Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM) is a United States military installation located near Tacoma, Washington. The facility was established on February 1, 2010, through the merger of Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base following 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations. Fort Lewis originated as Camp Lewis in 1917, constructed by the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps. It was redesignated as Fort Lewis in 1927. McChord Field, originally the municipal Tacoma Field established in 1927, was purchased by the federal government in 1938 and became McChord Air Force Base in 1948.

The installation is operated by the United States Army and serves as a training and mobilization center. It functions as a power projection base with access to deepwater ports in Tacoma, Olympia, and Seattle for equipment deployment. JBLM hosts I Corps, which maintains readiness for worldwide deployment. Major Army units stationed at the installation include the 7th Infantry Division, the 1st and 2nd Brigades of the 2nd Infantry Division, the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), and the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment. Air Force operations are centered on the 62nd Airlift Wing, which conducts strategic airlift. The base also hosts the 446th Airlift Wing and the Western Air Defense Sector.

The base infrastructure is divided into Lewis Main, Lewis North, McChord Field, and the Yakima Training Center. Lewis Main, Lewis North, and McChord Field cover over 86,000 acres, while the Yakima Training Center covers 324,000 acres. Facilities include 115 live-fire ranges and the Northwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility. Medical operations are conducted at the Madigan Army Medical Center and clinics including Okubo, Nisqually, and McChord. The base hosts squadrons of C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft for combat and humanitarian missions.