Marine Corps Air Station New River Guide
Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, is 5 minutes from Jacksonville in Onslow County. Operating on some 2600 acres, according to the official site, this base supports helicopter and tilt-rotor operations, and provides aviation support and force protection. There are more than 6 thousand troops assigned to the installation.
You can learn more about MCAS New River, the surrounding area, housing, schools, and education opportunities below.
Marine Corps Air Station New River History
A relatively young base compared to some Army and Navy installations, Marine Corps Air Station New River was originally designated Peterfield Point when it opened in 1944.
The installation was placed under the command of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and received its first squadron, VMSB-331, from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
The base was redesignated as an Air Station in 1968. This base experienced a major reorganization effort in the early 1970s when Marine Helicopter Training Group-40 was deactivated. Marine Aircraft Group 29, consisting of more than 2000 Marines and 7 squadrons, was activated to replace it.
In 1972, the airfield was renamed McCutcheon Field to honor Brigadier General Keith B. McCutcheon, considered one of the founding fathers of Marine Corps helicopter aviation. In the present day, the field still bears his name. The base supports the Marine Corps Aviation Combat Element and other Department of Defense missions.
Surrounding Area
The Jacksonville area is a military-friendly community with other military bases within driving distance. Some choose not to live in the immediate area, selecting homes off-post in places like:
- Hampstead
- Holly Ridge
- Sneads Ferry
- Surf City
MCAS New River is near many destination beaches on the Atlantic coast, and you’ll find plenty of things to explore in the Jacksonville area, including at Hammocks Beach State Park and Bear Island.
If you want to travel to other bases in the state, there are plenty to choose from:
- MCAS Cherry Point
- Camp Lejeune
- Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
- Fort Liberty
- Pope Army Airfield
- U.S. Coast Guard Base Elizabeth City
Mission and Units
MCAS New River supports combat readiness of the Marine Corps Aviation Combat Element and Department of Defense units. Important missions and units here have included:
- 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
- MAG 29
- MAG 26
- CNATT
- VMX-22
- MACS-2 Detachment B
- 362nd Training Squadron
- USAF-58 Operations Group
In-Processing and Check-In
Those traveling to MCAS New River on PCS orders are directed to report to the Installation Personnel Administration Center during normal duty hours. Check-in with the Command Duty Officer if you arrive after duty hours.
DoD literature advises there is no central billeting office at MCAS New River. New arrivals must call their gaining unit or discuss check-in with their sponsor.
If you are relocating to the base as part of duty at the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, check in to Building AS-255, S-1, 910-449-6724, and call the duty officer at 910-449-6725 or 910-376-1034 if checking after duty hours.
All new arrivals should expect to hand-carry documents, including medical records, PCS or TDY orders, travel receipts, etc.
MCAS New River Commissary
The MCAS New River Commissary is located at:
4055 Curtis Road
PSC Box 21006
Jacksonville, NC 28545
910.449.6395
Child Care
Child Care at MCAS New River is provided by the Child Development Center, which offers care for children featuring fees based on household income. There are waiting lists for care due to high demand for care that includes the following options:
- Full Day Care
- Part Day-Preschool
- Part Day-Toddler
- Part Day-School Age
- Hourly Care
- Special Needs Care
Depending on a variety of factors, your waiting list wait times may be as long as four months. The CDC is located at:
1000 Curtis Road
Building AS-1000, Child Development Center
910-450-0553
Housing
Housing at MCAS New River may be a bit more complicated than at other bases as there are not one, but two public/private housing agreements between the Air Station and private housing agencies.
According to the DoD:
“Privatized military housing is available for active-duty service members and their families stationed at MCB CAMLEJ and MCASNR.” More than 5 thousand units are available, but waiting lists may apply due to demand. It’s best to contact the MCAS New River Family Housing office for more information as soon as you have orders to the base.
The Family Housing office is located at:
TT-43 Inchon Street
Camp Lejeune, NC 28547
910-450-1628
Contact the housing office before entering into any agreement for housing. If you seek housing off-post, you may qualify for the Rental Partnership Program, created to offset the cost of moving off-post.
Related: Basic Allowance for Housing Calculator
PCS and TDY Lodging
There is no temporary lodging available for newly arriving families at MCAS New River. According to the DoD official site, “Families must go to the Inn of the Corps on Camp Lejeune, which is located on the other side of Jacksonville.”
You can find the Inn of the Corps at:
896 Holcomb Boulevard
Building 896
Camp Lejeune
Jacksonville, NC 28547
910-451-3041
If you are PCSing or coming TDY to the MCAS New River unaccompanied, ask your gaining unit or training unit what single-servicemember accommodations are required.
Vehicle Registration and Driver’s License
New arrivals must register their vehicles on post at the Vehicle Registration Office in Building AS-187 near the main gate. To register a vehicle, you must bring:
- Military D card
- Drivers License
- Original Vehicle Registration
- Proof of insurance
- Driver’s Improvement Course card, where applicable
- Reservists must present a command-authorized letter.
You’ll find the DEERS/Pass and ID office on base at:
DEERS/Pass & ID Office
187 Curtis Road
Bldg AS-187
MCAS New River
Jacksonville, NC 28545
Schools
There are no schools on the base, but those who are assigned to MCAS New River may send their children to DoD schools at Camp Lejeune.
There are several schools offering classes for elementary through high school. These schools operate as part of the DoDEA North Carolina-Camp Lejeune District. They include but are not limited to:
- Bitz Intermediate
- Delalio Elementary
- Heroes Elementary
- Johnson Primary
- Tarawa Terrace Elementary
- Lejeune High
For those living off base, Onslow County public schools are available. Call the MCAS New River School Liaison at 910-449-9915 to learn about transfer requirements, immunizations, and other new student registration issues.
Colleges and Universities
The Joint Education Office at MCAS New River can help with higher education needs. Find them at:
212 Bancroft Street
Bldg AS-212, 2nd deck
910-449-6623
Multiple colleges offer on-base classes and other options. They include:
- Campbell University
- Coastal Carolina Community College,
- Embrey-Riddle Aeronautical University
- Southern Illinois University
- University of North Carolina-Wilmington
- Webster University
Contact the Joint Education Center to learn more about these programs or how to sign up for military Tuition Assistance programs offered by each branch of military service. You can also get advice on professional military education programs and other options such as CLEP or DANTES testing.
Related: Ultimate GI Bill Guide
MCAS New River Contacts
SC Box 21002
Jacksonville, NC 28545
910-449-5655
Important MCAS New River Contact Numbers
All numbers are area code (910):
- Emergency 911
- Commanding Officer 449-6307
- Executive Officer 449-6307
- Sergeant Major 449-6307
- Commanding Officer Secretary 449-6307
- Command Inspector 449-6307
- Equal Opportunity Advisor 451-5372
- Fraud, Waste & Abuse Hotline 449-6029
- Victim Witness Liaison Officer 449-7159
- Comptroller 449-5447/5446
- DoD Schools 451-2461
- Family Child Care 449-6712
Related:
>>View our guide: Military Bases By State<<
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
