NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - Gov. Mark Sanford toured the Charleston Naval Weapons Station on Friday and suggested the base could get additional missions in any new round of military base closings.

Sanford has been touring South Carolina installations in recent months with members of his Military Base Advisory Committee. South Carolina is preparing for an expected round of Pentagon base closings - known as BRAC for base realignment and closings - in two years.

The Naval Weapons Station provides a hub for a number of military missions, including staging for the Army's pre-positioned ship program, the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center and the Navy's Nuclear Power Training Command.

The facility "is very well positioned going into BRAC to pick up additional functions because there is going to be some shifting of the cards with this next BRAC," Sanford said. "If people really look at what this base has to offer, I think it's literally one of the finest bases in South Carolina."

During his tour, he saw equipment and met members of the Navy's Explosive Ordinance Disposal Mobile Unit 6, which sent personnel to Iraq earlier this year where they cleared away and destroyed thousands of mines, grenades and other ammunition.

Sanford has now formally visited all the state's installations except for the Parris Island Marine Recruit Depot near Beaufort and the Charleston Air Force Base. But Sanford is on the air base one weekend a month for duty in the Air Force reserves.

Asked which bases might be threatened in a new round of closings, Sanford said "the obvious is the obvious. Shaw (Air Force Base) for a long time has been in a danger zone. I don't think we're out of the danger zone with regards to Shaw."

State officials have expressed concern that development near the Sumter base could affect its standing with a new base closing commission.

"We had a fascinating visit with the general there at Fort Jackson," Sanford added. "Although everybody sees its size as a real safety valve, when measured against other facilities in the Army arsenal of facilities, it may be at more risk that we realize."

About 52,000 Army recruits a year go through training at Fort Jackson in Columbia.