Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is the Department of Defense’s only tri-service base.
Located 18 miles southeast of Trenton, the 42,000-continguous acres are home to more than 80 mission partners and 40 mission commanders providing a wide range of combat capability. The base spans more than 20 miles east to west. It is bordered by two of the largest counties in New Jersey, Ocean and Burlington, which include 10 townships or boroughs.
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure legislation directed the Department of Defense to realign 26 separate installations into 12 joint base installations. Recommendation 146 directed the relocation of installation support functions for New Jersey’s Fort Dix and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst to McGuire Air Force Base.
The Vice Chiefs of Staff signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Agreement between the three installations establishing Initial Operational Capability for JB MDL as April 10, 2009, with Full Operational Capability beginning Oct. 1, 2009.
JB MDL is home to many DOD missions to include: the 99th Regional Support Command, the 174th Infantry Brigade, the 108th Wing, the 305th Air Mobility Wing, the 514th Air Mobility Wing, the 621st Contingency Response Wing, the Army Support Activity-Fort Dix, the Naval Air Systems Command, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, and the United States Air Force Expeditionary Center. Several federal, state and local agencies to include the United States Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team, the New Jersey National Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Agriculture also reside on JB MDL.
In addition, the joint base provides installation management support for 3,965 facilities with an approximate value of $9.3 billion in physical infrastructure. More than 46,763 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.
The joint base is one of the largest employers in New Jersey - the only other entity employing more than JB MDL is the State of New Jersey. Service members and their family members living and working on and around JB MDL contribute to an overall economic impact of $3 billion to the State of New Jersey.
Active-duty, Reservists and Guardsmen ensure total force integration by training and supporting installation operations, and preserving our country’s homeland defense, while sustaining global contingency operations.
JB MDL is committed to providing world-class installation management to support expeditionary operations in a time of persistent conflict. Together, we make-up America’s premier joint-warfighting base – uniquely capable of projecting air, land and sea power in support of our nation’s defense.
(Current as of March 2023)