Joint Base MDL Breaks Ground For New Tanker Hangars

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ — Ground was broken Monday morning for hangars to house a new set of refueling tankers at the base, the culmination of months of effort by New Jersey's congressional delegation to get them placed at the base.

The $2.3 billion in funding for the KC-46A tankers and the hangars to house them was approved by Congress in September.

"Our local economy and thousands of New Jerseyans depend on the Joint Base," Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3rd District) said in September. "With this $2.3 billion in funding for new KC-46 refueling tankers, Joint Base MDL will continue to play a vital role in our national security and South Jersey’s economy for years to come." The 3rd District, spanning parts of Ocean and Burlington counties, is home to much of the base.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th District) said the groundbreaking begins a significant new chapter in the history of the base, calling the tankers critical to national security.

"I have watched the Joint Base and its mission evolve over the years and have never been more proud of the people who work here," he said.

Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1) called it a "great day to break ground" on the hangar.

"These tankers will bring new jobs and growth to our state and make our base an indispensable starting point for national security missions on the East Coast," Norcross said.

At the groundbreaking, Sen. Robert Menendez tweeted, "I proudly fight for @jointbasemdl to ensure it remains not just critical to our national security & defense, but also to invest in this economic driver for NJ."

The joint base is the second-largest employer in New Jersey, supporting 42,000 military and civilian jobs.

The fight to have the refueling tankers placed at McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst had been going on for years before the U.S. Air Force initially agreed to put the tankers at the base, replacing the KC-135 and KC-10 tanker jets that currently are housed at the base.

The joint base is expected to receive its first KC-46A tankers in 2021, Smith said.

Photo via Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst