Naval Support Activity Charleston, originally designated Naval Weapons Station Charleston, is a base of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

located on the west bank of the Cooper River, in the cities of Goose Creek and Hanahan

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

.Charleston Base Map
" Naval Consolidated Brig, Charleston. Retrieved on May 30, 2010. The base encompasses more than 17,000 acres (69 km²) of land with 10,000 acres (40 km²) of forest and wetlands, 16-plus miles of waterfront, four deep-water piers, of railroad and of road. The current workforce (military/civil service/contractor) numbers more than 11,000 with an additional 3,600 people in on-base family housing. Under the

2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission preliminary list was released by the United States Department of Defense on May 13, 2005. It was the fifth Base Realignment and Closure ("BRAC") proposal generated since the process was created in ...

's recommendations, the Air Force is to jointly manage Naval Weapons Station Charleston and

Charleston Air Force Base Charleston Air Force Base is a United States military facility located in the City of North Charleston, South Carolina. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force's 628th Air Base Wing (628 ABW), a subordinate element ...

Joint Base Charleston Joint Base Charleston 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 Forc ...

History

Commissioned on November 5, 1941 as the United States Naval Ammunition Depot (NAD) consisted of 6,368 acres this is now the Station's Southside area including the Cooper River waterfront. The facility was used as an ammunition collection and distribution point during World War II. Ammunition manufactured throughout the country was sent to the base and then used to supply ordnance to Atlantic fleet vessels. Following WWII, the Depot was charged with the removal of ordnance from ships being deactivated and was used as a weapons storage site. The NAD's status changed from caretaker to inactive to maintenance to active from 1947 through 1952. During the mid-1950s, the installation was expanded, the Northside area, another 5,219 acres, was acquired by the Navy in January 1954 and called the Naval Weapons Station Annex and charged with new duties that included the handling of guided missiles and the docking, servicing and loading of submarines. Base personnel were tasked with arming submarines with the UGM-27 Polaris missile. In 1960 the Polaris Missile Facility Atlantic (POMFLANT) was constructed within the base to enable the handling of Terrier, Tarter, and, Hawk, missiles. Buildings were added again in 1969 for the Standard and Red Eye missiles. The base continued to grow through the 1970s, the Marrington area, an additional 2,894 acres located between Red Bank Road and Foster Creek, was added to the Station. The Navy designated the eastern half as the Marrington Plantation Outdoor Recreation Area and used the western half for the construction of MenRiv Housing and the adjacent support facilities. On September 30, 1981, the Station acquired the nearby Charleston Army Depot. The station's name was then changed to Naval Weapons Station South. In 1995 POMFLANT was decommissioned and the fleet ballistic missile operations moved to Kings Bay, Georgia. The Naval Nuclear Power Training Command school opened in 1998 and occupies over 50 acres in the central part of the original Marrington tract. Under the 2005 BRAC the Naval Weapons Station was combined with Charleston Air Force Base to create Joint Base Charleston.

Current status

Portions of The

Charleston, South Carolina metropolitan area The Charleston metropolitan area is an urban area centered around Charleston, South Carolina. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget designates the area as the Charleston–North Charleston, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, a metropolitan stati ...

, (The City of Charleston, The City of North Charleston, The City of Goose Creek, and The City of Hanahan) are home to branches of the United States Military. During the Cold War, the Naval Base (1902–1996) became the third largest U.S. homeport serving over 80 ships and submarines. In addition, the

Charleston Naval Shipyard Charleston Naval Shipyard (formerly known as the Charleston Navy Yard) was a U.S. Navy ship building and repair facility located along the west bank of the Cooper River, in North Charleston, South Carolina and part of Naval Base Charleston. H ...

repaired frigates, destroyers, cruisers, sub tenders, and submarines. The Shipyard 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 nuclear

ballistic missile submarine A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. The United States Navy's hull classification symbols for ballistic missile submarines are SSB and SSBN – t ...

s. 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 The UGM-27 Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fueled nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). As the United States Navy's first SLBM, it served from 1961 to 1980. In the mid-1950s the Navy was involved in the Jupiter missile ...

