The facility didn't begin as a commando training ground. The Navy has operated on this land near Campo since the early 1960s, when it served as a satellite tracking station during the space race. That mission ended in 1986, and the site sat quiet until 1998, when Naval Base Coronado authorized Naval Special Warfare Command to reconfigure it for mountain warfare training. The transformation turned antennas and tracking equipment into a firing range, barracks, an administration building, and a mountain endurance training course. The Navy continues to seek additional Bureau of Land Management property to expand the facility's footprint.

The site's value lies in its geography. The land and terrain around La Posta closely resemble environments found in Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan - the kinds of places where American special operators have fought and will fight again. The proximity to the Laguna Mountains creates ideal conditions for special reconnaissance training, map and compass navigation, and specialized warfare exercises. Unlike urban training facilities that must simulate difficult terrain, Camp Michael Monsoor provides the real thing: steep grades, variable weather, and elevation challenges that test even the most conditioned operators.

The facility serves Naval Special Warfare Group One, which trains SEAL and SEAL Delivery Vehicle teams and conducts Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) classes. The proximity to San Diego's military bases allows maximum training time with minimal travel expense. Like San Clemente Island off the California coast, Camp Michael Monsoor is one of the few locations where special forces can train in realistic conditions without encroachment from civilian development - no neighbors to complain about gunfire, no flight paths to avoid, no restrictive ordinances to navigate.

Michael Anthony Monsoor was twenty-five when he died. A Master-at-Arms Second Class Petty Officer assigned to SEAL Team 3, he had already earned the Silver Star and Bronze Star during his deployment. His Medal of Honor, awarded posthumously by President George W. Bush in 2008, recognized the choice he made on that Ramadi rooftop - the choice to trade his life for his teammates'. Now candidates who pass through the gates of this training camp see his name, a reminder that the skills they're learning serve a purpose beyond fitness reports and deployment schedules. The mountains around La Posta are silent about such things, but the name above the gate speaks volumes.