View source for Fort Dix

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name        = Fort Dix
| location    = Located near: [[Trenton, New Jersey]]
| coordinates = {{coord|40|01|09|N|74|31|22|W|display=inline,title|type:landmark_region:US-NJ_dim:20000}}
| image       = Fort Dix combat training.jpg
| image_size  = 300px
| caption     = [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] combat training at Fort Dix in January 2008
| type        =
| code        =
| built       ={{Start date and age|1917}} 
| builder     =
| materials   =
| height      =
| used        = 1917–present
| demolished  =
| condition   =
| ownership   =
| battles     =
| events      =
}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name            = Army Support Activity Fort Dix
| settlement_type          = [[Census-designated place]]
| image_skyline            = 
| image_caption            = 
| image_flag               = 
| image_seal               = [[File:Dinstinctive Unit Insignia worn by personnel assigned to the Garrison at Fort Dix.jpg|100px]]
| nickname                 = 
| motto                    = 
| image_map                = 
| map_caption              = 
| pushpin_map              = USA New Jersey Burlington County#USA New Jersey#USA
| pushpin_label_position   = 
| pushpin_map_caption      = Fort Dix's location in [[Burlington County, New Jersey]]. Inset: Location of Burlington County in [[New Jersey]]
| coordinates              = {{coord|40.006|-74.611|region:US-NJ|display=inline}}
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = {{flag|United States}}
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1        = {{flag|New Jersey}}
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in New Jersey|County]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Burlington County, New Jersey|Burlington]]
| subdivision_type3        = [[List of townships in New Jersey|Township]]
| subdivision_name3        = [[New Hanover Township, New Jersey|New Hanover]]<br />[[Pemberton Township, New Jersey|Pemberton]]<br />[[Springfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey|Springfield]]
| established_title        = 
| established_date         = 
| government_type          = 
| government_footnotes     = 
| leader_title             = 
| leader_name              = 
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='34'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 11, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 26.78
| area_land_km2            = 26.45
| area_water_km2           =  0.33
| area_total_sq_mi         = 10.34
| area_land_sq_mi          = 10.21
| area_water_sq_mi         =  0.13
| area_water_percent       =  1.22
| elevation_footnotes      = <ref>{{Cite GNIS|id=02389722|name=Fort Dix Census Designated Place|access-date=17 June 2013}}</ref>
| elevation_ft             = 141

<!-- Population -->
| population_footnotes     = <ref name=Census2020>[https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/fortdixcdpnewjersey/ QuickFacts Fort Dix CDP, New Jersey], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed June 20, 2023.</ref>
| population_total         = 6508
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_density_sq_mi = 637.16
| population_density_km2   = 246.02
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_est           =

<!-- General information -->
| timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset               = −05:00
| timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Daylight Time|Eastern (EDT)]]
| utc_offset_DST           = −04:00
| postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code              = 08640<ref>[http://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupResultsAction!input.action?resultMode=0&city=Fort%20Dix&state=NJ Look Up a ZIP Code for Fort Dix, NJ], [[United States Postal Service]]. Accessed 17 June 2013.</ref>
| area_codes                = [[Area codes 609 and 640|609, 640]]
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = {{FIPS|34|24300}}<ref name=CensusArea>[http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2010_place_list_34.txt Gazetteer of New Jersey Places], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed 21 July 2016.</ref><ref name="GR2">[https://www.census.gov U.S. Census website], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed 4 September 2014.</ref><ref>[https://mcdc.missouri.edu/applications/geocodes/?state=34 Geographic codes for New Jersey], Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed June 9, 2023.</ref>
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 02389104<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name="GR3">[http://geonames.usgs.gov US Board on Geographic Names], [[United States Geological Survey]]. Accessed 4 September 2014.</ref>
| website                  = {{URL|https://www.jbmdl.jb.mil/}}
| footnotes                = 
}}