UGM-73 Poseidon The UGM-73 Poseidon missile was the second US Navy nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) system, powered by a two-stage solid-fuel rocket. It succeeded the UGM-27 Polaris beginning in 1972, bringing major advances in warheads ...

, and

UGM-96 Trident I The UGM-96 Trident I, or Trident C4, was an American submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, California. First deployed in 1979, the Trident I replaced the UGM-73 Poseidon, Poseidon missi ...

delivery missiles (

SLBM A submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is a ballistic missile capable of being launched from Ballistic missile submarine, submarines. Modern variants usually deliver multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), each of whic ...

) were stored and maintained, guarded by a U.S. Marine Corps Security Force Company. The Naval Support Activity expanded its mission and

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

support role over time with over 40 tenant commands, and today is a training center, with the

Naval Nuclear Power Training Command The Naval Nuclear Power Training Command (NNPTC) is a program element of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program and is responsible for educating enlisted and commissioned personnel of the US nuclear naval program. NNPTC's mission is to train office ...

(NNPTC), Nuclear Power Training Unit, Propulsion Facility, and Border Patrol satellite academy;

Naval Consolidated Brig, Charleston The Naval Consolidated Brig (NAVCONBRIG CHASN), is a medium security U.S. military prison. The brig, Building #3107, is located in the south annex of Joint Base Charleston in the city of Hanahan, South Carolina. The Brig was commissioned on Nove ...

; Navy Munitions Command Unit Charleston; Explosive Ordnance Detachments; Marine Corps Reserve Center; Naval Information Warface Center Atlantic (NIWC-LANT, the largest employer in the Charleston area); 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 The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...

surface port in the defense transportation system. In addition, it contains more than 1,800 on-base houses for Navy enlisted and officer dependents as well as Coast Guard dependents, and has a child care facility, elementary and middle schools. A large medical clinic near NNPTC in Goose Creek was added in 2008. Today, Joint Base Charleston, encompassing over 20,877 acres and supporting 53 Military Commands and Federal Agencies, provides service to over 79,000 Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, DOD civilians, dependents, and retirees. The former Charleston Naval Base has been transformed into a multi-use Federal Complex (231 acres) with 17 government and armed forces tenants, as well as homeport for 6 RO-RO

Military Sealift Command Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all US m ...

Ships, 3 Coast Guard

National Security Cutter The Legend-class cutter, also known as the National Security Cutter (NSC) and Maritime Security Cutter, Large, is the largest active patrol cutter class of the United States Coast Guard. Entering into service in 2008, the Legend-class is the la ...

s, and 2 NOAA Research Ships. Naval Support Activity Charleston remains a

Commander, Navy Installations Command Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) is an Echelon II shore command responsible for all shore installations under the control of the United States Navy. As an Echelon II command, it reports directly to the Chief of Naval Operations. It ...

administrative support installation assigned to Commander,

Navy Region Southeast Navy Region Southeast (NAVREGSE or CNRSE) is one of eleven current naval regions responsible to Commander, Navy Installations Command for the operation and management of Naval shore installations in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Lou ...

, located on the Joint Base Charleston Naval Weapons Station. Naval Support Activity Charleston was reorganized as an "Embedded Military Unit" within the Joint Base Charleston

628th Air Base Wing The United States Air Force's 628th Air Base Wing is an administrative unit located at Joint Base Charleston, in North Charleston, South Carolina. The 628 ABW was activated on 8 January 2010 as Charleston Air Force Base was merged with Naval Weap ...

. NSA Charleston Navy personnel are embedded into the Air Base Wing installation support squadrons to carry out their functions. After the creation of the Joint Base, the Naval Support Activity Charleston Commanding Officer became the Deputy Commander of the 628th Air Base Wing, responsible to the Wing Commander for base installation support operations.

Tenants

Navy

*Charleston Naval Weapons Station, Joint Base Charleston (>17,000 acres, 27 square miles), Goose Creek and Hanahan *

Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic The Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic (NIWC Atlantic) is an Echelon III activity of the United States Navy located in North Charleston, South Carolina. The center’s mission is to deliver information warfare solutions that protect nation ...

