WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez today met with Defense Secretary Nominee Ashton Carter and stressed the critical role New Jersey’s Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) plays in our regional and national security.

“We know what this base means to New Jersey,” said Sen. Menendez. “We know what it means to the defense of the nation, to our response capabilities, and to the economy of our state, and we intend to do all we can to make certain that it will always have that role. The bottom line is that the security of this nation cannot do without the men and women who serve at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and quickly respond whenever and wherever duty calls.

“I wanted to ensure that the Defense Secretary Nominee was fully aware of the assets that make JBMDL a major power projection installation and strategic hub for air mobility operations, and my opposition to a BRAC process when we have not yielded the promised savings from the 2005 BRAC round, that closed Fort Monmouth.”

The nation’s only tri-service military base, JBMDL is home to 80 mission partners that represent all five service branches of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. It is comprised of almost 4,000 facilities representing $9.3 billion in infrastructure – and is the second largest employer in the state with over 40,000 military and civilian personnel. According to a Rutgers University study, JBMDL contributes more than $3 billion to the state’s economy every year.

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