Lakehurst Maxfield Field

Lakehurst Maxfield Field
Part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
Lakehurst, Ocean County, New Jersey
Front gate at Lakehurst
Coordinates	40°02′00″N 74°21′13″W / 40.03333°N 74.35361°W / 40.03333; -74.35361 (JB MDL Lakehurst)
Type	Military airfield
Site information
Owner	United States Air Force
Operator	87th Air Base Wing
Controlled by	United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1916
In use	1917 – present
Garrison information
Current commander	Base Commander: COL Frederick D. Thaden, USAF Base Dep. Cmdr/CO, NSA Lakehurst: CAPT William "Bill" Sherrod, USN
Garrison	87th Air Base Wing with support from Naval Support Activity Lakehurst
Occupants	Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, Lakehurst Fleet Logistics Squadron 64 New Jersey Air National Guard NOSC Fort Dix
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: NEL, ICAO: KNEL, FAA LID: NEL
Elevation	100.6 ft (30.7 m) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 6/24 5,002 ft (1,525 m) asphalt 15/33 5,002 ft (1,525 m) asphalt 63/243 3,500 ft (1,100 m) concrete
Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Lakehurst Maxfield Field, formerly known as Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst (NAES Lakehurst), is the naval component of Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst (JB MDL), a United States Air Force-managed joint base. The airfield is approximately 25 mi (40 km) east-southeast of Trenton in Manchester Township and Jackson Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. It is primarily the home to Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst, although the airfield supports several other flying and non-flying units as well. Its name is an amalgamation of its location and the last name of Commander Louis H. Maxfield, who lost his life when the R-38/USN ZR-2 airship crashed during flight on 24 August 1921 near Hull, England.^[2]

When it was consolidated with McGuire Air Force Base and Fort Dix in October 2009, it became the naval component of JB MDL — a United States Air Force–controlled installation — and was placed under the 87th Air Base Wing. However, as with all joint bases, the installation receives support services from the previous installation authorities. Thus, Lakehurst Field is also provided certain services from Naval Support Activity Lakehurst (NSA Lakehurst), whose commander also serves as one of two Base Deputy Commanders. Lakehurst field was the site of the Hindenburg disaster in 1937.