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Joint Base Charleston
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 628th Air Base Wing, Air Mobility Command (AMC).[2] The facility is an amalgamation of the United States Air Force Charleston Air Force Base and the United States Navy 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, JB 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. HistoryJoint 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. This was one of 12 implemented from this law. [citation needed] Today, Joint Base Charleston, encompassing over 20,877 acres and supporting 67 Military Commands and Federal Agencies, provides service to over 79,000 Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, DoD civilians, dependents, and retirees.[citation needed] To support Joint Base Charleston, the former Charleston Naval Base was transformed into a multi-use Federal Complex (231 acres) with 17 government and military tenants. In addition, it contains a homeport for 6 RO-RO Ready Reserve Force ships, 4 Coast Guard National Security Cutters, and 2 NOAA Research Ships.[citation needed] On January 8, 2010, the 628th Air Base Wing started its Initial Operational Capability (IOC). The 628th Air Base Wing's primary duties are to provide installation support to 53 DoD and Federal agencies, servicing a total force of over 79,000 Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, civilians, dependents, and retirees on Charleston Air Force Base and Naval Weapons Station Charleston. They maintain $2B worth of physical infrastructure across 23 thousand non-contiguous acres. Additionally, they also provide mission-ready expeditionary Airmen to combatant commanders in support of joint and combined operations. The 628th Air Base Wing attained Full Operational Capability (FOC) on 1 October 2010 with an event taking place at Marrington Plantation at the Naval Weapons Station.[citation needed] Role and OperationsUS Air ForceJB Charleston is home to the 628th Air Base Wing (628 ABW), the host wing for installation support. The 628th ABW's primary duties are to provide installation support to 53 DoD and Federal agencies. Additionally, they also provide 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 JB Charleston. They meet at the Aero Club near the control tower. US NavyPortions 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. homeport, serving over 80 ships and submarines.[citation needed] In addition, the Charleston Naval Shipyard repaired frigates, destroyers, cruisers, sub tenders, and submarines. It was also equipped for the refueling of nuclear subs. 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[3] (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.[4] An Air Force Times article dated 21 December 2009 announced the activation of the 628th Air Wing 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.[5] Because of the construction, larger and heavier aircraft will now be cleared to land on runway 03/21, which will be key when work scheduled for Fiscal Year 2012 begins on runway 15/33, the base's main runway. The last major work done on Joint Base Charleston runways was in 1968. Based unitsNavy
Air Force
Coast Guard
Army
Marines
Federal Complex (former Charleston Naval Base), North CharlestonThe former Charleston Naval Base has been transformed into a multi-use Federal Complex (231 acres) with 17 Government and Military tenants, as well as homeport for 6 RO-RO Military Sealift Command Ships, 4 Coast Guard National Security Cutters, and 2 NOAA Research Ships. In October 2020, the Coast Guard purchased 166 acres and additional piers on the former Naval complex to construct a super base, so as to consolidate all Charleston area facilities and become the homeport for five Security cutters and additional offshore cutters. The Coast Guard Base began construction in 2024 of the $160 million project to build a new headquarters, renovate of 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.
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External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Joint Base Charleston.
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