| Marine Corps Air Station New River | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
McCutcheon Field | |||||||||
| NearJacksonville,North Carolina in theUnited States | |||||||||
 CH-53E Super Stallion andMV-22B Osprey aircraft on the flight-line at MCAS New River. | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Marine Corps Air Station | ||||||||
| Owner | Department of Defense | ||||||||
| Operator | US Marine Corps | ||||||||
| Controlled by | Marine Corps Installations – East | ||||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  MCAS New River Location in the United States | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°42′26″N077°26′43″W / 34.70722°N 77.44528°W /34.70722; -77.44528 | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1943 (1943) | ||||||||
| In use | 1943 – present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander | Colonel Garth W. Burnett | ||||||||
| Garrison | 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO: KNCA,FAA LID: NCA,WMO: 723096 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 7.9 metres (26 ft)AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Source:Federal Aviation Administration[1] | |||||||||
Marine Corps Air Station New River (ICAO:KNCA,FAALID:NCA) is aUnited States Marine Corps helicopter and tilt-rotor base inJacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was namedMcCutcheon Field for GeneralKeith B. McCutcheon, one of the fathers of Marine Corps helicopter aviation.[2] NearMarine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, it shares some facilities withCamp Geiger.
The base was originally 29 parcels of land, a simple stretch of tobacco farm that was purchased for $64,502 in 1941. Officials at Camp Lejeune investigated the area in search of an existing airfield for hosting aircraft in support of amphibious operations. Capt. Barnett Robinson, a member of Marine Glider Group 71, concluded in his search that the farmland would suit the Marine Corps’ needs.
The location was placed under the command ofMarine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and received its first squadron,VMSB-331 fromMarine Corps Air Station Cherry Point on 9 March 1943. On 1 June, VMSB-331 was divided in half to createVMSB-332. However, both squadrons were soon after relocated toBogue Field. From mid-1943 through August 1944, Marine bombing squadronsVMB-433,VMB-443 andVMB-612 operating the land-basedPBJ Mitchell bomber were stationed there. On 26 April 1944, the area of land around New River and Peterfield Point, named after the original owner of the farmland that was part of the government purchase, was commissionedMarine Corps Auxiliary Airfield Camp Lejeune. This delineated the airfield from Camp Lejeune, and marks its official birth as a separate Marine Corps installation. Over the next few years, paratrooper Marines, glider troops and air delivery personnel were trained in King Air hangar, the Stations’ first hangar, which was transported fromMarine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island,South Carolina.
AsWorld War II came to an end, MCAAF Camp Lejeune was closed and reverted to caretaker status as an outlying airfield ofMCAS Cherry Point. This did not last long, however, as in 1951 the installation was reactivated and became Marine Corps Air Facility Peterfield Point, Camp Lejeune. Only one year later the name was changed again, this time to Marine Corps Air Facility New River. July 1954 marked the arrival of the first operational Marine Aircraft Group,MAG-26, which was transferred from MCAS Cherry Point.
The area faced another major name change in 1968, where it was recommissioned as Marine Corps Air Station (Helicopter) New River, marking its growth from a small training area to a major operational airfield.
In 2015, MCAS New River hosted theGlobal Rallycross racing series onIndependence Day weekend.[3] The race weekend was expanded to two rounds in 2016,[4] but did not return for the 2017 season.[5]
In January 2022,HMH-461 became the first operational unit in the Marine Corps to replace itsCH-53E Super Stallion with the upgradedCH-53K King Stallion.[6]
The Air Station was the first Marine Corps base with the newMV-22 Osprey. It has the ability to fly like a plane, and take off and land like a helicopter. The MV-22 has replaced all of theCH-46E Sea Knights on the east coast with the exception ofHMX-1 andHMM-774. Currently there are seven operational Osprey squadrons,VMM-261,VMM-263,VMM-162,VMM-365,VMM-266,VMM-264 andVMMT-204.
Flying and notable non-flying units based at MCAS New River.[7][8]
Residents are zoned to schools of theDepartment of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).[9] Delalio Elementary School, the sole school on the property,[10] serves residents of the air station, while Brewster Middle School andLejeune High School inCamp Lejeune serve the community for secondary school.[11]
Currentmilitary installations inNorth Carolina | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense |
|  | |||||||||||
| Army |
| ||||||||||||
| Marines |
| ||||||||||||
| Navy |
| ||||||||||||
| Air Force |
| ||||||||||||
| Coast Guard |
| ||||||||||||
| Leadership |
|  | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major commands | |||||
| Auxiliary | |||||
| Structure | |||||
| Personnel and training |
| ||||
| Uniforms and equipment | |||||
| History and traditions |
| ||||
Municipalities and communities ofOnslow County, North Carolina,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
