Air Force to rename Joint Base Charleston after late Senator Lindsey Graham
The U.S. Air Force will change the name of Joint Base Charleston to Joint Base Lindsey Graham in tribute to the recently deceased South Carolina senator.
In a July 27 letter, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink ordered that Joint Base Charleston be redesignated Joint Base Lindsey Graham to honor the late South Carolina senator. Graham, who died on July 11 of an aortic dissection, spent 33 years in the Air Force, including active-duty service as a lawyer in Germany and as a staff judge advocate during the Gulf War, later retiring as a colonel in the reserves. Throughout his congressional career, he was a staunch supporter of increased defense spending and infrastructure modernization.
The renaming will be carried out by base personnel as part of the transition. Graham’s funeral services, attended by President Donald Trump and other leaders, will be held in Washington, D.C., with a separate ceremony in South Carolina.
Why it matters
Renaming a major military installation highlights the influence of a senior lawmaker on defense policy and honors his service.
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