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53-679: NAS Jacksonville is located in Duval County , Florida, within the city limits of Jacksonville. The base sits on a piece of land between the St. Johns River and Ortega River historically called Black Point. The airbase is part of the overall Jacksonville Naval Complex, a collection of Navy Bases in the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area that include Naval Station Mayport , the former Naval Air Station Cecil Field (now Cecil Airport ), Naval Outlying Landing Field Whitehouse , and

106-643: A Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission decision directing the closure of Naval Air Station Atlanta and its transfer to the Air Force Reserve Command as part of Dobbins Air Reserve Base , VMFA-142 was placed in cadre status in July 2008. Plans from 2010 to transition the squadron to the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter by 2019 have since been scrapped, and the squadron no longer appears in

159-637: A 1,231-foot (375 m)-long taxiway was built. With the station's continuing growth, the Navy was having a tremendous impact on the economic growth in the Jacksonville and Duval County area. The station had over 11,000 military personnel assigned, along with 5,000 civilians and an annual payroll of more than $ 35 million. In March 1959, Marine Attack Squadron ONE FOUR TWO (VMA-142) of the Marine Corps Reserve relocated to NAS Jacksonville from

212-464: A 16-point win for George W. Bush in 2004 to only a three-point win for John McCain in 2008. Mitt Romney won an equally narrow margin in 2012 and in 2016, Donald Trump only won the county by fewer than 6,000 votes even as he narrowly carried Florida. In 2020, Joe Biden , despite losing statewide, broke the 44-year Democratic drought in Duval County, winning by less than four points. In 2024,

265-542: A female householder with no husband present, and 33.60% were non-families. 26.50% of households were one person and 7.80% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.06. The age distribution was 26.30% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 32.40% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 10.50% 65 or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.90 males. The median household income

318-583: A re-organization within Marine aviation , the squadron moved to Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base , Texas and was placed in a cadre status under Marine Aircraft Group 41 . Plan for the conduct of air operations in support of the Fleet Marine Force, supervise and train selected Marine Corps Reserve units, provide administrative and logistical support for selected Marine Corps Reserve units, and ensure mobilization readiness. VMFA-142

371-409: Is one of the central hubs for naval activity in the U.S. South , with over 50,000 civilian employees, contractors and active-duty personnel employed. NAS Jacksonville is home to Patrol Squadron THIRTY (VP-30), the Navy's largest aviation squadron and the only P-3 Orion and P-8 Poseidon Fleet Replacement Squadron that prepares pilots, air crew and maintenance personnel for operational assignments in

424-611: Is the central county of the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . This area had been settled by varying cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years before European contact. Within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in Jacksonville , archeologists have excavated remains of some of the oldest pottery in the United States, dating to 2500 BCE. Prior to European contact ,

477-542: The City of Jacksonville and Duval County , is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida . As of July 2022, the population was 1,016,536, up from 864,263 in 2010. It is Florida's sixth-most populous county. Its county seat is Jacksonville , with which the Duval County government has been consolidated since 1968. Duval County was established in 1822, and is named for William Pope Duval , Governor of Florida Territory from 1822 to 1834. Duval County

530-645: The Democratic Party sooner than the majority of Florida counties. Despite the small Democratic plurality in registration, the county's Democrats are nowhere near as liberal as their counterparts in other large Florida counties, such as Miami-Dade and Orange . The county has only supported a Democrat for president three times since 1952, in 1960 , 1976 , and 2020 . However, the Republican edge in Duval has lessened somewhat in recent years. It swung from

583-609: The Jacksonville Transportation Authority . VMFA-142 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 142 (VMFA-142) was an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps Reserve that was active from 1942 to 2008. At the time of its inactivation, the squadron was based at Naval Air Station Atlanta , Georgia and fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 42 (MAG-42), 4th Marine Aircraft Wing (4th MAW). Due to

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636-471: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has an area of 918 square miles (2,380 km ), of which 762 square miles (1,970 km ) is land and 156 square miles (400 km ) (17.0%) is water. The topography is coastal plain; however there are some rolling hills. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 995,567 people, 369,704 households, and 225,060 families residing in the county. U.S. Census Bureau 2010 Ethnic/Race Demographics: In 2010, 6.7% of

689-528: The 18th century with the establishment of Cowford , later renamed Jacksonville . Duval County was created in 1822 from St. Johns County . It was named for William Pope Duval , Governor of Florida Territory from 1822 to 1834. When Duval County was created, it covered a massive area, from the Suwannee River on the west to the Atlantic Ocean on the east, north of a line from the mouth of

742-615: The 1990s and early 2000s with the elimination of P-3 squadrons (VP-24, VP-49, VP-56) and H-60 squadrons (HS-1, HS-9, HS-75). With the BRAC -directed closure of NAS Brunswick , Maine by mid-2011, Patrol Squadron EIGHT (VP-8), Patrol Squadron TEN (VP-10), Patrol Squadron TWENTY-SIX (VP-26), Special Projects Patrol Squadron ONE (VPU-1) and Fleet Logistics Support Squadron SIXTY-TWO (VR-62) began relocating to NAS Jacksonville in 2007 with their P-3 and C-130T aircraft, with all of these squadrons in place at NAS Jacksonville by late 2010. The installation