(NIWC Atlantic) *

Nuclear Power School Nuclear Power School (NPS) is a technical school operated by the U.S. Navy in Goose Creek, South Carolina as a central part of a program that trains enlisted sailors, officers, KAPL civilians and Bettis civilians for shipboard nuclear power pl ...

**Nuclear Power Training Unit ***Moored Training Nuclear Submarine,

USS Daniel Webster (SSBN-626) USS ''Daniel Webster'' (SSBN-626), a ballistic missile submarine (FBM), was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Senator Daniel Webster. Construction and commissioning The contract to build ''Daniel Webster'' was awarded ...

***Moored Training Nuclear Submarine,

USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635) USS ''Sam Rayburn'' (SSBN-635) was a fleet ballistic missile submarine named for Sam Rayburn (1882–1961), Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (1940–1947, 1949–1953, and 1955–1961). ''Sam Rayburn'' was in commission 2 ...

***Moored Training Nuclear Submarine,

USS La Jolla (SSN-701) } USS ''La Jolla'' (SSN-701/MTS-701), a , is named for La Jolla, California. The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut on 10 December 1973 and her keel was laid dow ...

***Moored Training Nuclear Submarine,

USS San Francisco (SSN-711) USS ''San Francisco'' (SSN-711) is a nuclear submarine, the third ship or boat of the United States Navy to be named for San Francisco, California. History Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia was awarde ...

, 2021 delivery *

, East Coast *Mobile Mine Assembly Unit Eleven (MOMAU-11) *Naval Operations Support Center Charleston *Navy Reserve Center *Navy Munitions Command CONUS, Detachment Charleston *Explosive Ordnance Detachment * Naval Health Clinic Charleston *Navy Dental Clinic *

Naval Criminal Investigative Service The United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is the primary law enforcement agency of the U.S. Department of the Navy. Its primary function is to investigate criminal activities involving the Navy and Marine Corps, though its ...

Training, Federal Complex *Lay berth for Roll-On Roll-Off Naval Ships, Military Sealift Command, Federal Complex *

MV Cape Ducato (T-AKR-5051) MV ''Cape Ducato'' (T-AKR-5051) was delivered in September 1972, as MV ''Barranduna'' at Eriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstads AB, Sweden. She was acquired by the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) on 18 November 1985 and renamed MV ''Cape Ducato''. ...

, Military Sealift Command Ship, Ready Reserve Force, Federal Complex *MV Cape Douglas (T-AKR-5052), Military Sealift Command Ship, Ready Reserve Force, Federal Complex *MV Cape Domingo (T-AKR-5053), Military Sealift Command Ship, Ready Reserve Force, Federal Complex *MV Cape Decision (T-AKR-5054), Military Sealift Command Ship, Ready Reserve Force, Federal Complex *MV Cape Diamond (T-AKR-5055), Military Sealift Command Ship, Ready Reserve Force, Federal Complex *MV Cape Edmont (T-AKR-5069), Military Sealift Command Ship, Ready Reserve Force, Federal Complex

Air Force

*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 Mission Support Group *628th Medical Group *

315th Airlift Wing The 315th Airlift Wing (315 AW) is a wing of the United States Air Force Reserve. It is stationed at Joint Base Charleston, in the city of North Charleston, South Carolina, and operates the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. If mobilized, the u ...

* 437th Airlift Wing *373rd Training Squadron, Detachment 5 *1st Combat Camera Squadron *412th Logistics Support Squadron OL-AC *Air Force ROTC Det 772 *Civil Air Patrol – Charleston Composite Squadron

Marines

*Marine Corps Reserve Center, Naval Weapons Station Which now supports 4th Medical Logistics Company

Coast Guard

In October 2020, the Coast Guard purchased 166 acres 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. *Coast Guard Sector Charleston (District 7) *Coast Guard Station Charleston *Coast Guard Helicopter Air Facility, Johns Island *Coast Guard Reserves, Charleston *Coast Guard

Maritime Law Enforcement Academy The Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA) is a United States Coast Guard school located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Charleston, South Carolina. It was created from the relocation and merger of the former Law Enforc ...

, Federal Complex *

USCGC Hamilton (WMSL-753) USCGC ''Hamilton'' (WMSL-753) is the fourth , also known as the National Security Cutter (NSC), of the United States Coast Guard. She is the fifth cutter named after Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, who w ...

