Miller Celebrates U.S. Coast Guard's New Special Missions Command Center in Kearneysville, West Virginia

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) applauds the United States Coast Guard's decision to establish its Special Missions Command (SMC) at the existing Coast Guard C51 Service Center in Kearneysville, West Virginia.

This new facility will oversee the Coast Guard's deployable specialized forces and significantly strengthen the service's ability to respond to a wide range of national emergencies and major events, particularly as demand for these specialized capabilities continues to grow. It is expected to be commissioned on or around October 1, 2026.

"I am thrilled that the United States Coast Guard has chosen West Virginia as the home of its new Special Missions Command Center. Establishing this center in our state will allow for high-level, specialized training to be conducted in a single centralized facility, ensuring seamless coordination and readiness among these elite forces. This investment will significantly enhance the Coast Guard's ability to prepare its personnel to respond to complex threats and critical missions, strengthening our nation's homeland security while bringing highly skilled jobs and federal resources to West Virginia," said Congresswoman Miller.

"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. 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," said Senator Shelley Moore Capito.

"The creation of the Special Missions Command is a vital evolution for our service under Force Design 2028. 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," said Adm. Kevin Lunday, Commandant of the Coast Guard.

The Special Missions Command will include the following units:

• Maritime Security Response Teams serve as the Coast Guard's first responders to maritime terrorism and other high-risk threats. They are equipped to conduct the nation's most critical maritime security and defense operations at home or abroad, with both partner law enforcement agencies and joint services.
• Tactical Law Enforcement Teams provide law enforcement expertise across the full spectrum of maritime response situations with specific focus on counter trafficking and criminal networks attempting to exploit maritime transit zones.
• Maritime Safety and Security Teams are rapidly deployable boat teams that provide port, waterway, and coastal security capability to safeguard the public, protect the marine transportation system, and respond to maritime crime, sabotage, and terrorist activity.
• Port Security Units provide shoreside and waterborne security including point defense of strategic shipping, designated critical infrastructure, and high value assets in joint and combined expeditionary warfare environments.
• Regional Dive Lockers provide dedicated undersea capabilities for a variety of missions. These missions include ensuring the security of ports and waterways, maintaining aids to navigation, and conducting ship maintenance and repair, often in extreme environments like the remote polar regions.
• National Strike Force provides highly trained technical experts and specialized equipment to Coast Guard and other federal agencies to prepare for and respond to the most complex crises and natural disasters, including oil, hazardous substances, and chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear incidents. The force, comprised of three strike teams, an incident management assist team, and the public information assist team supports federal on-scene coordinators and incident commanders, and is poised for immediate response across the nation and globally.

More information can be found in the United States Coast Guard's Press Release here.