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Military bases and training facilities dot North Carolina's Crystal Coast, but they have not spoiled its beauty. They have just added a few more people, a little noise, extra traffic every now and then — and a lot of patriotism.

Occasionally, residents express concern about low-flying aircraft, the noise caused by a night-training flight or the increased traffic on the roads, but all in all the military bases are excellent neighbors. They provide employment and income and contribute to the community through uncountable volunteer hours. Military personnel often volunteer to tutor students, clear and construct school athletic fields, help nonprofit groups with projects and raise funds for holiday programs. We're glad to have them in Carteret and Craven counties.

Of the surrounding bases, the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) base at Cherry Point in Havelock has the greatest impact on the Crystal Coast. One of the most valuable assets is the base's Fleet Readiness Center (FRC) East. The command employs nearly 4,000 civilian, military and contractor personnel, who work in a wide variety of skilled technical and professional positions. FRC East’s customers include: 202 different Navy and Marine Corps activities, 24 foreign nations, five U. S. Air Force activities, three U.S. Army activities and two other federal agencies. As a service provider specializing in support of Marine Corps aircraft, engines and components, FRC is the only source of repair within the continental United States for many jet engines and rotary wing engines, as well as turbofan vectored thrust engines. See our Havelock chapter for more information on MCAS Cherry Point.

Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base is located in nearby Jacksonville. The Port of Morehead City is the port of embarkation and debarkation for the Second Division of the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune. Military troops from Camp Lejeune often travel N.C. Highway 24 from Swansboro to Morehead City. Another nearby military establishment is Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, which is about a two-hour drive from the Crystal Coast.

What follows is information about some of the other military establishments in the area.

Atlantic Outlying Field and Piney Island (Marines)

These two training facilities are in the Down East area of Carteret County. Atlantic Outlying Field is a 1,514-acre facility in the community of Atlantic. Piney Island, or BT-11 as the military refers to it, is a 10,000-plus-acre electronic practice range at the eastern tip of Carteret County. As part of the Mid-Atlantic Electronic Warfare Range (MAEWR), Piney Island is used by various military groups, including active-duty personnel and reservists. While planes do fly over the area, bombing simulations are recorded and scored electronically via computers to lessen the environmental impact.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina
N.C. Hwy. 58, Atlantic Beach
(252) 247-4511 x538

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina at the east end of Bogue Banks is the home port of one large cutter and several smaller vessels. The base is charged with overseeing the waters from Virginia to the North Carolina–South Carolina border. Coast Guard missions include homeland security, search and rescue, and law enforcement.

Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle
Station St., Emerald Isle
(252) 354-2462

The vessels of this station, located at the west end of Bogue Banks in Emerald Isle, patrol about 50 nautical miles of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, including Bogue Inlet, New River Inlet, White Oak River and New River all the way down to Surf City and 30 miles offshore. The primary focus is on homeland security, search and rescue, and law enforcement.