Charleston SC Metro Real Estate: Charleston Air Force Base History

Charleston Air Force Base is a valuable member of the community of Charleston SC. Its history stretches back over 66 years from WWII, the Cold War, and into the 21st century.

The land that the base is currently located on was purchased by the city of Charleston in 1931 for the purposes of building a new airfield.  By December of 1941, America was at War and Army Air Force units deployed to the Charleston area to establish coastal defense operations.   By March of 1942 the city signed a lease with the federal government so that the Army Air Force gained full control of the facility.  In late 1942 it was officially named the Charleston Army Air Base and in early 1943 it was renamed Charleston Army Air Field.  During World War II the base was utilized to train the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-24 Liberator.

By the end of the war, the US war department and the military began to reduce its enormous size as the global threat was perceived to be eliminated.   Thus the airfield was returned to civilian control.  But, by the late 1940's and early 1950's the threat of the Soviet Union and its communist influence caused the military to renew its commitment to Charleston's airfield.  Agreements were made for joint use of the airstrip between military and civilian aircraft.  In 1952 the Tactical Airlift Command (TAC) was reestablished in Charleston and in 1953 the name of the airfield was forever changed to Charleston Air Force Base.  In 1956 TAC relinquished control of the base to the Military Airlift Transport Service (MATS) command.  In 1966 MATS changed its name to MAC, Military Airlift Command, and the 437 Military Airlift Wing was activated and assumed host unit responsibility for the base.  Charleston AFB was a major MAC base and home to several MAC cargo and passenger aircraft including the C-141 and the enormous C-5.  In 1991 MAC was retired and renamed AMC or the Air Mobility Command.

In 1993 the new generation cargo and passenger military aircraft was introduced to the world at Charleston AFB.  The C-17 Globemaster is currently the most versatile cargo aircraft in the world.  This valuable weapon was made war ready by the blood, sweat, and tears, or the men and women assigned to Charleston AFB.  It has since been used in countless campaigns all over the world to include the 90's Bosnia campaign, and in the post 9/11 war on terror campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.