'''Fort Dix''', the common name for the Army Support Activity (ASA) located at [[Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst]], is a [[United States Army]] post. It is located {{convert|16.1|mi|km}} south-southeast of [[Trenton, New Jersey]]. Fort Dix is under the jurisdiction of the Air Force [[Air Mobility Command]]. As of the [[2010 United States census|2020 U.S. census]], Fort Dix [[census-designated place]] (CDP) had a total population of 7,716,<ref name=Census2010>[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US3424300 DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data for Fort Dix CDP, New Jersey] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212133702/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US3424300 |date=12 February 2020 }}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed 17 June 2013.</ref><ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US34007 GCT-PH1 - Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County -- County Subdivision and Place from the 2010 Census Summary File 1 for Burlington County, New Jersey] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212202837/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US34007 |date=12 February 2020 }}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed 8 June 2013.</ref><ref>[http://www2.census.gov/acs2010_5yr/summaryfile/UserTools/Geography/NJ.xls 2006-2010 American Community Survey Geography for New Jersey], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed 8 June 2013.</ref><ref name=CPH232>[https://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/cph-2-32.pdf New Jersey: 2010 - Population and Housing Unit Counts - 2010 Census of Population and Housing (CPH-2-32)], [[United States Census Bureau]], p. III-5, August 2012. Accessed 8 June 2013.</ref> of which 5,951 were in [[New Hanover Township, New Jersey|New Hanover Township]], 1,765 were in [[Pemberton Township, New Jersey|Pemberton Township]], and none were in [[Springfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey|Springfield Township]] (though portions of the CDP are included there).<ref name=CPH232/>

Established in 1917, Fort Dix was combined with adjoining U.S. Air Force and Navy facilities to become Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL) in 2009. However, it remains commonly known as "Fort Dix", "ASA Dix", or "Dix".

During 2015 to 2016, Colonel Shelley Balderson was commander, making her the first female commander of Fort Dix in the base's century-long history.

The Current Garrison Commander of U.S. Army Support Activity Fort Dix is Colonel Bryan R. Dunker, who also serves as Deputy Commander of Joint Base McGuire, Dix, Lakehurst (JBMDL) since July 2024.

==Overview==
[[File:Liberty Bell composed of 25000 men at Camp Dix 1918.jpg|thumb|The Human Liberty Bell at Camp Dix, including 25,000 people in 1918]]
Fort Dix was established on 16 July 1917, as Camp Dix, named in honor of Major General [[John Adams Dix]], a veteran of the [[War of 1812]] and the [[American Civil War]], and a former [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]], [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|U.S. Secretary of the Treasury]], and [[Governor of New York]].<ref name="Dix">{{cite web |url=http://newpreview.afnews.af.mil/mcguire/units/dix/index.asp |title=Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Dix |publisher=Newpreview.afnews.af.mil |access-date=14 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714183309/http://newpreview.afnews.af.mil/mcguire/units/dix/index.asp |archive-date=14 July 2014 }}</ref> Camp Dix was home to the 153rd Depot Brigade. The role of [[World War I]] depot brigades was to receive recruits and draftees, then organize them and provide them with uniforms, equipment, and initial military training. Depot brigades also received soldiers returning home at the end of the war and carried out their mustering out and discharges. During World War I, many of the soldiers serving in the U.S. [[78th Infantry Division (United States)|78th Infantry Division]], nicknamed the "Lightning Division," trained at Camp Dix. The inspiration for the nickname came from the famous [[Applejack (drink)|applejack]] whiskey (“white lightning”) produced in central New Jersey and the suggestion that the unit was ready and willing to strike like [[lightning]] at a moment's notice.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 90th Congress, First Session, August 1, 1967-August 9, 1967 |date= |publisher=US Congress |year=1967 |volume=113 part 16 |pages=21578}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 7, 1918 |title="Lightning" Name for Dix Division" |work=Trenton Sunday Times-Advertiser |pages=4}}</ref>

Dix has a history of mobilizing, training, and demobilizing soldiers from as early as World War I through April 2015, when [[Fort Bliss]] and [[Fort Hood]] in Texas assumed full responsibility for that mission. In 1978, the first female recruits entered basic training at Fort Dix. In 1991, Dix trained [[Kuwait]]i civilians in basic military skills so they could take part in their [[Gulf War|country's liberation]].<ref name="Dix"/>

[[File:RPPC 1917 Camp Dix.jpg|thumb|Camp Dix in 1917]]

Dix ended its active [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] training mission in 1991 due to [[Base Realignment and Closure Commission]] recommendations, which ended its command by a two-star general. Presently, it serves as a joint training site for all military components and all services.

