Our Military

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB-MDL) became fully operational on Oct. 1, 2009 with the consolidation of all civilian personnel under the umbrella of the Air Force. The goal when creating JB-MDL was to consolidate civilian workforces and functions, such as utilities and payroll. It is located 18 miles south of Trenton, in Burlington County. More than 42,000 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, civilians and their family members living and working on and around JB-MDL contribute to the economic impact for the state of New Jersey.

Comprising 42,000 acres, it is the first and currently the only joint base with three services. The joint base was a tri-service merger of support functions at three contiguous bases in two counties: the Army post at Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base, both in Burlington County and Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station in Ocean County. Changes are still coming together and a major challenge has been to achieve pay parity for federal civilian workers at the three bases. Lakehurst civilians are currently paid 7 percent more than those with the same type jobs at the other two bases because the two counties involved are in different metropolitan regions where the cost of living differs. The Federal Salary Council in Washington, D.C. will ultimately decide the pay parity issue.

Air Force Colonel Gina Grosso is in charge of the 3,100 mainly civilian employees, as well as the payroll, maintenance, supply, utility, food service and other functions needed to support active duty military and military personnel at all three bases. Her official title is commander of the recently activated 87th Air Base Wing, which assumed management of the merged bases. The wing also provides mission-ready, expeditionary airmen to support combat missions abroad. In addition, the joint base is home to federal agency offices, such as homeland security, the justice department and veterans affairs. However, nearly all 13,000 military personnel at JB-MDL do not fall under joint base jurisdiction.

Military officers continue as commanders of nearly all military personnel and of the main military missions at the three bases. These missions range from air refueling, airlift and aeromedical evacuation for combat and humanitarian missions to Naval engineering and reserve training. New construction for JB-MDL has totaled $275 million. Aircraft and units from other closed bases still are arriving. New aircraft also include helicopters. More Naval and Marine reserve personnel will come to JB-MDL by the end of 2011 from Willow Grove Naval Air Station and from Johnstown, both in Pennsylvania.

AIR FORCE COMMANDS
Units include the 87th Air Base Wing, United States Air Force Expeditionary Center, 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force, 305thAirMobility Wing, 514th Air Mobility Wing (Air Force Reserve Command), 108th Air Refueling Wing (New Jersey Air National Guard) and the 621st Contingency Response Wing. Each component is essential to providing key mission responsibility as the East Coast Air Mobility Wing, providing America's Eastern gateway for global reach. The 87th Air Base Wing is the host wing at JB-MDL. The 87th ABW provides installation support to more than 41 mission commanders located at the Department of Defense's first joint base and only joint base that consolidated Air Force, Army and Navy installations.

JB-MDL is home to the 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force, one of two EMTFs in Air Mobility Command. Its mission is to command two air mobility operations groups, the 621st CRW at JB-MDL and the 721st AMOG, located at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. During wartime, contingencies, war games or exercises the EMTF commander is the senior director of mobility forces within their area of focus. The 21st EMTF is focused on Europe and Southwest Asia as well as experimentation and exercises in Joint Forces Command.

Falling directly under 21st EMTF is the 621st Contingency Response Wing, a major tenant unit. The 621st CRW is the East Coast organization responsible for training and deploying AMC mission support forces. The CRW opens or augments airfields anywhere in the world, deploys worldwide as an extension of the Tanker Airlift Control Center, provides command and control, aerial port and aircraft maintenance personnel for AMC's Tanker Airlift Control Elements and combat camera support to document military operations. As strategic units of AMC, the 305th Air Mobility Wing and 514thAir Mobility Wing provide airlift and air refueling support as assigned by Headquarters, Air Mobility Command and initiated by the Department of Defense.

The 108th Air Refueling Wing represents one of the largest refueling wings in the Air National Guard and this unit is dedicated to supporting AMC in both air refueling and strategic airlift roles. Through the use of the C-17 Globemaster III, KC-10A Extender and KC-135 Stratotanker, JB-MDL maintains air mobility assets in a constant state of readiness. Mission responsibilities include the movement of troops, passengers, military equipment, cargo and mail. Aerial refueling capability is another important aspect of mission support. Aircraft and crews, as well as ground support personnel, can deploy throughout more than 50 countries around the globe, including the Commonwealth of Independent States, on an around-the- clock basis.

Today, the 87th ABW, 305th AMW, along with the 514thAMW(AFRC) and the 108thAir Refueling Wing (NJANG) call JB-MDL home.

ARMY COMMANDS
Because of base realignment and closure Commission (BRAC) recommendations in 1988, Fort Dix began a new mission of mobilizing, deploying and demobilizing soldiers and providing training areas for Reserve and National Guard Soldiers. In 1994, the United States Air Force Expeditionary Center was established as the Air Mobility Warfare Center on Dix. Units housed there now include the Army Support Activity, 72nd Field Artillery Brigade, the 99th Regional Support Command, the 2nd Brigade, 75th Division, the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team, U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, NCO (non-commissioned officers) Academy and MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station).

The Expeditionary Center is the air mobility premier training and testing institution. It consolidates air mobility specific training, testing and evaluations previously located at seven geographically separated units. It is the host to EAGLE FLAG, an Air Force-level expeditionary combat support exercise where participants demonstrate the capability to open an airbase in an austere location.

NAVY COMMANDS AND GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
Lakehurst houses the largest training aid in the Navy, the Carrier Aircraft Launch and Support System/Equipment Simulator, a one-third scale model aircraft carrier. Lakehurst is the only activity in the world responsible for the Aircraft Platform Interface, a specialized element of Naval aviation. Units include NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command), NAWCAD (Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft), CNATT (Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training) Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, 21st Battalion, Army 1st Brigade Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Battalion and NJARNG (New Jersey Air National Guard) Aviation Unit. Other government partners located at Lakehurst include the Navy Exchange Service, Defense Commissary Agency, Government Services Agency, Urban Search and Rescue Team, Task Force-1, Ocean County Vocational Technical School, Department of Justice, Safe Streets Gang Task Force, United Air Surveys and USAF Air Mobility Center, Assault Landing Zone.

CIVILIAN JOBS AT JB-MDL
Civilians can see what openings are available at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov . For positions in AAFES (Army and Air Force Exchange Service), visit http://www.aafes.com/dversty/07/careers.htm . For non-appropriated fund jobs (in service facilities), call (609) 754-3459.