Five years after two earthquakes damaged several China Lake Propulsion Laboratory facilities, and three years after the first shovels of dirt heralded the beginning of a new CLPL era, the Carl Halsey Ordnance Test Support and Technical Services Lab opened its doors in a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 11.

Nearly 200 people, including CLPL denizens past and present as well as four generations of the Halsey family and those involved in the facility’s rebirth, crowded the walkways outside the laboratory doors, waiting for the opportunity to see inside the 64,000 square foot facility.

They also came to hear about Carl Halsey, an energetics pioneer who dedicated 54 years of his life to serving his nation and advanced energetics and explosive safety in his decades with Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division.

Halsey’s son Greg, spoke of his father’s career, which took him around the world and included building, of all things, a shaped charged for sinking ships…for the Navy. He traveled with a team to recover an H bomb lost at sea near Spain. He explored the realm of geothermal power and developed a device that helped clear fire lines for those battling wildfires.

“[My father] was recognized as an expert in his field, and he developed more than a few extremely valuable technologies and testing methods,” Greg Halsey said. “More important were the innumerable technicians, engineers, and scientists that he inspired, mentored, and no doubt browbeat into becoming safer and more effective at their jobs defending this great country. This is his real legacy!”

That legacy – both as a mentor and a technical expert – made naming this new laboratory easy.

“Naming this facility after Carl Halsey isn’t just fitting; it’s essential,” said Rear Adm. Keith Hash, NAWCWD commander. “His legacy of innovation, dedication to the safety of our service members, and the success of our missions is something we strive to carry forward every day.

“He was more than just a part of this place,” Hash continued. “He embodied the very spirit of innovation and determination that has made NAWCWD what it is today.”

Hash highlighted Halsey’s key role in groundbreaking developments that went beyond the proverbial “building a better bomb.” He found ways to make the dangerous job of energetics a little less so.

“How do we keep ordnance from exploding in response to a nearby detonation? How do we stop a chain reaction of explosions if an ordnance storage area is targeted or a single munition detonates?” Hash asked.

Halsey found a way; his innovative use of pumice as a buffer material significantly enhanced the safety of explosives testing, directly saving lives, Hash said. “Here we will build on the foundations he laid.”

And upon that foundation, new leaders have grown.

NAWCWD’s Executive Director Dan Carreño, who started his career in energetics at CLPL, said his time behind the CLPL gate was “fundamental” to how he formed his values, capabilities, and understanding of weapons and the Navy’s role in energetics.

NAWCWD’s role. His own role and responsibility in continuing to build that expertise.

“We’re here to support the warfighters, those who use these weapons. The ones who depend on us to ensure these weapons work, every time,” he said. “Today is Sept. 11, and that’s an important reminder. We cannot forget what the stakes are, what we have to develop faster, better than ever before.”

Even after the earthquakes, CLPL’s team continued to deliver, Carreño said, but the Carl Halsey Laboratory is one step toward revitalizing the CLPL’s capabilities, and China Lake’s place in the future of energetics is nothing but explosive.

“We are going to have the best energetics facilities in the country – in the world,” Carreño said. “And it’s not just because of the facilities. It’s because of the people, like Carl Halsey.”

“The magic remains with our people.”