"We've had the bottom drop out (in previous base closure rounds)," said state Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom.
The Pentagon closed Myrtle Beach Air Force Base and the Charleston Naval Station and Naval Shipyard during the 1990s. The closings left thousands unemployed.
South Carolina officials see the pending base realignment and closure process as a double-edged sword.
No one in the state wants to lose another military base. On the other hand, employment at the former naval bases has rebounded as the military, government agencies and private firms redevelop the properties. Myrtle Beach continues to prosper as a premier resort community.
"We see from past experience there's real potential" if a base closes, said Eckstrom, the state's chief BRAC spokesman.
The state has encouraged military communities to seek federal grants for redeveloping closed bases and to create new business opportunities near present bases.
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State officials will dole out about $500,000 this year as seed money to communities fighting to protect their bases, he said.
"The best ideas come from localities instead of the state capital," Eckstrom added.
State government will not hire a lobbyist, but local groups have spent at least $195,000 in three years for Washington representation. The Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce has spent the largest share, $140,000, according to congressional lobby reports.
The Beaufort chamber also hired a lobbyist and created the Beaufort Military Enhancement Committee to garner support for the nearby Marine Corps facilities. The group's website contains base information, news stories, fundraising requests and form letters to send elected officials in Washington.
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