Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce Communications Director inducted as Honorary Commander

SHIP BOTTOM, N.J. - Aug. 21, 2014 - PRLog -- It is with great pride the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce joins fellow county and community leadership in having a hands on role with the joint base spans more than 20 miles and is bordered by  Ocean and Burlington counties.   On August 20, Lori A. Pepenella was installed as Honorary Commander of the 87th ABW Force Support Squadron, the host unit responsible for providing installation support for the joint base community and the 3,933 facilities on the joint base. The Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce joins concerned local leadership in the effort to keep potential Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) to evaluate and close military bases in 2017 from effecting our local base.


The  Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst employs 34,576 full-time personnel, 7,804 traditional reservists, and through direct and induced effects, produces approximately 51,989 jobs in New Jersey with many of those jobs occurring in the local area of the base, representing approximately $2.7 billion in direct and indirect economic impact. In addition to the joint base being one the of the largest employers with an overall impact of $6.9 billion to the State of New Jersey; the base is home to more than 80 mission partners who provide a wide range of combat capability including the 99th Regional Support Command, the 72nd Field Artillery Brigade, the 108th Wing, the 305th Air Mobility Wing, the 514th Air Mobility Wing, the 621st Contingency Response Wing, the Army Support Activity, the Naval Air Systems Command, the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, the Marine Aircraft Group 49, and the United States Air Force Expeditionary Center. Other agencies on base include the United States Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team, the New Jersey National Guard.


The Honorary Commanders program provides the base with an open flow of communication between the surrounding communities. It helps educate on the Air Force, Army and Navy missions of the joint base while fostering  ideas, experiences and support between the community and JB MDL. Pepenella also serves on Ocean County Tourism and Business Development Advisory Board, Ocean County Culture & Heritage Commission, Board of Directors of New Jersey Tourism Industry Association, Barnegat Township Economic Development Council and chair of New Jersey Destination Marketing Organization. For more information on the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce go to www.visitLBIregion.com