87th Air Base Wing

87th Air Base Wing
Unit name	87th Air Base Wing
Dates	1948–1952; 1952–1954; 1955–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Base support
Size	Wing
Garrison	Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst

87th Air Base Wing is a United States Air Force wing assigned to provide installation support, force protection, and readiness functions at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, New Jersey. The wing supports active duty, reserve, and New Jersey Air National Guard units, and manages airfield operations, logistics, medical services, and security for tenant organizations. It traces heritage through post‑World War II reassignments and Cold War realignments tied to continental and overseas basing requirements.

Overview and Mission

The wing's mission is to deliver installation support to enable expeditionary operations and sustainment for units such as 87th Airlift Wing (base's tenant), 305th Air Mobility Wing, 514th Air Mobility Wing, and elements of the Navy and Army National Guard. It provides command and control for civil engineering, civil engineer operations, base defense through security forces, medical readiness with military medical units, and installation contracting aligned with Defense Logistics Agency. The wing integrates with regional authorities including Federal Aviation Administration airspace management and supports joint training with United States Northern Command and Northeast Region Operational Support.

History

Activated in the late 1940s during the Cold War, the wing underwent multiple inactivations and reactivations reflecting shifts between strategic deterrence and tactical airlift priorities following the Berlin Airlift era and Korean War mobilization. During the 1950s and 1960s, it supported rotational deployments tied to Strategic Air Command dispersal plans and NATO commitments in Europe. Post‑Cold War reorganizations, including the Base Realignment and Closure process, led to consolidation of installations and the wing’s eventual realignment to a joint base structure under 2010s United States military restructuring. Throughout its history the wing interacted with major USAF commands such as Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, and Air Force Materiel Command.

Organization and Units

The wing comprises groups and squadrons responsible for operations, logistics, medical, civil engineering, security, and mission support. Component organizations include an operations support group coordinating with Federal Emergency Management Agency, a medical group linked to Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences programs, and a civil engineer group interoperating with United States Army Corps of Engineers. Security forces squadrons maintain liaison with Transportation Security Administration and local law enforcement including New Jersey State Police. The wing hosts tenant wings from Air Mobility Command and reserve elements under Air Force Reserve Command.

Bases and Facilities

Headquartered at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst near Trenton, New Jersey, the wing manages runways, hangars, maintenance depots, fuel storage coordinated with Defense Logistics Agency Energy, and family housing aligned with Department of Housing and Urban Development programs for military communities. Facilities include contingency aprons for airlift aircraft such as McDonnell Douglas C-17 Globemaster III and Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, medical treatment facilities supporting Veterans Health Administration interfaces, and training ranges for joint readiness tied to Atlantic Test Range capabilities.

Lineage and Honors

The wing’s lineage reflects post‑World War II redesignations and consolidations with earlier groups and squadrons that served in European Theater of Operations and later Cold War missions. It has received unit awards for support during humanitarian relief operations and wartime sustainment tied to operations like Operation Desert Shield and Operation Enduring Freedom through base support and deployment facilitation. Campaign credits and service streamers mirror the broader commitments of United States Air Forces in Europe and United States Central Command support roles.

Operations and Deployments

Although primarily a support organization, the wing enabled global operations by preparing and deploying personnel and equipment for contingency operations in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Allied Force, and humanitarian missions in response to Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters. It coordinated rapid deployment logistics with Air Mobility Command tanker and airlift taskings, medical aeromedical evacuation with Air Force Medical Service, and joint interoperability exercises with NATO partners and regional civil authorities.

Equipment and Support Functions

Support functions include maintenance and materiel handling for aircraft such as the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III and Boeing KC-46 Pegasus assigned to tenant units, management of aviation fuel systems, explosive ordnance disposal in coordination with Naval Ordnance Safety and Security Activity, and information technology services integrated with Defense Information Systems Agency. The wing’s civil engineering units maintain infrastructure resilience against weather events by leveraging standards from Federal Emergency Management Agency and coordinate range operations with Federal Aviation Administration for airspace management.

Category:United States Air Force wings Category:Military units and formations in New Jersey