The Pentagon will rename a South Carolina military base after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), an Air Force veteran, in recognition of his decades of distinguished service to Congress and the armed services.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink issued an internal memo on July 27 directing staff to collaborate with Air Mobility Command and Joint Base Charleston leadership to rename the air base to Joint Base Lindsey Graham, according to a report by The Post and Courier on July 28.

Meink wrote that “Senator Graham’s lifelong devotion to the military was shaped by his own military service and his public service in both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.” He added that Graham’s advocacy was key to modernizing military infrastructure and enhancing aviation security, ensuring Joint Base Charleston remains a premier military installation.

Graham served 33 years in the Air Force and died suddenly on July 11 from an aortic dissection while in Washington, D.C. He transferred to the South Carolina Air National Guard in 1989 and served as a prosecutor at McEntire Air National Guard Base during the first Gulf War. Before retiring from the military in 2015, Graham deployed twice to the Middle East.

Over the years, Graham helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to support missions at the base, including $212 million in May for Coast Guard readiness.

The Hill reached out to the Pentagon for confirmation, which referred questions to the Air Force, which did not immediately respond.

Sources

  • The Hill
  • The Post and Courier (as cited in The Hill)