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Air Force officials unveiled the new name and logo for Andrews Air Force Base — now called Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility Washington — at an Oct. 1 ceremony that marks one of many transitions the base is undergoing as part of the Department of Defense's Base Realignment and Closure process.

Under BRAC, an estimated 2,900 additional government employees will relocate by Sept. 15, 2011, to the base, also referred to as Joint Base Andrews, near Camp Springs

Andrews is one of the first military bases in the country to move ahead with BRAC. The new name, which the Department of Defense chose when they approved the BRAC program in 2005, is meant to reflect the expansion of base activities to include Navy operations, along with other U.S. military functions.

The relocated employees will join the more than 17,000 Air Force and Navy service men and women, federal employees and contractors already working or living on base.

"We are better today now that we are a joint team," said base commander Col. Steven Shepro in a statement. "This is how we are excelling in combat — we are an integrated force, and that is how we are excelling here as Team Andrews."

While the official name change reflects the ongoing expansion of operations at Andrews, it will have little effect on daily base life, said spokesman Capt. Christian Hodge.

Base residents and employees may see new signs going up inside the base with the new logo, which was designed by Airman 1st Class Kat Lynn Justen with base public affairs. The logo showcases different types of aircrafts housed at Andrews — including the president's plane, Air Force One — around the U.S. Capitol building.

"The logo represents Joint Team Andrews and all the branches ... working together to complete a mission of protection in the national capital area," Justen said.

Some local businesses were worried that if the name changed, they would lose Andrews' worldwide name recognition that has helped market their services, said Jim Estepp, president and CEO of the Andrews Business and Community Alliance.

Estepp, who also lives in Croom, near the base, said he plans to continue using the old name. He also said he has received assurances from base officials and the Air Force that they will be flexible with businesses that want to use the old name.

"‘Joint base' is a really innocuous term that really doesn't stand for anything," he said. "It's the name ‘Andrews' that stands for something."

Hodge confirmed there are no plans to change road signs leading to the base or to change any major signage visible outside the base, including the name on the large water tower near the base.

Residents will start to see more changes as employees from bases around the region and from Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico relocate to Andrews. Between BRAC-relocated employees and new jobs related to BRAC growth in retail, private contractors and other area, BRAC is expected to bring between 45,000, according to a 2008 progress report by the state's subcommittee on BRAC.

To ease the transition, the Senate voted Sept. 17 to approve $2.3 million to build or improve existing infrastructure slated to begin in the spring around Andrews, such as Suitland Road, as part of the 2010 budget for the Department of Transportation.

E-mail Zoe Tillman at ztillman@gazette.net.