In 2009, Fort Dix and the adjacent [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] and [[United States Navy|Naval]] facilities were consolidated into a single secure facility, called Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.  The supporting component is the U.S. Air Force, and base operations are executed by the [[87th Air Base Wing]], which provides installation management to all of the joint base while both the Navy and Army retain command and control of their missions, personnel, equipment, and component-specific services. Neither the Navy nor the Army base is subordinate to the Joint Base; each is simply supported by the joint base in base operations such as utilities, child-care centers, gyms, and other services, but each one reports through its own service-specific command chain and has its own commander (the Navy a captain and the Army a colonel). The commanders of both Fort Dix and Lakehurst serve also as deputy joint base commanders.<ref>[https://www.jbmdl.jb.mil/ Mission Partners]  webpage. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL) official website. Accessed 18 June 2010.</ref>

==Units assigned==
* 1st Brigade, Atlantic Training Division, 84th Training Command<ref name="Dix"/>
* [[99th Infantry Division (United States)|99th Readiness Division]]<ref name="Dix"/>
* [[174th Infantry Brigade (United States)|174th Infantry Brigade]]<ref name="Dix"/>
* 305th Aerial Port Squadron 
* [[VR-64|Fleet Logistics Squadron]] (VR-64)<ref name="Dix"/>
* [[Marine Aircraft Group 49]]<ref name="Dix"/>
* [[Military Entrance Processing Station]]<ref name="Dix"/>
* Navy Operational Support Center<ref name="Dix"/>
* NCO Academy<ref name="Dix"/>
* [[United States Air Force Expeditionary Center]]<ref name="Dix"/>
* USCG Atlantic Strike Team<ref name="Dix"/>

==History==
[[File:A compilation of the messages and papers of the presidents, 1789-1897. (1896) (14597504460).jpg|thumb|First day at Camp Dix for [[World War I]] recruits]]
[[File:M26 Pershing Tank Fort Dix.jpg|thumb|An [[M26 Pershing]] tank from the [[World War II]] era on display at Fort Dix]]
[[File:New Jersey Governor Thomas H. Kean visiting Fort Dix, Nov 6, 1987.jpg|thumb|[[Governor of New Jersey|New Jersey governor]] [[Thomas Kean]] visits Fort Dix in November 1987]]
[[File:110507-N-TH989-040 (5704337666).jpg|thumb|[[United States Army|U.S. Army]] drills at Fort Dix in May 2011]] 
:''See footnote''<ref>[http://www.dix.army.mil/history/history.html John Adams Dix and the history of Fort Dix] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227024450/http://www.dix.army.mil/history/history.html |date=27 December 2013 }} webpage (ASA-Dix (U.S. Army Support Activity) official website). Accessed 18 June 2010.</ref>

Construction began in June 1917. Camp Dix, as it was known at the time, was a training and staging ground for units during [[World War I]]. Though the camp was an embarkation camp for the [[New York Port of Embarkation]], it did not fall under the direct control of that command, with the [[United States Department of War|War Department]] retaining direct jurisdiction.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Huston |first1=James A.  |year=1966 |title=The Sinews of War: Army Logistics 1775—1953 |series=Army Historical Series |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Center Of Military History, United States Army |lccn=66060015 |page=346 |isbn=9780160899140 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y8pabWzrsocC&pg=PA346 |access-date=24 October 2014}}</ref> The camp became a demobilization center after the war. Between the World Wars, Camp Dix was a reception, training, and discharge center for the [[Civilian Conservation Corps]]. Camp Dix became Fort Dix on 8 March 1939, and the installation became a permanent Army post. During and after World War II, the fort served the same purpose as in the First World War, serving as a training and staging ground during the war and a demobilization center after the war.

After victory in Europe, arrangements were made to return prisoners of war to their home countries. 154 Soviet citizens who had been captured in German uniform were brought from [[Camp Ruston]] in [[Louisiana]] to Fort Dix in preparation for their return. On 29 June 1945, having learned of the plan, they rioted, attempting to provoke their guards to shoot them. Three hanged themselves. Seven proved they were not Soviet citizens, and the rest were shipped out on 31 August.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1945: The Fort Dix POW riot |url=http://www.capitalcentury.com/1945.html |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=www.capitalcentury.com}}</ref>

On 15 July 1947, Fort Dix became a [[Recruit training|basic-training]] center and the home of the [[U.S. 9th Infantry Division|9th Infantry Division]]. In 1954, the 9th moved out and the 69th Infantry Division made the fort home until it was deactivated on 16 March 1956. During the [[Vietnam War]], rapid expansion took place. A mock [[Vietnam]]ese village was constructed, and soldiers received Vietnam-specific training before being deployed. Since Vietnam, Fort Dix has sent soldiers to [[Operation Desert Shield (Gulf War)|Operation Desert Shield]], [[Desert Storm]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina|Bosnia]], [[Afghanistan]], and [[Iraq]].

