Our fighting spirit...
Beaufort prides itself on the key role it plays in America's defense. Our three military installations house and train the finest fighters in the world. Along with our men and women in uniform, thousands of civilian workers provide key support functions to ensure that the United States retains its position of prominence around the globe.
Parris Island Recruit Depot
The journey to becoming a United States Marine begins here. Drill Instructors spend countless hours molding America's future fighters into steely-eyed warriors.
Parris Island is a fixture in the Beaufort community, standing watch along the Port Royal sound. Originally purchased as a plantation, the Island came under control of the Marine Corps in 1891. Recruit training began here in 1915, the peak of which was during the World War II era; during which over 200,000 recruits were trained on the Island.
Today, Parris Island trains all male recruits originating east of the Mississippi, and all female Marines.
Marine Corps Air Station--Beaufort
The nearly 7,000 acres straddling U.S. 21 that make up MCAS Beaufort comprise the finest air combat training ranges in the world. Work on the Air Station began during World War II when it was designated for use by the Navy as an Auxiliary Air Field.
The Marine Corps arrived on the site in the late 1950's and by 1960 the field was designated MCAS Beaufort. Today, the Air
Station provides joint force training operations key to honing the skills of Marine and Naval aviators.
Beaufort Naval Hospital
The Beaufort Naval Hospital provides general medical, surgical, and emergency services to active duty from all branches of service, as well as retired military personnel and military dependents residing in the Beaufort area.
The Hospital was built in 1949 and sits on 127 acres in the Town of Port Royal.