In December 1940 construction began on an auxiliary field for NAS Norfolk, in a swampy, isolated section of land in Virginia. Construction was complete November 1941, just in time for a massive expansion as the USA was thrust into World War Two. Ongoing construction through the war added officer and enlisted housing, additional hangar space and runways, and an upgrade to Auxiliary Station status.

This status continued through 1952, when it was determined that NAS Norfolk was too constricted to serve as a Master Jet Base, and Oceana was considered an excellent location for concentrated Jet Base operations. More construction followed, and Ocean became home to the most advanced aircraft in the Navy. Facility upgrades and improvements have continued since the 1950s, and with the consolidation of forces in the 1990s and 2000s, NAS Oceana, with over seven miles of runway and some of the most advanced support facilities in worldwide Naval aviation, came out on top as the Master Jet Base of the US East Coast, in tandem with NAS Norfolk.