shrubs and bizarrely twisted Joshua trees.

The city of Victorville is situated around 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles and 35 miles northeast of San Bernardino. The town was originally called Victor, named after railroad pioneer, Jacob Nash Victor. This town was established as a result of the original railroad station constructed approximately one mile northwest of the narrows of the Mojave River. In 1901, the U.S. Post Office changed the name of the town to Victorville, due to a conflict with another town already named Victor in Colorado.

During World War II, initial construction of Victorville Army Airfield, later renamed George Air Force Base, began. At one time the base supported two Tactical Fighter Wings of the Tactical Air Command whose primary aircraft was the F-4 Phantom, while employing 6,000 civilian and military personnel. In January of 1989, George Air Force Base was closed. The military base was annexed to the city in 1993 and renamed Southern California Logistics Airport.

From Victorville headed northwest, you will find yourself in Barstow. Located halfway between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, Barstow is a perfect stop for California and desert information.

Several military bases surround Barstow, California. In 1951, Camp Irwin’s gates opened as the Armored Combat Training Area and served as a training center for combat units during the Korean War. The post was renamed Fort Irwin in August of 1961. During the Vietnam buildup, many units (primarily artillery and engineer) trained and deployed from Fort Irwin. In August of 1979, Fort Irwin was selected as the site for the National Training Center. With over 1000 square miles for maneuver and ranges, an uncluttered electromagnetic spectrum, airspace restricted to military use and its isolation from densely populated areas, Fort Irwin was an ideal site. Currently, Fort Irwin and the National Training Center continue to support the U.S. Army and remain a training center for officials from other countries to model.

China Lake Naval Base is another military base in this region of the desert. This base is most well known for its Naval Air Warfare enter Weapons Division. Over the past 58 years, the Division has serviced the Navy and the nation, producing a substantial record of accomplishments. At this site, you will find a sampling of some of the events that have ensured the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s reputation as the Navy’s premier research, development, test and evaluation command.

Helpful Resources:
San Bernadino County: http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/
Victorville- http://ci.victorville.ca.us/
Barstow- http://www.barstowca.org/