87th Air Base Wing
Encyclopedia
The 87th Air Base Wing is the host wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey
, and is physically located on McGuire
, in the United States. The 87th ABW provides installation support to more than 80 mission commanders spread across 42000 acres (170 km²) at McGuire, Fort Dix (Dix), and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst
(Lakehurst). Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is the Department of Defense
's first and only tri-service joint base that consolidated Air Force, Army, and Navy installations. Base officials refer to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as "JB MDL".
made significant changes. The 305th previously provided installation support for McGuire AFB divided into two. The 305th Mission Support and Medical Groups are now the 87th Mission Support Group and 87th Medical Group under the ABW. The 305th Maintenance and Operations Groups will continue to provide a responsive, combat-ready mobility
and expeditionary capability for United States.
, New Jersey
, and is home to 80 unique DoD mission commanders providing a wide-range of combat capability. JB MDL is also home to several federal agencies offices: the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice
, the Department of Veterans Affairs
, and the Department of Agriculture.
posture. In the garrison
, the group prepares the wing for deployment and sustains forward operations. The Group provides and maintains the ABW's facilities, services, logistics management
, contracting, force protection, fire protection
, crisis action planning and response, communications, passenger and cargo movement, and personnel resource management
. This includes any expeditionary locations.
facility in conjunction with area civilian hospital
s. The 87th maintains a comprehensive medical support, with dental services and health maintenance for more than 20,000 military personnel, dependents and authorized beneficiaries. The 87th also deploys personnel and equipment in support of expeditionary forces
.
as a troop carrier wing. The command served as a training unit for medium-sized airlifters like the C-46 Commando
and C-47 Skytrain
which were used extensively in Korea and throughout the world. A consolidation of training units forced the inactivation of the 87th Troop Carrier Wing on 1 February 1953.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and is physically located on McGuire
McGuire Air Force Base
JB MDL McGuire is a United States Air Force base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. McGuire is under the jurisdiction of the USAF Air Mobility Command...
, in the United States. The 87th ABW provides installation support to more than 80 mission commanders spread across 42000 acres (170 km²) at McGuire, Fort Dix (Dix), and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst
Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst
JB MDL Lakehurst is a United States Navy base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. Lakehurst is under the jurisdiction of the Naval Air Systems Command...
(Lakehurst). Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
's first and only tri-service joint base that consolidated Air Force, Army, and Navy installations. Base officials refer to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as "JB MDL".
Operations
On 3 March 2009, the 87th ABW activated and the 305th Air Mobility Wing305th Air Mobility Wing
The 305th Air Mobility Wing is a United States Air Force strategic airlift and air refueling wing under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command...
made significant changes. The 305th previously provided installation support for McGuire AFB divided into two. The 305th Mission Support and Medical Groups are now the 87th Mission Support Group and 87th Medical Group under the ABW. The 305th Maintenance and Operations Groups will continue to provide a responsive, combat-ready mobility
Mobility (military)
Mobility in military terms refers to the ability of a weapon system, combat unit or armed force to move toward a military objective. Combat forces with a higher mobility are able to move more quickly, and/or across more hostile terrain, than forces with lower mobility.Mobility is regarded as a...
and expeditionary capability for United States.
Facility and tenants
The 42000 acres (170 km²) joint base is located 18 miles southeast of TrentonTrenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and is home to 80 unique DoD mission commanders providing a wide-range of combat capability. JB MDL is also home to several federal agencies offices: the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, the Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
, and the Department of Agriculture.
87th Mission Support Group
The 87th MSG will support the global mission of the 87th ABW with its expeditionary forceExpeditionary warfare
Expeditionary warfare is used to describe the organization of a state's military to fight abroad, especially when deployed to fight away from its established bases at home or abroad. Expeditionary forces were in part the antecedent of the modern concept of Rapid Deployment Forces...
posture. In the garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
, the group prepares the wing for deployment and sustains forward operations. The Group provides and maintains the ABW's facilities, services, logistics management
Logistics Management
The term Logistics Management or supply chain management is that part of Supply Chain Management that plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective, forward, and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption...
, contracting, force protection, fire protection
Fire protection
Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as well as the research and development, production, testing and application of...
, crisis action planning and response, communications, passenger and cargo movement, and personnel resource management
Resource management
In organizational studies, resource management is the efficient and effective deployment of an organization's resources when they are needed. Such resources may include financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, or information technology...
. This includes any expeditionary locations.
Units
- 87th Civil Engineer Squadron
- 87th Communications Squadron
- 87th Contracting Squadron
- 87th Logistics Readiness Squadron
- 87th Security Forces Squadron
- 87th Force Support Squadron
87th Medical Group
The 87th MG provides medical care to military members from two major military installations and the local area health careHealth care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
facility in conjunction with area civilian hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s. The 87th maintains a comprehensive medical support, with dental services and health maintenance for more than 20,000 military personnel, dependents and authorized beneficiaries. The 87th also deploys personnel and equipment in support of expeditionary forces
Expeditionary warfare
Expeditionary warfare is used to describe the organization of a state's military to fight abroad, especially when deployed to fight away from its established bases at home or abroad. Expeditionary forces were in part the antecedent of the modern concept of Rapid Deployment Forces...
.
Units
- 87th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
- 87th Dental Squadron
- 87th Medical Operations Squadron
- 87th Medical Support Squadron
History
The 87th ABW was orgainzed in 1952 during the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
as a troop carrier wing. The command served as a training unit for medium-sized airlifters like the C-46 Commando
C-46 Commando
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft originally derived from a commercial high-altitude airliner design. It was instead used as a military transport during World War II by the United States Army Air Forces as well as the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps under the designation R5C...
and C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
which were used extensively in Korea and throughout the world. A consolidation of training units forced the inactivation of the 87th Troop Carrier Wing on 1 February 1953.
Lineage
- 87th Fighter Wing—1943-1944, P-38 LightningP-38 LightningThe Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
- Capodichino, NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy - - Major General Laurence Craigie, 87th Wing Commander, 12th Air Force, Wing created 14 October 1943, activated 25 October 1943, overseas with the 12th AF Dec April 1944
See also
- National Aviation Hall of FameNational Aviation Hall of FameThe American National Aviation Hall of Fame is located at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, east Dayton, Ohio...
- Laurence Craigie
Mission partners
- 305th Air Mobility Wing305th Air Mobility WingThe 305th Air Mobility Wing is a United States Air Force strategic airlift and air refueling wing under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command...
- 514th Air Mobility Wing514th Air Mobility WingThe 514th Air Mobility Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey.-History:...
- USAF Expeditionary Center
- 21st Expeditionary Mobility Task Force
- 621st Contingency Response Wing621st Contingency Response WingThe 621st Contingency Response Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force based out of McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey.-Mission:...
- 108th Air Refueling Wing108th Air Refueling WingThe 108th Air Refueling Wing is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard tasked with aerial refueling and other air mobility missions. It is based at McGuire Air Force Base and operationally gained by the Air Mobility Command . The current Commander of the 108th is...