The F-35 belongs at the 177th Fighter Wing in Atlantic County New Jersey because of its unparalleled strategic location. Basing the F-35 at the 177th FW will allow the United States Air Force to maintain its air dominance capabilities and allow service members to conduct their missions while protecting the country’s most vital governmental and economic regions, from Washington D.C. to New York City.
In addition to supporting the nation’s security, there is a natural synergy among the F-35 mission, the FAA William Hughes Technical Center, the National Aviation Research & Technology Park, and the Atlantic City Airport. Bringing the F-35 to the 177th FW will increase the full-time workforce and drive millions of dollars in economic impact in the region. This is part of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber’s continuous efforts to diversify the economy in Atlantic County.
As a community, we understand that the 177th FW is the ideal location to place this technology against a challenging and potential threat to our nation’s security and the Greater Atlantic City Chamber supports the decision to bring the F-35 to New Jersey.
Despite outstanding facilities and strategic location, the 177th FW, was eliminated as a potential site in December of 2016. A missing component during this process was a groundswell of community support.
Legislation (AJR112/SJR83) to express support for basing the F-35 fighter jets at the 177th FW was recently passed in both Houses of New Jersey Legislature with overwhelming support. We applaud the bipartisan efforts of the sponsors of this bill and the Houses for approving this important legislation. This is a great first step toward gaining support to bring these new fighter jets to our home. Now it is up to our community to support this initiative.
As such, the Greater Atlantic City Chamber has sent a letter to dozens of regional organizations inviting them to participate in a coalition. We share a common goal to assist in the orderly development of Southern New Jersey while stimulating increased coordination, cooperation, and communication between business and government. The collective voice of our communities cannot be ignored.
We encourage you to join our campaign to bring the F-35 Lightning II to the 177th.
The Greater Atlantic City Chamber is committed to making the 177th Fighter Wing home to the United States Air Force’s state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jet. Working together we can make this a reality for our nation’s defense and our local economy.
Join our mission to land the F-35 Lightning II at the 177th Fighter Wing. Complete the form below and we will communicate your support as part of our community advocacy efforts.