McGuire Air Force Base McGuire AFB / McGuire , the common name of the McGuire unit of Joint Base McGuire - Dix - Lakehurst , is a United States Air Force base located in Burlington County , New Jersey , United States , approximately south - southeast of Trenton . McGuire is under the jurisdiction of the USAF Air Mobility Command . It was consolidated with two adjoining US Army and Navy facilities to become part of Joint Base McGuire - Dix - Lakehurst ( JB MDL ) on 1 October 2009 , but remains commonly known by its former name as of 2012 . The McGuire Air Force Base census - designated place ( CDP ) is located in portions of both New Hanover Township and North Hanover Township . As of the 2010 United States Census , the McGuire Air Force Base CDP had a total population of 3 , 710 , of which 737 were in New Hanover Township and 2 , 973 were in North Hanover Township . 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 . 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 John Wood . Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Terrance Greene . McGuire originated in 1941 as Fort Dix Army Air Force Base . Closed briefly after World War II , it reopened in 1948 as McGuire Air Force Base . The base was named after Major Thomas B . McGuire , Jr . , Medal of Honor recipient , and the second leading ace in American history . Units . The 305th Air Mobility Wing along with the 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force , 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 : McGuire the only base in both the Air Mobility Command and the entire U . S . Air Force hosting three AMC - gained flying wings of the Regular Air Force , Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard . McGuire is also host to : 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 . 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 United States Air Force renamed the facility McGuire Air Force Base in honor of Major Thomas Buchanan McGuire , Jr . , ( 1920 – 1945 ) . Medal of Honor recipient and second place flying ace of World War II , Major McGuire died on 7 January 1945 when his P - 38 Lightning spun out of control and crashed on Negros Island in the Philippines as he attempted to aid his wingman during an aerial dogfight . 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 – 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 Army Air Force occupant in November 1941 when the 59th Observation Group took up station on 14 November . Initially during 1941 – 42 the Group operated a wide range of aircraft , including the BC - 1A , L - 59 , O - 46 , O - 47 , O - 49 Vigilant , and O - 52 Owl , engaging in antisubmarine patrols along the East coast . After the United States ' entry into World War II , Fort Dix Army Air Base was used as a training and facility for numerous service units under First Air Force . Once organized and prepared for overseas duty , these units provided support and technical sections for the group requirements as a whole : " Flying control " , " Ordnance " , " airfield security " , " firefighting " , " Post Exchange " ( PX ) , " Special Services " , " Mail " , " Transportation " ( " motor pool " ) , " Communications " , " Radar " , " Gunnery instruction " , " Personal Equipment " , and " Weather " ( Meteorology ) . The service group also had its own mess section . The service group had approximately 30 officers and 300 to 400 enlisted men . This training continued until 1944 . In late 1942 , Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command ( AAFASC ) took up tenant status at Fort Dix AAB . The 378th Bombardment Group patrolled with a mission to search for German U - Boats in the coastal waters of the Atlantic Coast and to fly aerial coverage of friendly convoys off the east coast with Douglas O - 46 and North American O - 47 light observation planes . In August 1943 , this mission was turned over to the United States Navy . Air Technical Service Command began using the base in 1943 overhauling , servicing and preparing aircraft for overseas shipment to North Africa and to the United Kingdom . This mission continued until the end of the war in 1945 , then received returning aircraft from Europe and arranged their shipment to operational bases or to storage locations . Part of this mission was the temporary basing of returning combat ( primarily bombardment ) groups from the overseas combat theaters and , with the Army Service Forces coordinating their inactivation . 