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Joint Base Charleston

Coordinates: 32°53′55″N 080°02′26″W / 32.89861°N 80.04056°W / 32.89861; -80.04056
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Joint Base Charleston
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 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
Charleston is located in the United States
Charleston
Charleston
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 Michael A. Freeman
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[1]

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).[2]

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 Charleston 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

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Joint Base Charleston was established 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. [citation needed]

Today, Joint Base Charleston, covering over 20,877 acres (8,449 ha), supports 67 Military Commands and Federal Agencies and provides services to over 79,000 airmen, sailors, soldiers, marines, coast guardsmen, Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, dependents, and retirees.[citation needed] To support Joint Base Charleston, the former Charleston Naval Base was transformed into a 231-acre (93 ha) multi-use federal complex with 17 government and military tenants.

A December 21, 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."[3] On January 8, 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 October 1, 2010, with an event taking place at Marrington Plantation at the Naval Weapons Station.[citation needed]

Role and Operations

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US Air Force

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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.[citation needed]

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 Charleston. They meet at the Aero Club near the control tower.

New construction will allow 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 Joint Base Charleston runways was in 1968.

US Navy

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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.[citation needed] 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[4] (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.[5]

Based units

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Air Force

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  • Charleston Air Force Base, Joint Base Charleston (3,877 acres, 6.06 square miles), North Charleston
  • Charleston Air Force Auxiliary Base, North, SC (2,393 acres, 3.74 square miles)
  • Charleston Defense Fuel Storage and Distribution Facility, Hanahan
  • 628th Air Base Wing
  • 628th Mission Support Group
  • 628th Medical Group
  • 628th Communications Squadron
  • 315th Airlift Wing
  • 437th Airlift Wing
  • 373rd Training Squadron, Detachment 5
  • 1st Combat Camera Squadron
  • 4th Combat Camera Squadron
  • 412th Logistics Support Squadron OL-AC
  • Air Force ROTC Det 772
  • Civil Air Patrol – Charleston Composite Squadron

Coast Guard

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Army

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  • United States Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District
  • South Carolina Army National Guard
  • Army Reserve Training Center, Naval Weapons Station
  • 841st Army Transportation Battalion, Naval Weapons Station
  • 1182nd Army Deployment & Distribution Support Battalion, Naval Weapons Station
  • 1189th Army Transportation Brigade, Reserve Support Command, Naval Weapons Station
  • Army Strategic Logistics Activity, Naval Weapons Station

Marines

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  • Marine Corps Reserve Center, Naval Weapons Station

Federal Complex (former Charleston Naval Base), North Charleston

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The multi-use Federal Complex contains a home port for 6 roll-on/roll-off (RO-RO) Ready Reserve Force ships, 4 Coast Guard National Security Cutters, and 2 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research ships.[citation needed] In October 2020, the Coast Guard purchased an additional 166 acres (67 ha) and additional piers on the former Naval complex to construct a super base, so as to consolidate all Charleston-area facilities and to become the home port for five Security Cutters and additional offshore cutters. In 2024, construction began on the $160 million project to build a new headquarters, renovate one pier, and repair a shoreside bulkhead. Additional construction projects valued at $590 million will be forthcoming. Also, a $60 million contract was awarded to renovate the NOAA pier and construct shoreside power and warehouse facilities.

  • Joint Base Charleston
    Joint Base Charleston
  • United States Marine Corps
    United States Marine Corps
  • The 437 Airlift Wing
    The 437 Airlift Wing
  • The 315 Airlift Wing
    The 315 Airlift Wing
  • The 1st Combat Camera Squadron
    The 1st Combat Camera Squadron
  • The 412 Flight Test Squadron
    The 412 Flight Test Squadron
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
    U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic
    Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic

See also

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Sources

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  • Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
  • Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from Charleston Air Force Base. United States Air Force.

References

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  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. ^ http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/12/ap_airforce_charleston_122109/ [dead link‍]
  4. ^ "SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic's Name Changes to Naval Information Warfare Center". Joint Base Charleston. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  5. ^ Jill Coley, "Military striving to fix health care ills" Archived 8 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, The Post and Courier, 4 January 2008.
  6. ^ "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.
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