Joint Base Charleston

Joint Base Lindsey Graham
Near North Charleston and Goose Creek, South Carolina in the United States of America
US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing sit on the flight line at Joint Base Charleston during 2013. 2013.
US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft assigned to the 437th Airlift Wing sit on the flight line at Joint Base Lindsey Graham (then named Joint Base Charleston) during 2013.
Motto Famulus Omnis
(Latin for 'Serving All')
Site information
TypeUS military Joint Base
OwnerDepartment of Defense
OperatorUS Air Force
Controlled byAir Mobility Command
ConditionOperational
Websitewww.jbcharleston.jb.mil
Location
Charleston is located in South Carolina
Charleston
Charleston
Location within South Carolina
Charleston is located in the United States
Charleston
Charleston
Location within the United States
Coordinates32°53′55″N 080°02′26″W / 32.89861°N 80.04056°W / 32.89861; -80.04056 (Air Base)
32°57′55.8″N 79°58′16.7″W / 32.965500°N 79.971306°W / 32.965500; -79.971306 (Naval Weapons Station)
Site history
Built1942 (1942) (as Charleston Air Force Base)
In use2009 (2009) – present (as Joint Base)
Garrison information
Current commander
Colonel Jason Parker
Garrison628th Air Base Wing (host)
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA: CHS, ICAO: KCHS, FAA LID: CHS, WMO: 722083
Elevation46 metres (151 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
15/33 2,743.5 metres (9,001 ft) Concrete
03/21 2,133.6 metres (7,000 ft) Concrete
Airfield shared with Charleston International Airport
Source: Federal Aviation Administration

Joint Base Lindsey Graham, formerly known as Joint Base Charleston (IATA: CHS, ICAO: KCHS, FAA LID: CHS) is a United States military facility located partly in the city of North Charleston, South Carolina, and partly in the city of Goose Creek, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force's 628th Air Base Wing of the Air Mobility Command (AMC). The facility is named after former senator Lindsey Graham, whom it was renamed after on August 10, 2026, following Graham’s death on July 11. The facility is an amalgamation of the United States Air Force's Charleston Air Force Base and the United States Navy's Naval Support Activity Charleston which were merged on October 1, 2010. Of the three Naval Weapons Stations on the U.S. East Coast, the Charleston facility is the largest.[citation needed]

A joint civil-military airport, Joint Base Lindsey Graham shares runways with Charleston International Airport for commercial airline operations on the south side of the airfield and general aviation aircraft operations on the east side.

History

Joint Base Lindsey Graham was established as Joint Base Charleston in accordance with congressional legislation, implementing the recommendations of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission. The legislation ordered the consolidation of adjoining military installations into a single joint base, there being 12 joint bases established under the law.

Today, Joint Base Lindsey Graham, covering nearly 23,000 acres (9,300 ha), supports 67 military organizations and Federal Agencies and provides services to more than 90,000 airmen, sailors, soldiers, Marines, coast guardsmen, Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, dependents, and retirees.

A 21 December 2009, an Air Force Times article announced the activation of the 628th Air Base Wing (628 ABW) to "take over administrative duties for a number of military commands" in January 2010. The 628th "will essentially serve as the 'landlord' for Charleston Air Force Base, the Charleston Naval Consolidated Brig and about 50 other military commands. The unit will handle items such as building and grounds services, supply and civil engineering and public works." On 8 January 2010, the (628 ABW) achieved its initial operating capability (IOC). The wing maintains $2 billion worth of physical infrastructure on the base. Additionally, the wing also provides mission-ready expeditionary airmen to combatant commanders in support of joint and combined operations. The 628 ABW attained full operating capability (FOC) on 1 October 2010.

On 27 July 2026, it was revealed in an internal memo that as part of a plan to honor Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11, The Pentagon had directed the Air Force to rename the base to Joint Base Lindsey Graham.

Role and operations

US Air Force

The 628th Air Base Wing (628 ABW) is the host wing for installation support. The 628 ABW's primary duties are to provide installation support to 53 DoD and Federal agencies, attendant personnel, dependents, and retirees on Charleston Air Force Base and Naval Weapons Station Charleston (NWS Charleston). Additionally, the 628 ABW also provides expeditionary airmen to combatant commanders in support of joint and combined operations.

The 437th Airlift Wing (437 AW) operates the C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlift aircraft in support of its mission to provide airlift of troops and passengers, military equipment, cargo, and aeromedical equipment and supplies worldwide in accordance with tasking by Air Mobility Command and unified combatant commanders.

The air base has four operational groups consisting of 21 squadrons and two wing staff directorates. It is augmented by a parallel, collocated Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) "associate" wing, the 315th Airlift Wing (315 AW), which shares the same C-17 aircraft with the 437 AW. In addition, the USAF Auxiliary Civil Air Patrol Coastal Charleston Composite Squadron is also assigned to Joint Base Lindsey Graham. They meet in Building 247.

New construction allows larger and heavier aircraft to land on runway 03/21 at Charleston International Airport, which was key when work was scheduled for Fiscal Year 2012 began on runway 15/33, the base's main runway. The last previous major work done on the base's runways was in 1968.

US Navy

Portions of the Charleston metropolitan area (including the city of Charleston, North Charleston, Goose Creek, and Hanahan) are home to branches of the U.S. Military. During the Cold War, the Naval Base (1902–1996) became the third largest U.S. home port, serving over 80 ships and submarines. In addition, the shipyard repaired frigates, destroyers, cruisers, sub tenders, and submarines. It was also equipped for the refueling of nuclear submarines.

