McEntire Joint National Guard Base

McEntire Joint National Guard Base is a South Carolina Air National Guard installation located southeast of Columbia, near Eastover in Richland County. The site began as Congaree Army Airfield in 1943, supporting World War II flight training, and was briefly used by the Marine Corps before becoming home to the South Carolina Air National Guard in 1946. In 1961 it was renamed to honor Brigadier General Barnie B. McEntire, the state Air National Guard's first commander, and it took its current joint designation in 2005 to reflect both Army and Air National Guard units stationed there. Today the base hosts the 169th Fighter Wing, which flies F-16 Fighting Falcons and supports air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. Roughly 1,250 members work and drill at the installation.

Like many airfields where firefighting agents were stored and used over several decades, McEntire has been associated with concerns about potential exposure to a group of long-lasting chemicals. An Air National Guard environmental study completed in 2019 reported that groundwater at several locations on the base contained elevated levels of certain compounds, raising questions about how those substances may have moved through soil and groundwater near operational areas.

1. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a broad family of synthetic chemicals valued for their resistance to heat, water, and oil, and they break down very slowly in the environment. At McEntire, PFAS were reported in groundwater at several on-base locations identified in the 2019 study. PFAS exposure has been associated in some studies with a range of health concerns, which is why monitoring near affected sites has been encouraged.
2. PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) is a specific PFAS compound once common in firefighting foam formulations. Testing at McEntire reported significant levels of PFOS in groundwater at multiple sampling points. Research has examined possible links between PFOS and various health effects, and reported levels at the base have prompted continued attention.
3. PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) is another individual PFAS chemical historically found in certain industrial and firefighting products. PFOA was identified alongside PFOS in the base groundwater study. As with related compounds, potential health concerns have been the subject of ongoing scientific review.
4. AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) is a firefighting foam used to suppress fuel fires and was applied during training at McEntire beginning around 1970. Officials reported that a vehicle maintenance area showed some of the highest concentrations, where a truck carrying the foam is believed to have leaked between 2010 and 2011, allowing the material to soak into the soil and reach groundwater. Because AFFF was a primary source of the PFAS family, concerns about potential exposure have centered on the chemicals it contained.

McEntire Joint National Guard Base is not listed on the National Priorities List as a federal Superfund site. Environmental review and any related response work have proceeded under Department of Defense and Air National Guard programs that address PFAS at military installations, in coordination with state environmental authorities. The 2019 study noted that about five private wells are located within roughly a mile of the base, and follow-up monitoring has been part of the broader effort to understand the extent of contamination.

Veterans, Guard members, and others who lived or worked at McEntire and have questions about possible exposure are encouraged to stay informed as environmental assessments continue and to speak with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs about available resources, screenings, and benefits. The VA can provide current guidance, and keeping personal service records can be helpful when discussing individual circumstances.