McGuire Air Force Base
McGuire AFB | |||||||||
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Near AMSL | |||||||||
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Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1] |
McGuire AFB/McGuire, the common name of the McGuire unit of
The McGuire Air Force Base census-designated place (CDP) is located in portions of both New Hanover Township and North Hanover Township.[2][3][4] As of the 2020 United States census, the McGuire Air Force Base CDP had a total population of 4,522.[5]
Overview
The host unit at McGuire AFB is the 87th Air Base Wing (87 ABW), United States Air Force Expeditionary Center, AMC. The 87 ABW provides installation management to all of JB MDL.[6] The wing also provides mission-ready, expeditionary Airmen to support Unified Combatant Commanders in ongoing military operations. The wing consists of more than 3,100 officers, enlisted, and civilian personnel from the Air Force, Army and Navy. The 87th Air Base Wing is commanded by Colonel Bridget V. Gigliotti.[7] Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Tony B. Jenkins.[8]
McGuire originated in 1941 as Fort Dix Army Air Force Base. Closed briefly after
Units
The 305th Air Mobility Wing, 108th Air Refueling Wing (ANG), 621st Contingency Response Wing, and the 514th Air Mobility Wing (AFRC), has supported every major type of air mobility mission over the past 15 years. The following units are assigned to McGuire AFB:
- 87th Air Base Wing
- 305th Air Mobility Wing
- 514th Air Mobility Wing (AFRC)
- 108th Air Refueling Wing (New Jersey ANG)
- U.S. Marine Corps Reserve / 4th Marine Aircraft Wing)
- MAG-49)
- Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 64 (VR-64) (U.S. Navy Reserve)[10]
McGuire is the only base in both the Air Mobility Command and the entire
McGuire is also host to:
- United States Air Force Expeditionary Center (USAF EC)—physically located on Fort Dix
- 621st Contingency Response Wing[11] (CRW)
- 373rd Training Squadron (373 TRS), Detachment 1
- AMC Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES)
McGuire hosts the flying needs of its mission partners on JB MDL. Air Force and civilian AMC-contracted aircraft use McGuire's two runways to facilitate this mission. Many hundreds of thousands of Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps personnel have left the United States for overseas locations from McGuire AFB.
Airplanes from McGuire have provided the
History
Major Thomas Buchanan McGuire, Jr
McGuire Air Force Base was established as Fort Dix Airport in 1937 and first opened to military aircraft on 9 January 1941. On 13 January 1948 the
World War II
Flight operations to support Camp Dix at an adjacent airfield took place as early as 1926. Facilities and runways to support an air mission began in 1937 as a Civilian Conservation Corps project. This was on newly acquired land for the great Army Air Forces expansion approved by the Roosevelt Administration. This nascent airfield and wooden structures was named "Rudd Field." To meet the requirements for a possible world war, Rudd Field was renamed Fort Dix Army Air Base in 1939, and underwent massive expansion from 1940 to 1941. Runways constructed consisted of three concrete surfaced, 7100x150(N/S), 7100x150(NE/SW), 5400x150(E/W), and one macadam surfaced, 8100x150(NW/SE).
The base had its first permanent
After the United States' entry into
In late 1942,
Fort Dix Army Air Base was phased down in the fall of 1945 and was placed on Temporary Inactive Status on 15 February 1945; which changed to Inactive Status on 1 March 1946. Jurisdiction of the base was transferred to Strategic Air Command at Andrews Field, Maryland on 1 August 1947, the base remaining in inactive status.
United States Air Force
Strategic Air Command
Fort Dix Army Air Base was taken out of inactive status and activated as a primary installation on 29 August 1948. Initially reactivated under Strategic Air Command, the facility underwent a modernization program to convert the World War II base into a base for postwar jet aircraft. In addition, support facilities were upgraded from World War II temporary wooden structures to permanent structures for long-term use.
SAC activated the
Air Defense Command
With the departure of the 91st SRW, control of McGuire AFB was reassigned to
The
The Twin Mustangs of the 52d FW were replaced by the ADC
These squadrons flew a variety of ADC interceptors in the 1950s, starting with the
The NYADS was in large part responsible for one of the foundational projects of the computer era: the development of the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) air defense system, from its first test at Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1951, to the installation of the first operational Data Center (DC-01) at McGuire AFB in 1957, becoming operational on 1 July 1958. The SAGE system was a network linking Air Force (and later FAA) General Surveillance Radar stations into a centralized center for Air Defense, intended to provide early warning and response for a Soviet nuclear attack.
Developed by
The NYADS was reassigned from 26th AD on 1 April 1966 to First Air Force, until 30 September 1968 when both the sector was inactivated along with DC-01, when budget restrictions along with when technology advances allowed the Air Force to shut down many SAGE Data Centers. The SAGE network, however, remained active until 1983.
