Myrtle Beach Air Force Base

Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
Name	Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
Location	Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Controlledby	United States Air Force
Used	1940–1993

Myrtle Beach Air Force Base was a United States Air Force installation located near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina that served as a training, operational, and tactical airfield from its World War II origins through the Cold War until closure in 1993. The base hosted a range of United States Air Force units, aircraft, and missions that intersected with major events and organizations including United States Army Air Corps, United States Air Forces in Europe, Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command, and regional civil authorities. Its evolution touched national figures, regional development, and environmental policy arenas connected to agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and federal redevelopment programs.

History

The installation began as a municipal airfield in the late 1930s influenced by Works Progress Administration projects and expanded under the United States Army Air Corps as global tensions rose prior to World War II. During World War II the field supported training programs tied to commands including Army Air Forces Training Command and hosted transient units associated with theaters such as the European Theater of Operations and the Pacific War. Postwar demobilization paralleled nationwide base realignments seen after the National Security Act of 1947, and the field was reactivated and redesignated under the United States Air Force as Cold War exigencies prompted renewed investment during the Korean War and later the Vietnam War. Throughout the 1950s–1980s the installation interacted with federal programs like the Military Construction Act and with defense contractors including Boeing, Lockheed, and McDonnell Douglas through aircraft procurement and modernization initiatives. Delegations from the base engaged with members of Congress such as Strom Thurmond and Ernest "Fritz" Hollings on defense appropriations and regional economic development matters.

Facilities and Infrastructure

Initial runways were built to accommodate piston-engine trainers and bombers common in World War II, later lengthened and reinforced for jet aircraft like the North American F-100 Super Sabre, General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The base complex comprised hangars, apron space, a control tower influenced by Federal Aviation Administration standards, ordnance storage regulated under Department of Defense directives, and fuel farms compatible with JP-4 and JP-8 logistics. Support infrastructure included family housing, a commissary, base exchange, medical facilities aligned with Tricare predecessors, and education services coordinated with school districts such as Horry County Schools. Transportation links tied the base to U.S. Route 17, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, and the regional Myrtle Beach International Airport complex. Environmental remediation later focused on areas like former firing ranges and maintenance shops subject to Superfund-style evaluations by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Units and Operations

The base hosted numbered wings and squadrons including tactical fighter wings that rotated through deployments coordinated with United States Central Command and NATO partners such as Royal Air Force contingents and Luftwaffe liaison teams. It accommodated aircraft maintenance units employing practices influenced by Air Force Materiel Command standards and logistics elements tied to the Defense Logistics Agency. Aircrew training pipelines mirrored curricula from institutions such as Air University and included joint exercises with sister services like United States Navy and United States Marine Corps aviation units. Operation support involved coordination with Federal Emergency Management Agency during natural disasters affecting the Carolinas and interoperability planning with civilian agencies including Coast Guard units operating in the Atlantic littoral.

Role in World War II and Cold War

During World War II the airfield functioned as a training and staging area that funneled pilots and crews into theaters such as the Normandy Campaign and the Guadalcanal Campaign, with personnel rotating through units linked to commands like Eighth Air Force. In the Cold War era the installation became a forward-holding tactical base contributing to deterrence strategies during crises such as the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis, while supporting deployment cycles for Southeast Asia operations during the Vietnam War. The base's aircraft and personnel participated in NATO interoperability exercises like Operation Reforger and supported contingency taskings under the doctrine advanced by Tactical Air Command and later Air Combat Command organizational frameworks. Its strategic posture intersected with policy debates in venues including hearings before the United States Senate Armed Services Committee.

Closure and Redevelopment

Following the end of the Cold War and the Base Realignment and Closure processes of the early 1990s, the installation was slated for decommissioning amid broader defense downsizing influenced by the Goldwater–Nichols Act era transformations. Local redevelopment authorities worked with the General Services Administration and the Economic Development Administration to convert former airfield land for civilian uses including industrial parks, commercial aviation, tourism infrastructure tied to Myrtle Beach resorts, and residential developments. Adaptive reuse projects engaged stakeholders such as City of Myrtle Beach officials, Horry County planners, and private developers including national real estate firms. The transition reflected patterns seen in other closures like Marine Corps Air Station El Toro and Lowry Air Force Base.

Environmental and Preservation Issues

Post-closure environmental assessments addressed contamination concerns common to legacy military sites, involving agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. Remediation targets included soil and groundwater from former fuel storage and maintenance operations, and unexploded ordnance scrutiny similar to efforts at former ranges like Eglin Air Force Base. Simultaneously, historic preservation advocates sought recognition of Cold War–era hangars, control towers, and barracks in inventories aligned with the National Register of Historic Places and consulted with preservation organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Redevelopment plans balanced economic objectives promoted by entities like the Chamber of Commerce with environmental mitigation overseen by federal and state regulators.

Category:Installations of the United States Air Force in South Carolina Category:Military installations closed in 1993 Category:Myrtle Beach, South Carolina