BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The U.S. Coast Guard has selected the former Birmingham-Southern College campus for a new training center, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt and other Alabama officials announced Wednesday.
The 192-acre campus, which closed in May 2024 after the private liberal arts college shuttered amid financial woes, meets and exceeds the Coast Guard’s requirements outlined in a November request for information.
Britt, R-Ala., along with Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., joined Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday in the announcement.
“This is a huge day for Birmingham, our great state, and the U.S. Coast Guard,” Britt said. “Alabama stands as a proud leader in military excellence, and we’re honored to host this new training center that will help mold the next generation of Coast Guard members.”
The selection supports the Coast Guard’s Force Design 2028 strategy amid record recruitment, including exceeding 110% of active-duty enlisted goals last year and plans to add 15,000 members by 2028.
“I’m thrilled that President Trump and Secretary Noem have selected Birmingham Southern as the new land-based training facility for the United States Coast Guard,” Tuberville said. “This move will save the American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Aderholt, a Birmingham-Southern alumnus, said: “As a proud alumnus of Birmingham-Southern, it is important to me that this campus continues to serve those seeking to learn and improve their lives.”
Noem called the announcement “further proof that this is the most exciting time to join the Coast Guard in 235 years,” adding that the facility will provide training worthy of the service’s mission.
Lunday said: “The acquisition of the historic Birmingham-Southern College as our new training center is a critical step in our Force Design 2028 strategy, providing the right facilities necessary to grow our service and ensure the Coast Guard stands always ready.”
Alabama already hosts Coast Guard Sector Mobile and Aviation Training Center Mobile, along with major military installations including Redstone Arsenal, Fort Novosel, Maxwell Air Force Base and Anniston Army Depot.
The state is home to more than 26,000 servicemembers and their families and ranks among the top states for civilian veterans.