JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST–State and county leaders, along with business bigwigs, got a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what goes on within the walls of the state’s second largest employer, Joint Base Maguire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL), on Oct. 4.

JBMDL employs more than 60,000 people, generating about $6.9 million yearly for the region, making it New Jersey’s second largest employer. The base is also unique in that it is home to not only Airmen and Army Soldiers, but also to Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and the Army Reserve, making it the only base in the country to have all those forces coexisting together.

The military men and women who work and train there know the base and its operations like the back of their hands. Few civilians, however, really know what goes on behind the fences at JBMDL. It was that premise which gave birth to the State of Joint Base event, which was held for the first time last week, coinciding with the base’s 15^th birthday.

“It is like a State of the Union address, but for our operations here,” said Matthew Porter, Senior Airman with the U.S. Air Force. “We get to show off our aircraft and vehicles and let people know what we spend their tax dollars on.”

Politicians, business leaders and members of the Burlington County Chamber of Commerce were invited to climb aboard some of the military’s newest aircraft so that the service men and women who know them best could showcase their capabilities and share their knowledge.

“It is very interesting to be able to see these vehicles and planes up close and ask questions of the people who know them best,” said Ed O’Malley with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. as he was viewing the Air Force’s KC-46A Air Pegasus.

After checking out other impressive-sized aircraft like the U.S. Marine’s Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion and some of the U.S. Army’s newest ATVs, like the MRZR “razor,” the crowd watched the doors of an immense hangar slowly close.

Even though he has been to the base several times, Burlington County Commissioner Dan O’Connell said the highlight of the day was seeing the helicopters and planes up close and learning about the capacity of what they can carry.

“It was hard to narrow down what was most impressive,” he told this newspaper. “The speakers, the equipment – it was all very interesting. It gave elected officials an idea of what they do at the base. It was the first one and I hope they have the event again.”

Afterward, some of the newest members of the military at the base took to the stage to share stories of what they are working on and why they joined the military.

“It was important we showcase the younger people,” said Rochelle Naus, deputy chief of Public Affairs. “The veteran men and women could talk about missions and trainings for hours, but we wanted to show a fresh perspective of what the newer men and women are accomplishing.”

From base firefighters to mental health and family support, to technical writing, men and women of all ages, all new to working at the base in their respective capacities, spoke about advances they are making and the help and services they provide.

“Things have changed so much recently,” Porter said. “Our Coast Guardsmen barely have boats anymore (meaning their responsibilities have expanded), they deal with lots of environmental issues, which is something most people don’t know.”

Illustrating that was a story from Petty Officer 1st Class Claudio Giugliano, who joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 2015.

“Everyone knows the Coast Guard from the little boats you see on TV after hurricanes – we just had people come back from helping with Hurricane Helene actually,” Giugliano said. “But there is so much more than catastrophic search and rescue that we do.”

As a member of Atlantic Strike Team at JBMDL, Giugliano and his team focus on dealing with chemical discharges, weapons of mass destruction, and oil spills, among other environmental disasters.

His team was called in during a recent chemical fire in Reading, Pa., and had to utilize high-tech equipment to figure out what was inside long-forgotten storage containers.

“There were 529 drums of unknown chemicals, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called us in since they had no idea what hazards the responders faced,” Giugliano said.

The Coast Guard has equipment that can dissect a cookie crumb and give a list of the ingredients, he said, so they are the main line of defense to making sure dangerous chemicals won’t react to something like water, which would cause even more of a disaster.

Another aspect of the event was to also show how JBMDL is part of the local community, said Master Sgt. Derick Panchu.

“Our mission goes far beyond aircrafts,” Panchu maintained. “One of my favorite things is working with local special needs kids and giving them aircraft demos. Things like that highlight the special relationship between the base and the community.”

In all his years in office, O’Connell said Col. Anthony L. Smith was the fourth base commander he had met. This event, Col. Smith said, served as a way to strengthen the collaboration with area businesses and improve relationships with the community. O’Connell said it is important to him to keep the county and base working in harmony and all the base commanders he has worked with have shared that mantra.

“All the people I speak with, who go through the base, say there’s nothing like this area,” he said. “The relationship with the base and the people is wonderful and that is great to see.”

After the speakers were finished and the cake was cut, visitors were invited to learn even more on a tour of the base. Visitors got an even more personal look at what the Coast Guard and U.S. Army Reserves do.

After the bus returned to the hangar, the guests left with a new appreciation and knowledge of all that goes into keeping the country safe and running smoothly, as well as what the base offers for the area that surrounds it.