===U.S. Coast Guard site===
The [[Atlantic Strike Team]] (AST) of the [[U.S. Coast Guard]] is based at Fort Dix. As part of the [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Department of Homeland Security]], the AST is responsible for responding to oil-pollution and [[hazardous materials|hazardous-materials]] release incidents to protect public health and the environment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uscg.mil/hq/nsfweb/AST/astdefault.asp |title=Atlantic Strike Team (AST) |publisher=Uscg.mil |date=22 December 2011 |access-date=14 January 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| url        = https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/02/nyregion/on-the-map-a-coast-guard-team-based-where-else-in-the-pine-barrens.html
| title      = A Coast Guard Team Based (Where Else?) in the Pine Barrens
| last       = Nash
| first      = Margo
| date       = 2 July 2000
| newspaper  = [[The New York Times]]
| access-date = 9 June 2009 }}</ref>

===Federal Correctional Institution===
Fort Dix is also home to [[Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix|Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution]], the largest single federal prison. It is a low-security installation for male inmates located within the military installation. As of 19 November 2009, it housed 4,310 inmates, and a minimum-security satellite camp housed an additional 426.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bop.gov/news/weekly_report.jsp |title=Federal Bureau of Prisons Weekly Population Report |publisher=Bop.gov |access-date=14 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119013947/http://www.bop.gov/news/weekly_report.jsp |archive-date=19 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Mission realignment==
Knowing that Fort Dix was on a base closure list, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) attempted to save the U.S. Army post during 1987. The USAF moved the Security Police (SP) Air Base Ground Defense school from [[Camp Bullis]], Texas, to Dix in fall 1987. Putting 50–100 SP trainees on a commercial flight from San Antonio, Texas, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, every few weeks was eventually realized to be not cost effective, so the school was later moved back to Camp Bullis.

Fort Dix was an early casualty of the first [[base realignment and closure]] process in the early 1990s, after having lost its traditional basic-training mission, but advocates attracted Army Reserve interest in keeping the {{convert|31000|acre|ha|adj=on}} post as a training reservation. With the reserves, and millions of dollars for improvements, Fort Dix has grown again to employ 3,000. As many as 15,000 troops train there on weekends, and the post has been a major mobilization point for reserve and National Guard troops since the [[September 11 attacks]] on [[New York City]] and [[Washington, D.C.]]

Fort Dix has completed its realignment from an individual training center to a [[United States Army Forces Command|FORSCOM]] Power Projection Platform for the Northeastern United States under the command and control of the Army's Installation Management Command. Primary missions include training and providing regional base operations support to on-post and off-post active component and U.S. Army Reserve units, soldiers, families, and retirees. Fort Dix supported more than 1.1 million man-days of training in 1998. More than 13,500 persons, on average, live or work within the garrison and its tenant organizations. [[Fort Devens|Devens Reserve Force Training Area]] in Massachusetts is a subinstallation of the ASA.

===2005 realignments===
{{main|Base Realignment and Closure, 2005}}
In 2005, the US Department of Defense announced that Fort Dix would be affected by a base realignment and closure. For base operations support, it became part of [[Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst]], N.J. It was the first base of its kind in the United States and is the Department of Defense's only three-service joint base.  ASA, Fort Dix occupies and supports all training across 31,000 of the joint base's 42,000 acres.

==Attack plots==

===1970===
{{main|Greenwich Village townhouse explosion}}
In 1970, the [[Weather Underground]] planned to detonate a [[nail bomb]] at a noncommissioned officers' dance at the base to "bring the war home" and "give the United States and the rest of the world a sense that this country was going to be completely unlivable if the United States continued in [[Vietnam]]." The plot failed the morning of the dance, when a [[Greenwich Village townhouse explosion|bomb under construction exploded]] at the group's [[Greenwich Village]], New York City, townhouse, killing three members of the group.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1847793,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010012833/http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1847793,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 October 2008 |title=The Weather Underground|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=7 October 2008}}</ref>