In 1959, Air Defense Command deployed the
The supersonic Bomarc missiles were the first long-range anti-aircraft missiles in the world, and were equipped with a W40 nuclear warhead. The site at McGuire went operational in 1959 under the NYADS. Within a year of becoming operational, a Bomarc-A with a nuclear warhead caught fire on 7 June 1960 following the explosive rupture of its onboard helium tank. While the missile's explosives didn't detonate the heat melted the warhead, releasing plutonium which the fire crews then spread around. The Air Force and the Atomic Energy Commission cleaned up the site and covered it with concrete; fortunately, this was the only major incident involving the weapons system.
The Bomarc site remained in operation under successor organizations after the inactivation of the NYADS. After its closure in 1972, the accident resulted in the site remaining off limits to the present day, primarily due to low levels of plutonium contamination. Due to the accident, the McGuire complex has never been sold or converted to other uses and remains in Air Force ownership, making it the most intact site of the eight in the United States. It has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places.
With the closure of the Bomarc site, the by then renamed Aerospace Defense Command ended its activities at McGuire AFB. The large SAGE DC-01 blockhouse is now the headquarters of the 621st Contingency Response Wing and previously housed the 21st Air Force/Expeditionary Mobility Task Force.
Strategic airlift
On 1 July 1954, Military Air Transport Service (MATS) took over jurisdiction of McGuire Air Force Base. Through its successor organizations, Military Airlift Command (MAC) in 1966 and since 1992 as Air Mobility Command (AMC), the primary mission of McGuire has remained the strategic airlift of personnel and equipment worldwide.
MATS activities at the base began on 1 July 1954 with the
On 1 June 1955, MATS moved the
On 1 January 1966 MATS was discontinued and its assets were assigned to the new
The 438th MAW completed the replacement of the prop-driven transports of MATS with the new Lockheed
From 1967, McGuire was the best-known C-141 Starlifter base in the world, possessing up to a quarter of MAC's fleet of that aircraft until its retirement in 1994. On 1 December 1991, the wing was redesignated as the 438th Airlift Wing and implemented the objective wing organization. On 1 June 1992, it was assigned to the new Air Mobility Command.
Modern era
On 1 October 1994, the 438th Airlift Wing was inactivated, being replaced at McGuire by the
The 21st Air Force, coupled with the stand up of the 621st Air Mobility Operations Group (621 AMOG) and its later reorganization to the 621st Contingency Response Wing (621 CRW), partnered with the 305 AMW and spearheaded virtually every contingency over the past 14 years, from Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR in the Balkans to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. McGuire itself, through its support organizations, has also been a key component in the transport of materials and personnel to global crisis points.
In 1999, McGuire served as the lead staging base for the evacuation of Kosovo refugees in Operation OPEN ARMS; McGuire was the rally and staging point for FEMA operations in New York City after the 11 September 2001 attacks; in 2005, the base lent key support for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
On 1 October 2003 the Twenty-First Air Force was re-designated as the
Today the men and women of McGuire AFB continue to be at the forefront of operations, with regular deployments of airlift and aerial refueling aircraft as well as support elements for combat operations. McGuire hosted a rapidly assembled STRATCOM Joint Task Force satellite recovery team with no prior notice in February 2008, winning praise for its flexibility and support. Team McGuire remains engaged in providing direct combat support to two regional conflicts and provided personnel, resources and aircraft.
Due to a
Major commands to which assigned
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|
- McGuire put on temporary inactive status, 15 February 1946; inactive status, March 1946; transferred to jurisdiction of Topeka AFB, Kansas, 16–28 August 1948; reactivated as primary installation, 29 August 1948. During inactive status, field remained under major command jurisdiction.
