Capito Applauds New Coast Guard Special Missions Command Facility in Kearneysville, W.Va.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, applauded the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) selection of Kearneysville, W.Va. for the site of Special Missions Command, which will oversee all deployable specialized forces of the Coast Guard. The command will enhance the operational effectiveness of the Coast Guard in responding to a wide range of national emergencies and events as the demand for deployable specialized forces capabilities increase.

The Coast Guard selected the existing Coast Guard C5I Service Center facility in Kearneysville, W.Va. as the location for the Coast Guard's Special Missions Command (SMC). The SMC will be commissioned on or around October 1, 2026, fully integrating the Service's Deployable Special Forces under a single operational commander to provide oversight and advocacy, improve readiness, mission effectiveness, and interoperability to meet Service, Department, and joint military requirements.

"The Coast Guard's decision to establish its Special Missions Command in Kearneysville is a testament to the capabilities and strategic value West Virginia offers," Senator Capito said. "This announcement is welcome news as it will strengthen readiness, while also ensuring our service members are equipped to respond to the complex threats and emergencies we face today. I'm proud to know that this capability will be located in the Eastern Panhandle, and I look forward to seeing the opportunities and benefits brought to the region and our nation when it comes to homeland security needs. I would like to thank Admiral Lunday and Secretary Mullin for recognizing the important advantage West Virginia offers for this new capability."

"The creation of the Special Missions Command is a vital evolution for our service under Force Design 2028," Adm. Kevin Lunday, Commandant of the Coast Guard, said. "We are forging our most elite operators into a single, razor-sharp instrument of national power. The Special Missions Command is not an administrative change; it is an investment ensuring these elite teams are the best trained, equipped, and organized force possible, ready to protect the Homeland and support the Joint Force."

BACKGROUND:

The establishment of Coast Guard Special Missions Command is a significant step to enhance our competitive edge and secure the Coast Guard's position as the Nation's finest fighting force and crisis response leaders. This announcement demonstrates the Coast Guard's commitment to implementing operational and organizational changes that advance mission outcomes and provide operators with the tools necessary to meet future mission demands. This facility will align all Deployable Specialized Forces units and other specialized capabilities under a single organizational structure and improve readiness, mission effectiveness and interoperability with joint and interagency forces to meet Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, and joint military requirements.

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