Joint Base Charleston, the largest military installation in South Carolina, has been renamed in honor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth presided over the ceremony on Monday, where he and other officials paid tribute to the former senator's dedication to public service.
"Senator Lindsey Graham dedicated his life to serving this state and serving the armed forces of the United States," Hegseth stated at the event. "He served this nation both in uniform and in both houses of Congress."
Hegseth added that Graham's mission remained consistent throughout his career: "to ensure peace, we must prepare for war — protect your people, protect your state, protect your sovereignty, or you will lose it to someone else who is willing to take it from you."
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, a native of South Carolina, highlighted the base's critical role, noting that it houses the "backbone of Air Force’s C-17 fleet, the workhorse of our air defense." Bessent remarked that the planes operating from the base would now bear "Joint Base Graham on their tail, a reminder that Sen. Graham was the American people’s workhorse."
Senator Graham, 71, died unexpectedly on July 11 following a suspected aortic dissection related to cardiovascular disease. He concluded a 33-year military career in the Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve, retiring as a colonel in 2015.