Congressmen Jim Saxton (NJ-3rd) and Chris Smith (NJ-4th), whose districts include Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, announced today that a record-breaking string of 10 new construction projects worth $179.1 million is included in the fiscal year 2009 Defense budget passed by the House today. The bill, H.R. 6599, passed by a vote of 409-4. 

    “This smashes the records for projects in a single year at the three bases,” said Saxton. “Chris and I are very excited. I’ve been in Congress for a long time, and I’ve never seen this many projects in a single budget. It took over 15 years to get to where we are today. The South Jersey economy will benefit tremendously from new construction jobs, and the new joint base itself will benefit from the modernization it needs to receive new missions.” 

    “The $15.4 M in this bill for a new arresting gear testing facility ensures that Navy Lakehurst remains the epicenter for development and design of launch and recovery systems for the next generation of aircraft carriers,” said Smith who led the fight to save the base from closure in 1995. “This critical investment by the Navy underscores their confidence, support and faith in our talented and skilled workforce at Lakehurst—Ocean County’s largest employer.”

The proposed 2009 funding is as follows: 

On Fort Dix:

• $3.4M for a modified record fire range in support of annual weapons training for more than 30,000 Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers.

On Lakehurst:

• $27 million for a storage and maintenance facility to serve Army Reserve operations. The warehousing facility will be 55,000 square-feet, and the maintenance shop will a 20,000 square-feet;
• $15.4M for Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) at Lakehurst. This project will be integrated with recovery test sites in support of the new CVN 78 carriers in order to provide a reliable, updated recovery system for controlled deceleration of landing aircraft. This is not part of the BRAC funding.

McGuire Air Force Base:

• $41.9M for the second and final phase of constructing helicopter hangars & a Marine Air Group HQ;
• $37M for an Navy Aviation Supply Department & Operations Facility;
• $28.9M for the second and final phase of Navy VR Fleet Logistics Operations Facility, which would provide around-the-clock worldwide air logistic support for Active and Reserve units;
• $12M for Aviation Support Facility Hangar Renovation;
• $7.4M for a Joint Warfighter and Family Support Center to serve deploying airmen and their families;
• $4.3M for a Navy C-130 Flight Simulator Facility;
• $1.8M for a Navy Munitions Maintenance Facility.

    Smith cited the particular importance of the funding to the future of Lakehurst workers. 

   “The establishment of the joint base is already proving to be a tremendous benefit for the three services and our local economy,” said Smith. “These 10 projects are the most in decades, and will continue the transformation to modernize infrastructure. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst will be the nation’s premier joint installation, and will serve national defense for many, many years to come.” 

    Smith’s district includes Lakehurst Naval Air Engineering Station, and a portion of Fort Dix. Saxton’s District includes McGuire, and a portion of Fort Dix. McGuire is Burlington County’s largest employer. 

    Saxton said the 2009 would break the record in current 2008 budget, which holds $112 million – the most ever when it passed – for construction at the joint base, most of which is in the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) section of the budget. 

    “We already have more than $500 million in construction underway at the bases, aside from the 2008 and proposed 2009 funding,” said Saxton, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee. 

    Much of the funding comes through plans to build the nation’s first and only Army-Navy-Air Force “mega base” installation. The joint base will also have considerable Marine and Coast Guard assets on the contiguous 60-square mile tri-base complex. The 2005 BRAC recommendations, which are now law, direct that Fort Dix, McGuire AFB and Lakehurst be transformed into Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst by 2011. 

    The new joint base would both serve national security needs of the 21st century. The three bases employ 17,000 people, the largest employers in the counties, and have an annual economic impact exceeding $2 billion.