Welcome Aboard Diego Garcia!

The atoll of Diego Garcia is in the Chagos Islands located on a large shoal area known as the Great Chagos Bank. Diego Garcia is the largest of 55 islands that form the Chagos Archipelago within British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) and is known as the “Footprint of Freedom” for it shape, regional location, and strategic importance. The island is located seven degrees south of the equator very close to the geographic center of the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia was discovered by Portuguese explorers in the early sixteenth century and its name is believed to have come from either an early explorer’s ship captain or its navigator. The island stretches about 38 miles from tip to tip and has an average elevation of four feet above sea level with a maximum elevation of 22 feet. The lagoon varies in depth from 10 to 100 feet. This lush, tropical island is home to an international population consisting primarily of Filipino and Mauritian contractors, and British and U.S. military.

AUTHORIZED PATRONS Personnel authorized to participate in MWR activities and facilities includes Active Duty, Reservist, Retirees, Department of Defense employees, and their guests, unless otherwise stated. For questions, please call MWR Admin at (315) 370-2982