===2007===
{{main|2007 Fort Dix attack plot}}
On 8 May 2007, six individuals, mostly ethnic [[Albanians|Albanian]] Muslims,<ref name="WashingtonPost story"/> were arrested for plotting an attack against Fort Dix and the soldiers within. The men are believed to be [[Islam]]ic radicals who may have been inspired by the ideologies of [[al-Qaeda]].<ref name="MSNBC story">{{cite news |work=NBC News |title=6 held on terror conspiracy charges in N.J. |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18549005 |date=8 May 2007 |access-date=8 May 2007}}</ref> The men allegedly planned to storm the base with automatic weapons in an attempt to kill as many soldiers as possible.<ref name="WashingtonPost story">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/08/AR2007050800465.html?hpid=topnews |title=Fort Dix Targeted in Terror Plot |newspaper=Washington Post |date=8 May 2007 |access-date=8 May 2007 | first1=Dale | last1=Russakoff | first2=Dan | last2=Eggen}}</ref> The men faced charges of [[conspiracy (crime)|conspiracy]] to kill U.S. soldiers.<ref name="CBS story">{{cite news |publisher=CBS |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/6-arrested-in-new-jersey-terror-plot/ |title=6 Arrested In New Jersey Terror Plot |date=8 May 2007 |access-date=8 May 2007}}</ref>

==1969 stockade riot==
On 5 June 1969, 250 men imprisoned in the [[Stockade|military stockade]] rioted. The prisoners called it a rebellion and cited grievances including "unsanitary conditions", overcrowding, starvation, beatings, being chained to chairs, forced confessions and participation in an unjust war. The Army initially called it a "disturbance" caused by a small number of "instigators" and "troublemakers", but soon charged 38 soldiers with riot and inciting to riot. The antiwar movement, which had been increasingly recognizing and supporting resistance to the war within the military, quickly moved to defend the rebels/rioters and those the Army singled out for punishment. Soon the slogan "Free the [[Fort Dix 38]]" was heard in antiwar speeches, written about in underground newspapers and leaflets, and demonstrations were planned.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0F14F6395E1B7493C4A9178DD85F4D8685F9 |title=150 Riot at Ft. Dix Stockade; Fires Set and Windows Broken |newspaper=The New York Times |date=6 June 1969 |quote=Prisoners in the Fort Dix stockade set mattress fires, smashed windows and hurled footlockers, beds, and other equipment tonight in what an Army spokesman characterized as a 'disturbance.' }}</ref><ref name="Crowell">{{cite book | last = Crowell | first = Joan | title = Fort Dix Stockade: Our Prison Camp Next Door | publisher = Links |page=9 | location = Berlin | year = 1974 | isbn = 0-8256-3035-5 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Wallechinsky | first = David | title = The People's Almanac | url = https://archive.org/details/peoplesalmanac00wall | url-access = registration | publisher = Doubleday | location = Garden City | year = 1975 | isbn = 0-385-04060-1 | page = [https://archive.org/details/peoplesalmanac00wall/page/68 68] }}</ref>

Due to public backlash against the military's treatment of the prisoners, only five of the original 38 were brought before a general court-marital on serious charges. Most had their charges dropped entirely, while nine faced a special court-martial, the military equivalent of misdemeanor court. Four of those were convicted of misdemeanor participation in a riot and the other five acquitted.<ref name="VanGelderNYT">{{cite news |date=1969-12-07 |first=Lawrence |last=Van Gelder |title=Third G.I. on Trial in Ft. Dix Rioting |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref name="91stCong">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VA4mAAAAMAAJ |title=Investigation of Students for a Democratic Society: Hearings, Ninety-First Congress, First-Session. |pages=2437–2447 |date=1970 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |access-date=2023-01-13}}</ref> Of the five singled out for general courts-martial, one was acquitted completely while four were discharged with varying sentences including hard labor.<ref name="Crowell"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/p15932coll8/id/52188/rec/2 |title=Free the Ft. Dix 38! |publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society: GI Press Collection |agency=The Shakedown |website=content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection }}</ref>

