US military installation in South Carolina formally dedicated to Republican lawmaker and Air Force veteran who died last month.
Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina has been officially renamed Joint Base Lindsey Graham, honouring the late US Senator Lindsey Graham, an Air Force veteran and longtime Republican lawmaker who died in July.
A formal ceremony took place on Monday at the North Charleston installation, attended by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, and Graham’s sister, Senator Darline Graham, who was appointed to complete her brother’s term.
Lindsey Graham Honoured With Renamed U.S. Military Base:
Hegseth welcomed attendees to the newly named base, describing the change as a tribute to Graham’s decades of service in uniform and in Congress. “It is my honor to say welcome to Joint Base Lindsey Graham,” he said.
Graham, who represented South Carolina for more than three decades, died on 11 July at the age of 71 from an aortic dissection, a tear in the body’s main artery. He had returned the same day from a trip to Ukraine. The senator had won the Republican primary for a fifth term just weeks earlier.
Before entering politics, Graham served more than six years on active duty as an Air Force lawyer and later continued in the Air Force Reserve and South Carolina Air National Guard, retiring as a colonel in 2015. He was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 1994 and to the Senate in 2002.
Air Force Secretary Troy Meink signed a memorandum in late July directing the renaming, citing Graham’s “decades of distinguished service to the United States Congress and the United States Air Force.” Officials noted his advocacy for military funding and infrastructure improvements at the Charleston base, including recent support for Coast Guard readiness projects.
Joint Base Graham Becomes Key U.S. Air Mobility Hub:
Joint Base Charleston, established through the 2009 merger of an Air Force base and nearby Navy facilities, is one of the largest C-17 Globemaster III hubs in the world and a critical logistics centre for the US military’s global air mobility operations. Aircraft based there will now carry the new name on their tails.
During the ceremony, Bessent said the renaming would ensure Graham’s legacy travels with the planes. “From today forward, these planes will have Joint Base Graham on their tail, a reminder that Senator Graham was the American people’s workhorse,” he stated.
Base Commander Colonel Kenneth Shirley described Graham as a “vital supporter” of the installation beyond his military service. Local leaders and Graham’s family also spoke of his lifelong connection to the Air Force and South Carolina.
The renaming comes amid ongoing special election processes for Graham’s Senate seat. His sister Darline Graham currently holds the position on an interim basis. The base remains a key East Coast military facility supporting airlift, logistics and joint operations for the Department of Defence.