Base Realignment and Closure is a congressionally authorized process the Department of Defense has previously used to reorganize its base structure to more efficiently and effectively support our forces, increase operational readiness and facilitate joint basing. The current process began with a threat assessment of the future national security environment, followed by the development of a force structure plan and basing requirements to meet these threats. BRAC law set into effect the Joint Base initiative which will establish Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. McGuire will receive assets and support functions from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, which will be closed by BRAC.
Under BRAC law, McGuire and Fort Dix, will be host to a multitude of Army, Navy and Marine Corp assets and will build new structures to support these additions in accordance with the BRAC initiative. New support facilities will include; Navy Fleet Logistics Operations Facility, C-130 flight simulator, Marine Air Group Headquarters and helicopter hangar, Aviation Support Division/ Aviation Intermediate Maintenance division facility, munitions facility and a joint use reserve training center.
Once the BRAC initiative is complete, McGuire will be home to 37 new aircraft including; C-130s, C-9s, C-12s, AH-1 Cobras, CH-53 Super Stallions and UH-1 Hueys. The initiative will also bring over 1,700 joint support personnel.
Under a BRAC-directed Joint Base initiative, Fort Dix and NAES Lakehurst will be combined with McGuire AFB to support the three installations as a single entity. While each installation will maintain its own operational identity, the consolidation will streamline installation support, while increasing mission effectiveness in supporting the war-fighter.
Although the installation management functions will consolidate, the missions of each of the three installations will continue. The Air Force will still provide global mobility and expeditionary combat support; the Army will mobilize and train soldiers; and the Navy will continue to assure fixed and vertical wing aircraft operate safely and effectively worldwide.
McGuire has a long history of providing a total force global mobility capability. BRAC and Joint Basing provide the opportunity to grow this into a joint capability. The Joint Base initiative will make McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst the world's premier tri-service joint base.
More information on BRAC can be found at http://www.defense.gov/BRAC/ and http://www.af.mil/brac/.
Verified February 1, 2018