LAKEHURST, NJ - - Naval Air Engineering Station (NAES) Lakehurst will be home to approximately 40 Army National Guard helicopters for the next four months as their crews train at adjacent Fort Dix prior to their deployment to Iraq in late September.

About 700 soldiers and support contractors from the 42nd Infantry Division’s Aviation Brigade will utilize the air space and facilities of Fort Dix and NAES Lakehurst to prepare for their upcoming assignment to Iraq. The unit is made up of national guard units from New Jersey, New York, Kentucky and Delaware.

The helicopters will be housed and maintained at Lakehurst for the next four months, with air operations being conducted largely at the adjacent Fort Dix restricted airspace live fire ranges.

The cooperative use of facilities and space by the Army and Navy at Fort Dix and NAES Lakehurst is just another example of the joint efforts on the part of the military services based in New Jersey to best utilize their combined assets for the betterment of the Department of Defense’s overall mission.

“We are extremely proud of our contribution to the training these units from the 42nd Infantry division will receive here as they prepare to mobilize in support of the Global War on Terrorism, said CAPT Mark L. Bathrick, Commanding Officer of NAES Lakehurst. “Lakehurst is home to 22 separate Joint and Interagency tenant organizations and is a member of a unique Joint Installation Partnership with adjacent Fort Dix and McGuire AFB. Our support for the 42nd Infantry Division mobilization is a natural outgrowth of our previous successes in the area of Jointness; successes that were recently recognized with Lakehurst being honored with the 2004 Commander-in-Chief’s Installation Excellence Award.”

The Air Force and Navy have already work together at Lakehurst to train deploying Air Force units. The Air Force utilizes Lakehurst facilities to conduct their “Eagle Flag” expeditionary warfare exercises, which train airmen from around the Air Force to establish, operate and defend expeditionary airfields. Graduates of these exercises also deploy in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

Much of the cooperative efforts among Army, Navy, and Air Force here is due to the unique joint agreement that exists among the three central New Jersey military bases. The Navy Lakehurst-Fort Dix-McGuire Air Force Base Joint Installation Partnership is the first of its kind agreement among all military services in the United States, setting the example for future similar Joint alignments within the Department of Defense. Lakehurst continues to demonstrate its imaginative and innovative management actions that promote support to the fleet and the Department of Defense through enhancements in readiness, quality of life, quality of service and business processes.
For more information on the 42nd Infantry Division’s deployment to New Jersey, contact the Fort Dix public affairs office at 609-562-4035.