==''Ultimate Weapon'' monument==
In 1957, during their leisure hours, Specialist 4 Steven Goodman, assisted by PFC Stuart Scherr, made a small clay model of a charging infantryman. Their tabletop model was spotted by a public-relations officer, who brought it to the attention of Deputy Post Commander Bruce Clarke, who suggested the construction of a larger statue to serve as a symbol of Fort Dix.<ref name="Lawsuit">{{cite web|url=http://vlex.com/vid/37628920 |title=Stuart Scherr and Steven Goodman, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. Universal Match Corporation and United States of America, Defendants-Appellees., 417 F.2d 497 (2nd Cir. 1969) |publisher=Vlex.com |access-date=14 January 2012}}</ref> Goodman and Scherr, who had studied industrial arts together in New York City and were classified by the Army as [[illustrator]]s, undertook the project under the management of Sergeant Major Bill Wright. Operating on a limited budget, and using old railroad track, [[Bondo (putty)|Bondo]], and other available items, they created a 12-foot figure of a charging infantryman in full battle dress,<ref name="Lawsuit"/> representing no particular race or ethnicity.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=7265 |title=Historical Marker Database, The Ultimate Weapon |publisher=Hmdb.org |access-date=14 January 2012 |archive-date=27 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327074513/http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=7265 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

By 1988, years of weather had taken a toll on the statue, and a restoration campaign raised over $100,000. Under the auspices of Goodman and the Fort Dix chapter of the [[Association of the United States Army]], the statue was [[casting (metalworking)|recast]] in [[bronze]] and its concrete base was replaced by black [[granite]].<ref>[http://www.dix.army.mil/history/Ultimatehistory.htm The Ultimate Weapon - soldier's artwork stands for military tradition] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612113815/http://www.dix.army.mil/history/Ultimatehistory.htm |date=12 June 2010 }}</ref>

The statue stands 25&nbsp;feet tall at the entrance to Infantry Park. Its inscription reads
{{poem quote|This monument is dedicated to
the only indispensable instrument of war,
The American Soldier—

The Ultimate Weapon

"If they are not there,
you don't own it."
:17 August 1990}}

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], Fort Dix had a total area of 10.389 square miles (26.909&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 0.127 square mile (0.329&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) is covered by water (1.22%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name="GR1">[https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed 4 September 2014.</ref>

=== Climate ===
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters.  According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], Fort Dix has a [[humid subtropical climate]], ''Cfa'' on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=724091&cityname=Fort+Dix%2C+New+Jersey%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Fort Dix]</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1970= 26290
|1980= 14297
|1990= 10205
|2000= 7464
|2010= 7716
|2020= 6508
|footnote=Population sources:<br> 1950<ref name=CensusNJ1950CDP>{{Cite web|title= 1950 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - New Jersey |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-2/23024255v2p30ch1.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250323234824/https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1950/population-volume-2/23024255v2p30ch1.pdf| archive-date=March 23, 2025}}</ref> 1960<ref name=CensusNJ1960CDP>{{Cite web|title= 1960 Census of Population - Number of Inhabitants - New Jersey |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/21260894v1p32ch2.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250322203807/https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1960/population-volume-1/21260894v1p32ch2.pdf| archive-date=March 22, 2025}}</ref> 1970<ref name=CensusNJ1970CDP>{{Cite web|title= 1970 Census of Population - Charecteristics of the Population - New Jersey |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_nj1-01.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250413231101/https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1970a_nj1-01.pdf| archive-date=April 13, 2025}}</ref><ref>Staff. [https://books.google.com/books?id=1AVxMztHPuoC&pg=PA50 ''1980 Census of Population: Number of Inhabitants United States Summary''], p. 1-140. [[United States Census Bureau]], June 1983. Accessed 17 June 2013.</ref><br> 1980<ref name=CensusNJ1980CDP>{{Cite web|title= 1980 Census of Population - Volume 1 - Characteristics of the Population - Number of Inhabitants - New Jersey|url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_njAB-01.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250208034839/https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_njAB-01.pdf| archive-date=February 8, 2025}}</ref> 1990<ref name=CensusNJ1990CDP>{{Cite web|title= 1990 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - New Jersey|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cph-2/cph-2-32.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20250323205725/https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/1990/cph-2/cph-2-32.pdf| archive-date=March 23, 2025}}</ref> 2000<ref name=CensusNJ2000CDP>{{Cite web|title=2000 Census of Population and Housing - Population and Housing Unit Counts - New Jersey |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-6.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250326080925/https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2003/dec/phc-3-32.pdf| archive-date=March 26, 2025}}</ref><br> 2010<ref name=CensusNJ2010CDP>{{Cite web|title= 2010 Census of Population - Population and Housing Unit Counts - New Jersey |url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-32.pdf|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251111220031/https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/decennial/2010/cph-2/cph-2-32.pdf| archive-date=November 11, 2025}}</ref> 2010<ref name=Census2010/> 2020<ref name=Census2020/>
}}