Major units assigned
|
|
References for history introduction, major commands and major units[12]
Aircraft flown
Designation | Years |
---|---|
C-130
|
2011–present |
C-9B | 2011–2012 |
C-17
|
2004–present |
KC-46
|
2021–present |
KC-10
|
1994–2023 |
C-141
|
1967–2004 |
KC-135
|
1991–present |
F-4E
|
1985–1991 |
F-4D
|
1981–1985 |
F-105B
|
1964–1981 |
F-94
|
1950–1952 |
F-86
|
1953–1964 |
F-84F
|
1958–1962 |
F-84E
|
1955–1958 |
F-82
|
1949–1951 |
F-51H
|
1952–1955 |
P-47D
|
1952 |
F-106A
|
1959–1967 |
C-7
|
19??-19?? |
C-121
|
19??-19?? |
C-54
|
19??-19?? |
C-118 | 19??-19?? |
C-135
|
19??-1967 |
Hazardous waste
In July 2007, the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued an order to the US military to clean up the contaminants at McGuire AFB. Areas requiring cleanup include landfills, fire training areas, pesticide mixing shops, fuel storage and leak areas, underground tanks and fuel lines, a PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) spill site, and a wastewater treatment plant sludge disposal area.[13]
McGuire Air Force Base CDP
McGuire AFB CDP | |
---|---|
732 | |
FIPS code | 34-42390[16][17][18] |
GNIS feature ID | 2389460[14] |
According to the United States Census Bureau, the McGuire Air Force Base CDP had a total area of 5.364 square miles (13.893 km2), including 5.359 square miles (13.879 km2) of land and 0.005 square miles (0.014 km2) of water (0.10%).[16][19]
The population was 4,522 at the 2020 census.[5]
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1970 | 10,933 | — | |
1980 | 7,853 | −28.2% | |
1990 | 7,580 | −3.5% | |
2000 | 6,478 | −14.5% | |
2010 | 3,710 | −42.7% | |
2020 | 4,522 | 21.9% | |
Population sources: 1970–1980[20] 1990–2010[4] 2000[21] 2010[22] 2020[15] |
Census 2020
Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2010[22] | Pop 2020[23] | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH)
|
2,299 | 2,433 | 61.97% | 53.80% |
Black or African American alone (NH)
|
562 | 573 | 15.15% | 12.67% |
Alaska Native alone (NH)
|
14 | 13 | 0.38% | 0.29% |
Asian alone (NH) | 97 | 156 | 2.61% | 3.45% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 24 | 33 | 0.65% | 0.73% |
Some Other Race alone (NH) | 6 | 47 | 0.16% | 1.04% |
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH) | 202 | 356 | 5.44% | 7.87% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 506 | 911 | 13.64% | 20.15% |
Total | 3,710 | 4,522 | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
The
Of the 1,026 households, 67.2% had children under the age of 18; 75.4% were married couples living together; 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 13.1% were non-families. Of all households, 7.5% were made up of individuals and 0.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.27 and the average family size was 3.49.[24]
36.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 25.2% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 4.6% from 45 to 64, and 0.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 120.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 135.9 males.[24]
2000 census
As of the
There were 1,498 households, out of which 79.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 89.0% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 2.1% were non-families. 1.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.51 and the average family size was 3.53.[21]
In the base the population was spread out, with 35.6% under the age of 18, 22.8% from 18 to 24, 39.9% from 25 to 44, 1.6% from 45 to 64, and 0.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females, there were 130.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 153.3 males.[21]
The median income for a household in the base was $36,347, and the median income for a family was $36,136. Males had a median income of $22,000 versus $21,659 for females. The per capita income for the base was $12,364. About 5.5% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.[21]
The base is also the site of basic encampment for the New Jersey Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. Cadets in encampment are educated on life in the military, careers in the United States Air Force, and principles of aviation.[25]
Education
The
In 1997 the North Hanover schools were the only choice for McGuire AFB dependents.[28]
Two North Hanover district schools are located on the base and two are in Jacobstown. As of the 2014–15 school year, the district and its four schools had an enrollment of 1,230 students and 112.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1.[29] It is the largest K-6 school district in Burlington County.[citation needed] Schools in the district (with 2014–15 school enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[30]) are Discovery Elementary School[31] (grades PreK-K; 294 students) in McGuire AFB Atlantis Elementary School[32] (1–2; 236) in McGuire AFB Clarence B. Lamb Elementary School[33] (1–4; 425) in Jacobstown and Upper Elementary School School[34] (5–6; 272) in Jacobstown.[35][36]
Northern Burlington County Regional School District students are served from Chesterfield Township, Mansfield Township, North Hanover Township and Springfield Township, along with children of USAF personnel based at McGuire AFB.[37][38] The schools in the district (with 2014–15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[39]) are Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School[40] for grades 7 and 8 (758 students) and Northern Burlington County Regional High School[41] for grades 9–12 (1,355 students).[42]
Transportation
New Jersey Route 68 links the base to U.S. Route 206 near the latter's interchanges with the New Jersey Turnpike, U.S. Route 130 and Interstate 195.
See also
- New Jersey World War II Army Airfields
- List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations
References
- ^ "Airport Diagram – McGuire Field / Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst (KWRI)" (PDF). Federal Aviation Administration. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ GCT-PH1 – Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County – County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Burlington County, New Jersey Archived 12 February 2020 at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed 18 June 2013.
- ^ 2006–2010 American Community Survey Geography for New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed 18 June 2013.
- ^ a b New Jersey: 2010 – Population and Housing Unit Counts – 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32), United States Census Bureau, p. III-5, August 2012. Accessed 18 June 2013.
- ^ a b "McGuire AFB CDP, New Jersey". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ Mission Partners Archived 22 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine webpage. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL) official website. Accessed 2010-06-18.
- ^ "COLONEL NEIL R. RICHARDSON > Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst > Display". jointbasemdl.af.mil.
