Joint Base Charleston

Joint basing is a concept that calls for two or more neighboring installations to consolidate and to be run by one designated service. The concept, introduced in 2005, provides a huge cost savings for the DOD, combines support functions and eliminates redundancy to save funds and create higher efficiency. With more than 25 installations scheduled to realign under the program, there is an anticipated savings of millions of dollars during the next 20 years.

The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure list recommended that Naval Weapons Station Charleston have its management functions relocated to Charleston Air Force Base. This included command support, community and environmental services, fire protection, human resources and operational mission services, among others.

Charleston Air Force Base and Naval Weapons Station Charleston became Joint Base Charleston in October 2010. The installation is managed by the Air Force, with an Air Force colonel holding the title of joint base commander and a Navy captain that of deputy commander. The 437th Airlift Wing retains both Operations and Maintenance groups, while the Mission Support and Medical groups were realigned under the new 628th Air Base Wing organization. The 437th Aerial Port Squadron was realigned under the Maintenance Group.

The majority of people transferring to Joint Base Charleston from the Navy were interspersed throughout the new air base wing, and the new wing took on the Navy port operations. Navy civilian jobs transferring to the Joint Base were transferred into Air Force positions.

Today, the community at Joint Base Charleston consists of more than 23,000 active-duty, Reserve and civilian personnel. With more than 60 base mission partners, Joint Team Charleston includes Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and other DOD missions. It is considered a very successful merger with regard to the joint base concept.