See: Atlantic City International Airport

Atlantic City International Airport

Atlantic City International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located nine nautical miles northwest of the central business district of Atlantic City, in Atlantic County, New Jersey...

 for civil airport information

Atlantic City Air National Guard Base has hosted the New Jersey Air National Guard

New Jersey Air National Guard

The New Jersey Air National Guard consists of almost 2300 Guardsmen from New Jersey.The New Jersey Air National Guard is governed through the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs....

 177th Fighter Wing

177th Fighter Wing

The United States Air Force's 177th Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard fighter unit located at Atlantic City IAP, New Jersey.-Mission:Federal Mission: provide combat-ready citizen airmen, aircraft and equipment for worldwide deployment in support of United States Air Force objectives.State...

 (in various designations) since 1958.

Overview

The 177th Fighter Wing is located at the Atlantic City International Airport, Egg Harbor Township, NJ. The wing has been at this location since 1958.

The 119th Fighter Squadron

119th Fighter Squadron

The 119th Fighter Squadron flies the F-16C Fighting Falcon. It is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 177th Fighter Wing. The commander of the squadron is Lt. Col...

 flies the F-16C Fighting Falcon, a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations.

History

In 1942, Naval Air Station Atlantic City was constructed on 2444 acres (9.9 km²) of leased private land in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. The mission of NAS Atlantic City was to train various carrier air groups consisting of fighter, bomber and torpedo squadrons and their crews for combat. In August 1943, NAS Atlantic City changed its mission to strictly fighter training consisting of low and high altitude gunnery tactics, field carrier landing practice, carrier qualifications, bombing, formation tactics, fighter direction, night operations and an associated ground school curriculum.

NAS Atlantic City was decommissioned in June 1958 and transferred to the Airways Modernization Board (AMB). Concurrent with the Navy's departure, the then-177th Fighter Squadron of the New Jersey Air National Guard

Air National Guard

The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...

 relocated to Atlantic City from their former base at Newark with their F-84F Thunderstreak

F-84F Thunderstreak

The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American-built swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version....

 aircraft. The wing has been at this location ever since

The 119th Fighter Squadron

119th Fighter Squadron

The 119th Fighter Squadron flies the F-16C Fighting Falcon. It is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard. Its parent unit is the 177th Fighter Wing. The commander of the squadron is Lt. Col...

 flies the F-16C Fighting Falcon, a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. It provides a relatively low-cost, high-performance weapon system for the United States and allied nations.

Since October 1998, the wing has had an active involvement in Operation Noble Eagle, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Northern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. As an Air National Guard

Air National Guard

The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...

 unit, the 177 FW has dual Federal and State missions. Its Federal mission is "To Provide Combat Ready Citizen-Airmen, Aircraft and Equipment for Worldwide Deployment in Support of USAF Objectives." Its State of New Jersey mission is to "Support the citizens of New Jersey by protecting life and property, preserving the peace, order, and public safety when called upon by the Governor."

During the 1960s the 95th Fighter Interceptor Squadron

95th Fighter Squadron

The 95th Fighter Squadron was part of the 325th Fighter Wing at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. It conducted advanced fighter training for the F-15 Eagle aircraft.-History:...

, stationed at Dover AFB, Delaware

Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

 maintained F-106 Delta Dart

F-106 Delta Dart

The Convair F-106 Delta Dart was the primary all-weather interceptor aircraft for the United States Air Force from the 1960s through the 1980s. Designed as the so-called "Ultimate Interceptor", it has proven to be the last dedicated interceptor in USAF service to date...

s on 24 Hour Alert.