, Federal Complex *

USCGC James (WMSL-754) USCGC ''James'' (WMSL-754) is the fifth of the United States Coast Guard. Etymology USCGC ''James'' is named for Joshua James (1826–1902), an American sea captain and a U.S. Life-Saving Service station keeper credited with saving over 60 ...

, Federal Complex * USCGC Stone (WMSL-758)

, Federal Complex *

USCGC Calhoun (WMSL-759) USCGC ''Calhoun'' (WMSL-759) is the tenth of the United States Coast Guard. She is the first ship to be named after 1st Master Chief Petty Officer Charles L. Calhoun. Development and design All of Legend-class cutters were constructed by Hu ...

, 2022 Delivery, Federal Complex *

USCGC Friedman (WMSL-760) USCGC ''Friedman'' (WMSL-760) is the eleventh of the United States Coast Guard. She is the first ship to be named after Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the famous American cryptologist. Development and design All of Legend-class cutters were const ...

, 2022 Delivery, Federal Complex *USCGC Tarpon,

Marine Protector-class coastal patrol boat The Marine Protector class is a class of coastal patrol boats of the United States Coast Guard. The 87-foot-long vessels are based on the Stan 2600 design by Damen Group, and were built by Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, Louisiana. Each boat ...

, Tybee Island *USCGC Yellowfin,

, Charleston *USCGC Anvil, 75-foot inland construction tender, Charleston *USCGC Willow, (WLB-202), Charleston

Army

United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

, Charleston District *

South Carolina Army National Guard The South Carolina Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the U.S. Army's available combat forces and approximat ...

*Army Reserve Training Center, Naval Weapons Station *841st Transportation Battalion, Naval Weapons Station *1182d Deployment & Distribution Support Battalion (USAR), Naval Weapons Station *1189th Transportation Brigade, Reserve Support Command (USAR), Naval Weapons Station *Army Strategic Logistics Activity, Naval Weapons Station

Federal Complex (former Naval Base Charleston), 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 homeport for 6 RO-RO

Ships, 3 Coast Guard

s, and 2 NOAA Research Ships. In October 2020, the Coast Guard purchased 166 acres 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. *

Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) serves as an interagency law enforcement training body for 105 United States government federal law enforcement agencies. The stated mission of FLETC is to "...train those who protect our home ...

(FLETC), Department of Homeland Security *Moored FLETC Training Ship, SS Cape Chalmers (T-AK-5036) *Sea Hawk Interagency Operations Center *Customs and Border Protection Satellite Academy *Immigration and Customs Enforcement Satellite Academy *U.S. Courts, Federal Probation and Pretrial Services Academy *Food and Drug Administration Training Academy *National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (

NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...

) *

NOAAS Nancy Foster (R 352) The NOAA Ship ''Nancy Foster'' (R 352) is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel. The ship is named for Dr. Nancy Foster, who was the director of the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Office of Protected Resources f ...

Ship *

NOAAS Ronald H. Brown (R 104) NOAAS ''Ronald H. Brown'' (R 104) is a blue-water research vessel of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, she is NOAA's only Global-Class research ship. The ship is named for United States Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown, ...

Ship *U.S. Department of State *Global Financial Services Center, U.S. Department of State *Passport Service Center, U.S. Department of State *

United States Maritime Administration The United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation. MARAD administers financial programs to develop, promote, and operate the U.S. Maritime Service and the U.S. Merchant Marine. Det ...

File:Joint Base Charleston - Emblem.png, Joint Base Charleston File:USMC logo.svg, United States Marine Corps File:SPAWAR logo.gif, SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic File:437th Airlift Wing.png, The 437 Airlift Wing File:315th Airlift Wing.png, The 315 Airlift Wing File:1st Combat Camera Squadron.png, The 1st Combat Camera Squadron File:412th Flight Test Squadron.jpg, The 412 Flight Test Squadron File:United States Army Corps of Engineers logo.svg, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

References

External links

* *
globalsecurity.org: NWS Charleston
{{SCMilitary Charleston Military installations in South Carolina Charleston County, South Carolina Berkeley County, South Carolina Goose Creek, South Carolina