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 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at the newly re - designated McGuire Air Force Base on 10 November 1948 . The 91st SRW was a long - range photographic reconnaissance unit quipped with a mixture of R B - 17 Flying Fortress es and R B - 29 Superfortress es equipped with wide variety of photographic reconnaissance and mapping cameras in the bomb bays . It moved to Barksdale Air Force Base , Louisiana , on 1 October 1949 . Air Defense Command . With the departure of the 91st SRW , control of McGuire AFB was reassigned to Continental Air Command ( ConAC ) . ConAC assigned the base to Air Defense Command ( ADC ) , at the time an operating agency of ConAC . ADC took jurisdiction of the base on 1 January 1951 with its re - establishment as a separate major command . The 52d Fighter Wing , All Weather was assigned to the base , being moved from Mitchel Field , Long Island on 4 October 1949 . Equipped with very long - range F - 82 Twin Mustang s , the 52d Fighter Group , All Weather engaged in interceptor training missions against SAC B - 29 and B - 50 Superfortress bombers simulating air defense missions against incoming Soviet Tupolev Tu - 4 bombers . The 52d remained at McGuire until 6 February 1952 , when it was inactivated along with the F - 82s . The Twin Mustangs of the 52d FW were replaced by the ADC 4709th Defense Wing on 1 February 1952 . Under the Eastern Air Defense Force , the 4709th DW ( later Air Defense Wing ) , controlled interceptor squadrons at McGuire , as well as at Suffolk County AFB and Stewart AFB , New York , and Dover AFB , Delaware . Interceptor squadrons stationed at McGuire were the 2d Fighter - Interceptor Squadron and 5th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron . These were replaced in 1955 by the 332d Fighter - Interceptor Squadron and 539th Fighter - Interceptor Squadron . These squadrons flew a variety of ADC interceptors in the 1950s , starting with the F - 94 Starfire in 1952 , upgrading to the F - 84 Thunderjet in 1953 , and finally the interceptor F - 86D Sabre later in 1953 . Military Air Transport Service took over jurisdiction of McGuire AFB on 1 July 1954 and took over the flight line of McGuire in 1956 , with the ADC interceptors being reassigned . Air Defense Command became a tenant organization on the base , with the 4709th ADW being re - designated as first the 4621st Air Defense Wing on 1 April 1956 , and shortly afterwards as the New York Air Defense Sector ( NYADS ) on 1 October 1956 under the 26th Air Division . 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 Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) engineers and scientists , SAGE monitored North American skies for possible attack by manned aircraft and missiles for 25 years . The heart of the system , the AN / FSQ - 7 computer , was the first computer to have an internal memory composed of " magnetic cores , " thousands of tiny ferrite rings that served as reversible electromagnets . SAGE also introduced computer - driven displays , online terminals , time sharing , high - reliability computation , digital signal processing , digital transmission over telephone lines , digital track - while - scan , digital simulation , computer networking , and duplex computing . 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 CIM - 10 Bomarc surface - to - air missile to McGuire AFB . The Bomarc was the only surface - to - air missile ever deployed by the United States Air Force . All other U . S . land - based SAMs were and are under the control of the United States Army . The Bomac site was located ESE of the main base in a separate facility , and was manned by the 46th Air Defense Missile Squadron , activated on 1 January 1959 . Two models of the Bomarc were deployed to McGuire , the liquid - fuled CIM - 10A ( 28 missiles ) , and later the CIM - 10B ( 56 missiles ) . 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 . 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 1611th Air Transport Wing being activated . The 1611th ATW flew primarily C - 118 Liftmaster ( Navy R6D ) transports worldwide throughout its existence . It received C - 135 Stratolifter s in 1962 and was upgraded from a medium to a heavy transport wing . It supported Air Force Reserve associate units beginning in 1961 . The wing also operated Aerial Port and Port of Embarkation for the Northeast United States , primarily for European flights . Tenant units of MATS ( and later MAC ) at McGuire were the Air Weather Service and Air Rescue Service squadrons . On 1 June 1955 , MATS moved the Eastern Transport Air Force ( EASTAF ) to McGuire from Westover AFB , Massachusetts when SAC and Eighth Air Force took over . EASTAF was one of three components of MATS worldwide airlift force , controlling all Air Force strategic airlift operations between the Mississippi River and the east coast of Africa and in Central and South America . On 1 January 1966 MATS was discontinued and its assets were assigned to the new Military Airlift Command ( MAC ) . The 1611th ATW was discontinued and its mission taken over by the 438th Military Airlift Wing . EASTAF was re - designated as the 21st Air Force . 