- ^ "CHIEF MASTER SGT. CHRISTOPHER M. YEVCHAK > Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst > Display". jointbasemdl.af.mil.
- ^ "Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst McGuire". Archived from the original on 12 December 2012.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Factsheets : 621st Contingency Response Wing". Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ISBN 0-16-002261-4
- ^ via Associated Press. "Air Force Ordered to Clean up McGuire", Military.com, 14 July 2007. Accessed 18 June 2013.
- ^ a b c "McGuire Air Force Base Census Designated Place". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ a b Census Data Explorer: McGuire AFB CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Gazetteer of New Jersey Places, United States Census Bureau. Accessed 18 June 2013.
- ^ a b U.S. Census website, United States Census Bureau. Accessed 4 September 2014.
- ^ Geographic codes for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed June 9, 2023.
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990, United States Census Bureau. Accessed 4 September 2014.
- ^ Staff. 1980 Census of Population: Number of Inhabitants United States Summary, p. 1–140. United States Census Bureau, June 1983. Accessed 17 June 2013.
- ^ a b c d e DP-1 – Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 from the Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for McGuire AFB CDP, New Jersey Archived 12 February 2020 at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed 18 June 2013.
- ^ a b "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - McGuire AFB CDP, New Jersey". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE - 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - McGuire AFB CDP, New Jersey". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ a b c DP-1 – Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for McGuire AFB CDP, New Jersey Archived 12 February 2020 at archive.today, United States Census Bureau. Accessed 18 June 2013.
- ^ "NJ Wing Basic Encampment". sites.google.com. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 7 August 2022. - Text list
- ^ "Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Education". Military One Source. Retrieved 7 August 2022. - This is a .mil site.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ District information for North Hanover Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed 7 December 2016.
- ^ School Data for the North Hanover Township School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed 7 December 2016.
- ^ Discovery Elementary School Archived 9 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine, North Hanover Township School District. Accessed 8 January 2017.
- ^ Atlantis Elementary School Archived 9 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine, North Hanover Township School District. Accessed 8 January 2017.
- ^ Clarence B. Lamb Elementary School Archived 9 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine, North Hanover Township School District. Accessed 8 January 2017.
- ^ Upper Elementary School School Archived 1 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine, North Hanover Township School District. Accessed 8 January 2017.
- ^ Our Schools Archived 8 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine, North Hanover Township School District. Accessed 8 January 2017. "Two schools, Discovery School and Atlantis School, are located in the Falcon Courts North Section of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. The Upper Elementary School and the C.B. Lamb Elementary School are located in the Jacobstown section of North Hanover Township."
- ^ New Jersey School Directory for the North Hanover Township School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed 29 December 2016.
- ^ Northern Burlington County Regional School District 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed 31 May 2016. "The Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School and High School are located in Mansfield Township. Its constituent elementary districts are Chesterfield, Mansfield, North Hanover, and Springfield Townships. In addition, the district serves the Children of United States military personnel stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst."
- ^ Esposito, Martha. "Discover Burlington County 2013: Regional School Districts" Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Burlington County Times, 26 April 2015. Accessed 31 May 2016. "NORTHERN BURLINGTON COUNTY REGIONAL – Serves: Chesterfield, Mansfield, North Hanover, Springfield, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst"
- ^ School Data for the Northern Burlington County Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed 7 December 2016.
- ^ Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School, Northern Burlington County Regional School District. Accessed 8 January 2017.
- ^ Northern Burlington County Regional High School, Northern Burlington County Regional School District. Accessed 8 January 2017.
- ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Northern Burlington County Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed 29 December 2016.
- New Jersey Transit, backed up by the Internet Archiveas of 26 June 2010. Accessed 18 June 2013.
Bibliography
- Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office 1961 (republished 1983, Office of Air Force History, ISBN 0-912799-02-1).
- Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- Mueller, Robert, Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982, Office of Air Force History, 1989
- A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946–1980, by Lloyd H. Cornett and Mildred W. Johnson, Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado
- Winkler, David F. (1997), Searching the skies: the legacy of the United States Cold War defense radar program. Prepared for United States Air Force Headquarters Air Combat Command.
- Information for McGuire AFB, NJ
- This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
- This article incorporates public domain material from McGuire Field. United States Air Force.
External links
- Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL) official website
- Team McGuire webpage (JB MDL official website)
- McGuire—Retiree Activities Office webpage (JB MDL official website)
- Air Mobility Command official website
- "The Last Great Ace" book written about Maj. Thomas B. McGuire written by Charles A. Martin
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective March 21, 2024
- FAA Terminal Procedures for WRI, effective March 21, 2024
- Resources for this U.S. military airport:
- FAA airport information for WRI
- AirNav airport information for KWRI
- ASN accident history for WRI
- NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KWRI