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McGuire Air Force Base

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McGuire Air Force Base (IATA: WRI, ICAO: KWRI, FAA LID: WRI) is a United States Air Force Base located in parts of New Hanover Township and North Hanover Township, in Burlington County, New Jersey.

It is also a census-designated place. As of the United States 2000 Census, the base population was 6,478.

History

McGuire AFB was opened as Rudd Field in 1937, as a single dirt-strip field that served a support role to adjacent Fort Dix. The field was expanded during World War II and was reassigned to the Air Force in 1949.

The Air Force named the base after Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr., the second leading air ace in World War II, who was killed in action in January 1945. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.[1]

Overview

Map of McGuire AFB in Burlington County

McGuire Air Force Base is home to the 305th Air Mobility Wing and the 514th Air Mobility Wing (Air Force Reserve) which comprises C-17 Globemaster III and KC-10 Extender aircraft. The C-17A is the Air Force's newest heavy airlifter, capable of delivering over 170,000 pounds (77 metric tons) of cargo. Combined with the KC-10, the largest tanker aircraft in the Air Force fleet, the C-17 can fly refueled anywhere in the world. In addition to the active military personnel, McGuire also is home to some United States Air Force Reserve units flying both the C-17 and KC-10.

McGuire is also host to:

  • 108th Air Refueling Wing - a New Jersey Air National Guard unit flying KC-135 tankers
  • 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force (EMTF)
  • Air Mobility Warfare Center (AMWC) - the AMWC is physically located in Ft. Dix, but is considered a tenant to McGuire AFB.
  • 373rd Training Squadron (TRS), Detachment 1
  • AMC Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES)

One of the critical jobs McGuire Air Force Base accomplishes is hosting the flying needs of next-door neighbor Fort Dix Army installation. For years, Fort Dix has been a gateway for army personnel shipping out to overseas locations. Air Force and civilian-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 Air Force Base.

Geography

McGuire AFB is located at 40°2′45″N 74°35′9″W / 40.04583°N 74.58583°W / 40.04583; -74.58583Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (40.045969, -74.585733)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the base has a total area of 5.4 km² (2.1 mi²), all land.

Demographics

{{USCensusPop | 1990=7580 | 2000=6478 | footnote=source: [2] As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, 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 69.30% White, 18.91% African American, 0.71% Native American, 2.76% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 3.18% from other races, and 5.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.71% 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.

Future

The base has been suggested for use as a relief airport for the three New York City airports, or as a major international airport serving both New York City and Philadelphia. However, some feel the location is too far away from either city.

Base Realignment and Closure, 2005

In 2005, the United States Department of Defense announced that McGuire Air Force Base would be affected by a Base Realignment and Closure. According to the initial BRAC report, McGuire will gain about 500 military personnel, while next-door neighbor Fort Dix, a United States Army base, will also gain some 300 personnel. On the other hand, nearby Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst will realign, losing around 200 personnel. The three bases will be combined creating a Joint Base with the Air Force as the lead agency.

References

Notes

  1. ^ GlobalSecurity.org, retrieved January 10, 2006
  2. ^ "Population Finder: McGuire AFB CDP, New Jersey". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2007-03-19.

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