21st AF continued the mission of EASTAF , controlling MAC airlift wings at Dover AFB , Delaware and Charleston AFB , South Carolina and well as McGuire . Depending upon command organization at different times , airlift and airlift support units in Europe , the Azores , Bermuda and throughout the southeastern United States also reported to 21st AF . The 438th MAW completed the replacement of the prop - driven transports of MATS with the new Lockheed C - 141 Starlifter . For the next 30 years , the 438th MAW and transported military cargo , mail and passengers worldwide , particularly in the Eastern United States , Atlantic , European and Mediterranean areas , with frequent special missions to the Arctic , the Antarctic , South America , the Far East , and to Southeast Asia combat areas during the Vietnam War . 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 305th Air Mobility Wing which was transferred from Grissom AFB , Indiana when Grissom was realigned via BRAC action to the Air Force Reserve Command . The C - 141 was retired in 2004 , being replaced by the C - 17 Globemaster III . 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 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force , reflecting its expanded mission due to the outbreak of the Global War on Terrorism . In 2006 , McGuire AFB hosted over 1 , 800 Lebanese Americans evacuated from the battles there between Israel and Hezbollah insurgents . In 2008 , McGuire assumed responsibility for the no - fail " Red Ball Express " aerial port mission , supplying efforts in ENDURING FREEDOM . 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 Department of Defense ( DoD ) initiative , McGuire will be the lead service in the first tri - service Joint super - base , combining its infrastructure support with the support of Fort Dix ( Army ) and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst ( Navy ) . Additionally , the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission ( BRAC ) identified several units to be added to Team McGuire over the next few years , including contingents from every service branch . Construction of many new facilities , a beautification effort , and new privately owned contract family housing , make McGuire one of the premier Air Force installations . Major commands to which assigned . . * McGuire put on temporary inactive status , 15 February 1946 ; inactive status , March 1946 ; transferred to jurisdiction of Selfridge Fld , Michigan , 1 May 1947 ; transferred to jurisdiction of Andrews AFB , Maryland , 1 August 1947 ; transferred from jurisdiction of Andrews Fld to Topeka AFB , Kansas , 16 – 28 August 1948 ; reactivated as primary installation , 29 August 1948 . During inactive status , field remained under major command jurisdiction . 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 . Geography . McGuire AFB is located at ( 40 . 027988 , - 74 . 587795 ) . According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP had a total area of 5 . 364 square miles ( 13 . 893 km ) , of which , 5 . 359 square miles ( 13 . 879 km ) of it is land and 0 . 005 square miles ( 0 . 014 km ) of it ( 0 . 10 % ) is water . Demographics . Census 2000 . As of the 2000 United States Census there were 6 , 478 people , 1 , 498 households , and 1 , 466 families residing in the base . The population density was 1 , 208 . 3 / km² ( 3 , 131 . 0 / mi² ) . There were 1 , 652 housing units at an average density of 308 . 1 / km² ( 798 . 4 / mi² ) . The racial makeup of the base was 69 . 3 % White , 18 . 9 % African American , 0 . 7 % Native American , 2 . 8 % Asian , 0 . 1 % Pacific Islander , 3 . 2 % from other races , and 5 . 0 % from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8 . 7 % of the population . 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 . 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 . 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 . Education . The North Hanover Township School District serves children in public school for grades K – 6 from North Hanover Township and from McGuire Field . Schools are located on the base and in Jacobstown . The Northern Burlington County Regional School District serves children in public school for grades 7 through 12 . Students are served from Chesterfield Township , Mansfield Township , North Hanover Township and Springfield Township , along with children of USAF personnel based at McGuire Field . Transportation . New Jersey Transit provides service to and from Philadelphia on the 317 route .