Fort Dix was listed as an unincorporated community in the [[1970 U.S. census]];<ref name=CensusNJ1970CDP/> and then as a [[census designated place]] in the [[1980 United States census]].<ref name=CensusNJ1980CDP/> 

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Fort Dix CDP, New Jersey – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Fort Dix CDP, New Jersey|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=160XX00US3424300&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Fort Dix CDP, New Jersey|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US3424300&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Fort Dix CDP, New Jersey|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=160XX00US3424300&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date= }}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|3,004
|3,220
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,717
|40.25%
|41.73%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |41.75%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|2,515
|2,457
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,049
|33.70%
|31.84%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |31.48%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|28
|39
|style='background: #ffffe6; |19
|0.38%
|0.51%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.29%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|91
|145
|style='background: #ffffe6; |131
|1.22%
|1.88%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2.01%
|-
|[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|8
|17
|style='background: #ffffe6; |33
|0.11%
|0.22%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.51%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|19
|14
|style='background: #ffffe6; |29
|0.25%
|0.18%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.45%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|98
|167
|style='background: #ffffe6; |241
|1.31%
|2.16%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.70%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|1,701
|1,657
|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,289
|22.79%
|21.47%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |19.81%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''7,464'''
|'''7,716'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''6,508 '''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

===2010 census===
The [[2010 United States census]] counted 7,716 people, 784 households, and 590 families in the CDP. The [[population density]] was {{convert|751.9|/sqmi}}. There were 898 housing units at an average density of {{convert|87.5|/sqmi}}. The racial makeup was 52.57% (4,056) [[White (U.S. census)|White]], 34.47% (2,660) [[Black (U.S. census)|Black or African American]], 0.67% (52) [[Native American (U.S. census)|Native American]], 1.91% (147) [[Asian (U.S. census)|Asian]], 0.30% (23) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. census)|Pacific Islander]], 6.07% (468) from [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census#Race|other races]], and 4.02% (310) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. census)|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 21.47% (1,657) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 784 households, 59.1% had children under the age of 18; 63.8% were married couples living together; 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 24.7% were non-families. Of all households, 15.1% were made up of individuals and 0.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.56.<ref name=Census2010/>

12.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 50.2% from 25 to 44, 30.9% from 45 to 64, and 2.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.9 years. For every 100 females, the population had 522.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 757.5 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

==Transportation==
[[New Jersey Route 68]] links Fort Dix to [[U.S. Route 206]] near the latter's interchanges with the [[New Jersey Turnpike]], [[U.S. Route 130]], and [[Interstate 295 (New Jersey)|Interstate 295]]. [[New Jersey Transit]] provides service to and from [[Philadelphia]] on the [[317 (New Jersey bus)|317]] route.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100726183304/http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=BusRoutesBurlingtonCountyTo Burlington County Bus / Rail Connections], [[New Jersey Transit]], backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of 26 June 2010. Accessed 17 June 2013.</ref>

==Education==
The [[U.S. Census Bureau]] lists "Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst" in Burlington County as having its own school district.<ref name=CensusSDmap>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st34_nj/schooldistrict_maps/c34005_burlington/DC20SD_C34005.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Burlington County, NJ|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2022-08-07}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st34_nj/schooldistrict_maps/c34005_burlington/DC20SD_C34005_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref> Students attend area school district public schools, as the [[Department of Defense Education Activity]] <!-- (DoDEA) --> does not operate any schools on that base. Students on McGuire and Dix may attend one of the following in their respective grade levels, with all siblings in a family taking the same choice: [[North Hanover Township School District]] (PK-6), [[Northern Burlington County Regional School District]] (7-12), and [[Pemberton Township School District]] (K-12).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/military-installation/joint-base-mcguire-dix-lakehurst/education/education|title=Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Education|publisher=Military One Source|accessdate=2022-08-07}} - This is a [[.mil]] site.</ref>

The Pemberton district operates Fort Dix Elementary School, located on-post.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pemberton.k12.nj.us/domain/1214|title=Welcome to Ft. Dix Elementary School|publisher=Ft. Dix Elementary School|accessdate=2022-08-07}}</ref>

