Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort
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| Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort | |
|---|---|
| Beaufort, South Carolina | |
 MCAS Beaufort Insignia |
|
| Type | Military base |
| Built | June 15, 1943 |
| In use | June 15, 1943 - present |
| Garrison | Marine Aircraft Group 31 |
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort is a United States Marine Corps air base near Beaufort, South Carolina, at . Its ICAO airport code is KNBC. About 4200 personnel serve at the station, home to the Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and other Fleet Marine Force units, including the Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 (MWSS-273), Marine Air Control Squadron 2 (MACS-2), and Combat Service Support Detachment 23 (CSSD-23). MAG-31 is comprised of seven F/A-18 Hornet squadrons, a headquarters squadron and an aviation logistics squadron..
The facility was commissioned on June 15, 1943 for advanced training operations of anti-submarine partols during World War II. It was then deactivated in 1946 and reactivated in 1956. On March 1, 1960, it was re-designated Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. On September 19, 1975, the airfield was named Merritt Field in honor of Major General Louis G. Merritt, USMCR of Ridge Spring, South Carolina.
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, just 3 miles (5 km) from the station, that provides family housing for area servicepeople.
As is the case with many air bases, MCAS Beaufort hosts an bi-annual air show open to the public.
MCAS-Beaufort's nickname is "Fightertown East"; MCAS Miramar is the more commonly known "Fightertown", also called "Fightertown USA".
