Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort

Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort at a glance

Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort supports Marine fighter aviation in South Carolina's Lowcountry. Marine Aircraft Group 31 is its principal aviation anchor, with aircraft maintenance and installation services supporting the flying mission. The air station's broader support responsibilities connect it with the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force and the neighboring Parris Island recruit-training community.

Beaufort's aviation history began with a naval air station commissioned in 1943 for World War II. After closing following the war, the site reopened as a Marine auxiliary airfield in 1955 and became a Marine Corps Air Station in 1960. Its airfield was named Merritt Field in 1975 for Major General Lewie G. Merritt. Today the installation sits between Charleston and Savannah in Beaufort County.

Also searched as: MCAS Beaufort, Merritt Field.

Sources: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: MCAS Beaufort overview

Mission and major activities

• Supports Marine Aircraft Group 31 and fighter aviation.
• Provides installation support within the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing and II MEF community.

Sources: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: MCAS Beaufort overview

History and identity

A 1943 naval air station became a Marine auxiliary airfield in 1955 and a Marine Corps Air Station in 1960.

Sources: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: MCAS Beaufort overview

Location and community

Beaufort County is between Charleston and Savannah in South Carolina; Laurel Bay is a separate housing area.

Sources: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: MCAS Beaufort overview

An aviation station within the Beaufort military community

MCAS Beaufort supports organizations of the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing, attached II Marine Expeditionary Force units, and the neighboring Parris Island recruiting and training community. Marine Aircraft Group 31 is identified as its principal aviation tenant. The station's facilities and support organizations sustain that aviation mission; a Beaufort assignment can therefore involve maintenance, aviation support, or installation work as well as flying.

The installation opened as Naval Air Station Beaufort in 1943, was deactivated after World War II, and returned to Marine use in the 1950s. It received the Marine Corps Air Station designation in 1960. Its Lowcountry setting includes a separate military housing area at Laurel Bay and nearby Parris Island and Naval Hospital Beaufort. Confirm which of these locations is the actual workplace before using a general Beaufort-area description to compare homes or family services.

Official sources: Official installation overview

The government office and housing partner have separate application steps

The installation housing guide describes a partnership with Hunt Military Communities at Tri-Command. It directs applicants to complete both the Military Housing Office application and the housing partner's application to join the waiting list. Treat those as two connected steps and ask for confirmation that the application is complete rather than assuming that one submission establishes a housing offer.

The Military Housing Office also provides community rental referrals and assistance using housing listings. Its guidance recommends speaking with a referral specialist before signing a lease. Questions about a military housing offer, a community lease, and exceptional family requirements can be addressed through the appropriate office before arrival. Laurel Bay is physically separate from the air station's aviation facilities, so evaluate the actual neighborhood and work destination together. Do not use a directory statement about immediate availability as a substitute for the current offer and move-in date.

Official sources: Official housing guidance

Active-duty clinic care and regional family care

The Branch Health Clinic at MCAS Beaufort serves active-duty personnel, with a co-located active-duty dental clinic. Naval Hospital Beaufort is a separate regional facility, and its network also includes the branch clinic at Parris Island. This distinction matters for a family whose sponsor works at the air station: the sponsor's workplace clinic may not be the family's routine care location.

The official health guide describes referrals to other military or civilian providers when required services are outside the hospital's capabilities. Confirm the receiving primary care arrangement and continuing specialty referrals before the move. Compare the location of recurring treatment with the housing neighborhood as well as the air station workplace. Family dental care, enrollment, and prescription transfers should each be confirmed individually. A shared Beaufort medical network does not mean all beneficiaries can use every branch clinic or obtain every specialty at the same facility.

Official sources: Official health care guidance

Published addresses and access

Use the destination label below to distinguish visitor access, a service office and postal mail. A published address does not authorize entry. Confirm current access, sponsorship, appointments and reporting instructions with the official office before travelling.

Before you arrive

Use these questions with your sponsor or gaining organization. They are a starting point for planning, including assignments, courses and training periods that differ from a routine permanent change of station.

1. Confirm the organization, duration and reporting instructions shown on your orders. Ask which office handles your arrival.
2. Clarify lodging and housing arrangements before booking. Ask about availability, required approvals and how to handle a late arrival.
3. Before choosing a home, compare the commute, lease terms, school needs and your household budget. Ask the housing office about the options that apply to your situation.
4. Coordinate household goods and personal travel with the appropriate transportation office. Keep orders, receipts and important family records together.
5. Make a short list of contacts for medical care, schools, childcare and family support, where applicable to your assignment.

Official PCS planning resources   Housing allowance information

Sources: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: MCAS Beaufort overview

Resources for service members and families

Start with the official resources for Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and ask which services your household can use. For a training site, rotational location or Reserve component assignment, confirm arrangements with your unit rather than assuming the services of a large residential installation are available.

From this mission to your next career

The mission at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort suggests the following areas to consider when describing your experience. These are LockLeed career suggestions based on the public mission, not a list of vacancies or qualifications held by everyone assigned here.

Write down the equipment, systems, processes and teams you personally supported. Add a specific result you can discuss publicly, then match that evidence to the civilian role you want. Keep operational details and sensitive information out of your application.

Official transition resources   Explore SkillBridge programs

Official contacts and installation services

Use the named official resource for this installation or its support community. A directory link does not establish service eligibility, availability or a reporting location. Confirm arrangements with the office or your gaining organization.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and editorial notes

Installation facts above are drawn from the official sources below. Career suggestions and planning questions are LockLeed editorial guidance. Use official offices for current policies, eligibility and arrangements.

1. MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: MCAS Beaufort overviewSupports: overview, mission, history, local context, planning note
2. Official housing guidanceSupports: expanded guide and official services
3. Official health care guidanceSupports: expanded guide and official services

Reviewed 2026-09-30. This independent guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense. Map points are approximate and are not routing or reporting instructions.