The water tower on the air station, emblazoned with the base nickname "Fightertown"
Naval Air Station Beaufort was commissioned on 15 June 1943, for advanced training operations of anti-submarine patrols during World War II. It was deactivated in 1946 and reactivated in 1956.
On 1 March 1960, it was re-designated Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.
On 19 September 1975, the airfield was named Merritt Field in honor of Major General Lewie G. Merritt, USMC, a 1917 graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. A native of Ridge Spring, Merritt was a Marine Aviation pioneer who served in both World Wars and commanded several major flying units in the South Pacific during World War II, after retirement he also served as legal counsel to the South Carolina Legislature.[3]
The air station encompasses 6,900 acres (28 km2). It is also associated with a large air-to-air combat area off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia as well as a 5,200 acre (21 km2) air-to-ground combat and bombing range in McIntosh County, Georgia. Also attached to the base is the housing complex of Laurel Bay, three miles (5 km) from the station, that provides family housing for area servicemembers.
Formerly home to USMC F-8 Crusader and F-4 Phantom II operations, MCAS Beaufort currently hosts all active duty USMC F/A-18 air operations on the East Coast, said aircraft and squadrons being assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31). The mission of MCAS Beaufort is to provide support as an operational base for MAG-31 and its associated squadrons, Marine Corps support units and tenant U.S. Navy strike fighter squadrons. The mission of the Marine Aircraft Group is to conduct anti-air-warfare and offensive air support operations in support of Fleet Marine Forces from advanced bases, expeditionary airfields, or aircraft carriers and conduct such other air operations as may be directed. Two Navy F/A-18 strike fighter squadrons under the claimancy of Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic at NAS Oceana, Virginia were also previously homeported at MCAS Beaufort. The population of the on-base "city" includes nearly 4,000 active-duty servicemembers and more than 700 civilian workers.
As is the case with many air bases, MCAS Beaufort hosts a bi-annual air show open to the public. In April 2007, a fatal crash occurred involving an aircraft from the Blue Angels demonstration team during the show.
MCAS Beaufort's nickname is "Fightertown East". MCAS Miramar in San Diego, California is the more commonly known "Fightertown", also called "Fightertown USA", the latter having acquired the nickname when it was under Navy control as NAS Miramar.
MCAS Beaufort's Dental Clinic shares a building with the Medical Clinic. The Dental Clinic has five to seven dentists who support the squadrons' oral health care needs.
The 1979 film The Great Santini, based on a novel written by Pat Conroy which centered on MCAS Beaufort in the early 1960s, was filmed on base and in the local area.
Based units
Flying and notable non-flying units based at MCAS Beaufort.[4][5][6]
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is the local school district for the following people living on the property of MCAS Beaufort:[14] children of Department of Defense employees living in the permanent housing, and children of civilians working for the United States federal government living in the permanent housing.[15] The DoDEA operates Elliott Elementary School (PreKindergarten-Grade 2) and Bolden Elementary/Middle School (grades 3-8).[16]
Beaufort County School District (BCSD) operates public high schools serving MCAS Beaufort,[14] and in sum has the highest number of students, of any school system, affiliated with MCAS Beaufort.[16]Battery Creek High School is the zoned public high school for MCAS Beaufort.[17] Additionally, while BCSD does not specify school zoning for MCAS Beaufort for the elementary level,[18] in 2024 it stated that Robert Smalls International Academy is the zoned middle school.[19]