During this period, the Weapons Station was the Atlantic Fleet's load-out base for all 41 nuclear ballistic missile submarines. Two SSBN "Boomer" squadrons and a sub tender were homeported at the Weapons Station, while one SSN attack squadron, Submarine Squadron 4, and a sub tender were homeported at the Naval Base. At the 1996 closure of the Station's Polaris Missile Facility Atlantic (POMFLANT), over 2,500 nuclear warheads and their UGM-27 Polaris, UGM-73 Poseidon, and UGM-96 Trident I delivery missiles (SLBM) were stored and maintained, guarded by a U.S. Marine Corps Security Force Company.[citation needed] From the 1960s through the early 1990s, Submarine Group Six was headquartered in Charleston. Being the largest submarine group in the U.S. Navy and one of the largest in the world, it included five submarine squadrons in three home ports with five submarine tenders, more than 50 submarines, and over 18,000 active-duty members, of which 12,000 were homeported in Charleston.[citation needed]

The Naval Support Activity has expanded its mission and Department of Defense support role with over 40 tenant commands, and today is a training center, with the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command (NNPTC), Nuclear Power Training Unit, Propulsion Facility, and Border Patrol satellite academy; Naval Consolidated Brig, Charleston; Mobile Mine Assembly Unit; Explosive Ordnance Detachments; Marine Corps Reserve Center; an engineering complex, with the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic (NIWC, this is the largest employer in the Charleston area) and is close to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast; 269 above-ground ammunition magazines; maintenance and storage of military ordnance, including mines; and serves as an Army logistics hub, the busiest continental United States surface port in the defense transportation system. In addition, NWS Charleston contains more than 1,800 on-base houses for Navy enlisted and officer dependents, as well as Coast Guard dependents. It also has a child care facility, elementary school, and middle school. A large medical clinic, near NNPTC in Goose Creek, finished construction in 2008.

Based units

The Navy will be constructing an additional nuclear power simulator at the P200 Nuclear Power Training Facility. The new 280,000 square foot facility is budgeted for $500 million dollars.

Air Force

Coast Guard

Army

Marines

Federal complex (former Charleston Naval Base), North Charleston

The former NAVBASE Charleston has been transformed into a multi-use federal complex (231 acres) with 17 government and military tenants, as well as home-port for 6 RO-RO Military Sealift Command ships, 4 Coast Guard National Security Cutters (NSCs), and 2 NOAA Research Ships. In October 2020, the Coast Guard purchased 166 acres and two piers on the former naval complex to construct a super base, so as to consolidate all Charleston area facilities and become the home-port for five NSCs and additional Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs). Construction of the Coast Guard base began in 2024 for the $160 million project to build a new headquarters, renovate Pier November for Heritage class cutters, and repair a shore-side bulkhead. Additional construction projects valued at $590 million will be forthcoming. In July 2025 solicitations were advertised for the design build of $98 million of additional Coast Guard base improvements. This will include a guardhouse and visitor center, a medical and dental facility, utility improvements, and road improvements. In 2026 a contract was signed to renovate Pier Mike for home-porting four Offshore Cutters. In July 2026 a $230 million dollar Coast Guard contract was signed to construct a 90,000-square-foot engineering complex, including spaces to accommodate facilities engineering and naval engineering units, electronics support, industrial production, boat storage, shipping and receiving, and hazardous materials storage, Construct a 120,000-square-foot multi functional building to support a 75-room unaccompanied personnel housing structure, a galley large enough to serve 650 patrons, a fitness center, and an exchange and Construct a parking structure to support personnel working on vessels home ported at Base Charleston. Lastly, a $60 million contract was awarded to renovate the NOAA pier and construct shore-side power and warehouse facilities.

See also

Sources

References

  1. ↑ "Airport Diagram – Charleston AFB/Intl (CHS)" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  2. ↑ "Joint Base Charleston Units". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  3. ↑ https://www.c-span.org/clip/public-affairs-event/defense-secy-hegseth-announces-renaming-of-joint-base-charleston-in-honor-of-sen-graham/5204213
  4. ↑ "Naval Support Activity Charleston History". US Navy. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "MILITARY BASE REALIGNMENTS AND CLOSURES" (PDF). Government Accounting Office. February 2016.
  6. ↑ "Joint Base Lindsey Graham". Military One Source.
  7. ↑ http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/12/ap_airforce_charleston_122109/ [dead link]
  8. ↑ Bowles, Staff Sgt. Daniel (6 October 2010). "Air Force, Navy officials commemorate, celebrate JB CHS inauguration". Joint Base Charleston.
  9. ↑ Doornbos, Caitlin (28 July 2026). "Pentagon aims to rename major US air base after Lindsey Graham". nypost.com. New York Post. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "628th Air Base Wing Fact Sheet". Joint Base Charleston. 29 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "437th Airlift Wing Mission Sets". Joint Base Lindsey Graham. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Dukes, Michael (4 June 2013). "315th Airlift Wing accepts Charleston's latest C-17 Globemaster III". Air Mobility Command.
  13. ↑ "Coastal Charleston Composite Squadron (SC056)". Civil Air Patrol. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Runway Re-opened at Charleston Air Force Base". North Wind Group. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Air Force finished with work on Charleston airport's runway | TheDigitel". www.thedigitel.com. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "A Bold and Impactful Preservation Project: Charleston's Historic Naval Base - Historic Charleston Foundation". www.historiccharleston.org. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic's Name Changes to Naval Information Warfare Center". Joint Base Charleston. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  18. ↑ Jill Coley, "Military striving to fix health care ills" Archived 8 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, The Post and Courier, 4 January 2008.
  19. ↑ "Norfolk Naval Shipyard undocks USS San Francisco, a key milestone in training ship conversion". Naval Sea Systems Command. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.