In prior years, Pemberton was the sole school district for Fort Dix. In 1988, 23% of the students in that district were from military families.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Johnston|first1=David|last2=Frush|first2=Charlie|title=Assessing the blow at N.J.'s biggest base|newspaper=[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]|place=[[Philadelphia]]|date=1988-12-30|pages=1-A, 11-A}} - [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107152321/ Clipping of first] and [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107152434/ of second page] at [[Newspapers.com]].</ref> In 1997, plans were made to shift the students, numbering around 700, to North Hanover schools. Pemberton school officials were against that move.<ref>{{cite news|title=Pemberton could lose 700 students|newspaper=[[Courier-Post]]|place=[[Camden, New Jersey]]|date=1997-08-15|page=2B}} - [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107143335/ Clipping] from [[Newspapers.com]].</ref>

==Pop-culture references==
Fort Dix is the home base setting in [[Cinemaware]]'s 1988 [[Commodore 64|C64]] and [[Nintendo]] video game ''[[Rocket Ranger]]''; the game is based on an alternate World War II scenario, wherein the [[National-socialist|National-Socialists]] discover lunarium, which could allow them to win the war unless a young American scientist stops them.<ref>Farrell, Andrew. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IitWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zuQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4378,10456131&dq=fort-dix+rocket-ranger&hl=en "Future's back to good old days"], ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'', 31 October 1988. Accessed 17 June 2013. "Cinemaware's new game, ''Rocket Ranger'', brings back the memories and pays tribute to old-time greats.&nbsp;... Commands can only be issued from home base in Fort Dix, New Jersey."</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Jay Berger]] (born 1966), a former professional tennis player, reached a highest world ranking of number seven.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/465629682/ "Tennis"], ''[[New York Daily News]]'', 1 September 1988. Accessed 9 January 2021, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "Next up for Lendl is Jay Berger, a 21-year-old who was born in Fort Dix, N.J. but now lives in Plantation, Fla."</ref>
* [[Bruce Hill (American football)|Bruce Hill]] (born 1964), is former wide receiver for the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]].
* [[Jim Riggleman]] (born 1952) is a former professional baseball player and manager.<ref>Newberry, Paul, via [[Associated Press]]. [https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/523478486/ "Braves make major splash; Riggleman hired as Mets bench coach"], ''[[The Times-Tribune (Scranton)|The Times-Tribune]]'', 27 November 2018. Accessed 9 January 2021, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "Jim Riggleman, a 66-year-old veteran of 13 seasons as a major league manager, was hired by the New York Mets as bench coach for Mickey Callaway.&nbsp;... Riggleman, a native of Fort Dix, New Jersey, also managed the Chicago Cubs (1995-99), Seattle (2008) and Washington (2009-11)."</ref>
* [[Mel Brooks]] (born 1926) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker.<ref>{{cite book |author-link=Mel Brooks |last=Brooks |first=Mel |date=30 November 2021 |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646673/all-about-me-by-mel-brooks/ |title=All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business |publisher=Penguin Random House |isbn=978-0-593-15911-8|p=51}}</ref>
*[[Franco Harris]] (1950-2022) was a National Football League Hall of Fame running back, born in Fort Dix.

==See also==
* [[List of United States Army installations]]
* The [[1976 swine flu outbreak]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://www.jbmdl.jb.mil/ Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst] official website
* [https://archive.today/20120803085756/http://www.dix.army.mil/ ASA - Dix] official website (U.S. Army Support Activity)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110805004522/http://www.dix.army.mil/Chapel/default.html Fort Dix Command Chaplain Section]. Army Support Activity–Dix (ASA-Dix) official website
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110818041449/http://www.imcom.army.mil/regions/northeast/ IMCOM Atlantic Region] official website (U.S. Army Installation Management Command)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100612113815/http://www.dix.army.mil/history/Ultimatehistory.htm Details on the Ultimate Weapon monument] from the Fort Dix website

{{Burlington County, New Jersey}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1917 establishments in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Civilian Conservation Corps camps]]
[[Category:Civilian Conservation Corps in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Forts in New Jersey|Dix]]
[[Category:Military installations in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Military Superfund sites|Dix]]
[[Category:New Hanover Township, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Pemberton Township, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Pine Barrens (New Jersey)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1917]]
[[Category:Springfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Superfund sites in New Jersey|Dix]]
[[Category:United States Army posts|Dix]]
[[Category:Military installations established in 1917]]