Editing McGuire Air Force Base (section)

===World War II===
Flight operations to support Camp Dix at an adjacent airfield took place as early as 1926. Facilities and runways to support an air mission began in 1937 as a Civilian Conservation Corps project. This was on newly acquired land for the great Army Air Forces expansion approved by the Roosevelt Administration. This nascent airfield and wooden structures was named "Rudd Field." To meet the requirements for a possible world war, Rudd Field was renamed [[Fort Dix|Fort Dix Army Air Base]] in 1939, and underwent massive expansion from 1940 to 1941. Runways constructed consisted of three concrete surfaced, 7100x150(N/S), 7100x150(NE/SW), 5400x150(E/W), and one macadam surfaced, 8100x150(NW/SE).

The base had its first permanent [[Army Air Force]] occupant in November 1941 when the [[59th Observation Group]] took up station on 14 November. Initially during 1941–42 the Group operated a wide range of aircraft, including the BC-1A, L-59, O-46, O-47, O-49 Vigilant, and O-52 Owl, engaging in antisubmarine patrols along the East coast.

After the United States' entry into [[World War II]], Fort Dix Army Air Base was used as a training and facility for numerous service units under [[First Air Force]]. Once organized and prepared for overseas duty, these units provided support and technical sections for the group requirements as a whole: ''Flying control'', ''Ordnance'', ''airfield security'', ''firefighting'', ''[[Post Exchange]]'' (PX), ''Special Services'', ''Mail'', ''Transportation'' ("[[fleet vehicle|motor pool]]"), ''Communications'', ''[[Radar]]'', ''Gunnery instruction'', ''Personal Equipment'', and ''Weather'' ([[Meteorology]]). The service group also had its own [[mess]] section. The service group had approximately 30 officers and 300 to 400 enlisted men. This training continued until 1944.

In late 1942, [[Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command]] (AAFASC) took up tenant status at Fort Dix AAB. The [[378th Bombardment Group]] patrolled with a mission to search for German [[U-boat]]s in the coastal waters of the Atlantic Coast and to fly aerial coverage of friendly convoys off the east coast with [[Douglas O-46]] and [[North American O-47]] light observation planes. In August 1943, this mission was turned over to the United States Navy.

[[Air Technical Service Command]] began using the base in 1943 overhauling, servicing and preparing aircraft for overseas shipment to North Africa and to the United Kingdom. This mission continued until the end of the war in 1945, then received returning aircraft from Europe and arranged their shipment to operational bases or to storage locations. Part of this mission was the temporary basing of returning combat (primarily bombardment) groups from the overseas combat theaters and, with the Army Service Forces coordinating their inactivation.

Fort Dix Army Air Base was phased down in the fall of 1945 and was placed on Temporary Inactive Status on 15 February 1945; which changed to Inactive Status on 1 March 1946. Jurisdiction of the base was transferred to [[Strategic Air Command]] at Andrews Field, Maryland on 1 August 1947, the base remaining in inactive status.