795-645: The Active, Reserve and Retired military communities. NAS Jacksonville houses a facility to train pilots for the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton . In addition to that NAS Jacksonville has trained foreign aircrews including that of Royal Australian Navy 's New Squadron 725. Fleet Readiness Center Southeast is the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) maintenance, repair and operations depot for NAS Jacksonville. The depot

848-546: The Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit Jacksonville), an additional outlying field (OLF Whitehouse) for pilot training, a maintenance depot employing more than 150 different trade skills capable of performing maintenance as basic as changing a tire to intricate micro-electronics or total engine disassembly, a Fleet Industrial Supply Center, a Navy Family Service Center, a DeCA commissary, Navy Exchange , and recreational facilities for both single sailors and families of

901-1757: The Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers (COMFRC); thus, NADEP Jacksonville was renamed Fleet Readiness Center Southeast, and became the depot for all of the Southeastern United States. Staffed at over 5,000 DoN Civilian Employees, Contractors, and Military personnel, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast is the largest employer in Northeast Florida/Southern Georgia region. Patrol Squadron 30 (VP-30) Commander, Naval Reserve Readiness Command Region Eight Commander, Fleet Logistics Support Wing Commander, Maritime Support Wing Commander, Naval Region Southeast Coastal Riverine Squadron 10 Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) Naval Aviation Forecast Component Jacksonville Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Naval Facilities and Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) Naval Air Reserve / Navy Operational Support Center Jacksonville ( Navy Reserve ) Navy Entomology Center of Excellence Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 14 Navy Oceanographic Anti-Submarine Warfare Detachment (NOAD), Jacksonville Surface Rescue Swimmer School (SRSS) Aircraft Carrier Tactical Support Center (CV-TSC) Navy Exchange (NEXCOM) Southeast District Transient Personnel Unit Defense Logistics Agency (DoD) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (DHS) Download coordinates as: Duval County, Florida Duval County ( / d j uː ˈ v ɔː l / dew- VAWL ), officially

954-601: The Hornets then flew to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads , Puerto Rico for additional Fleet training operations. In February 2005, VMFA-142 became the first fixed wing Marine reserve fighter unit activated to combat since the Korean War . They deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and served at Al Asad Air Base , providing combat support in the Al Anbar province of Iraq until September 2005. In accordance with

1007-486: The Navy TACAIR concept, which integrates both Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter/attack squadrons and Navy F/A-18 strike fighter squadrons into Navy carrier air wings . As a Marine Air Reserve squadron, VMFA-142 integrated into Carrier Air Wing Reserve TWENTY ( CVWR-20 ). In May 2000, in a first for CVWR-20 , five Marine Hornets from VMFA-142 joined the wing for carrier qualification, qualifying all five pilots. Three of

1060-676: The P-8A, P-3C, and EP-3E Aries in the U.S. Navy, and P-3B, P-3C and similar variants in various NATO and Allied navies and air forces. In addition, NAS Jacksonville is home to Naval Hospital Jacksonville, under Navy Medicine, which supports all medical programming across naval installations in Florida, including providing the command structure for five Base Health Clinics (BHCs) from Jacksonville to Key West. Finally, support facilities at NAS Jacksonville include its being an Aviation Maintenance training facility for several aviation ratings (facilitated by

1113-575: The Pinecastle Range Complex. It also neighbors a small ghost town called Yukon . During World War I , the area now occupied by NAS Jacksonville, often referred to colloquially as "NAS Jax", was named Camp Joseph E. Johnston , and was commissioned on October 15, 1917. The United States Army trained quartermasters and the center included more than 600 buildings; by 1918 Camp Johnston was the largest of all Quartermaster mobilization and training camps. The second largest rifle range in

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1166-524: The Suwannee River to Jacksonville on the St. Johns River . Alachua and Nassau counties were created out of parts of Duval County in 1824. Clay County was created from part of Duval County in 1858. Part of St. Johns County south and east of the lower reaches of the St. Johns River was transferred to Duval County in the 1840s. On October 1, 1968, the government of Duval County was consolidated with

1219-549: The U.S. was constructed there, but the camp was decommissioned on May 16, 1919. The Florida National Guard began using the site in 1928 and it was renamed Camp J. Clifford R. Foster . In 1939 a group of 10 ex service men traveled to Washington at their own expense to talk the Navy, who was looking for a new base, to come and look at the old National Guard base, they did and liked what they saw. Most of their names are lost to history. Only two are known: Charles Bennett and Ira Lane. On October 15, 1940, Naval Air Station Jacksonville

1272-540: The air station during World War II. Increased training and construction characterized NAS Jacksonville's response to America's entry into World War II. Three runways over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) long were operating, as were seaplane runways in the St. Johns River and seaplane ramps leading from the water. Overhaul and Repair (O&R) facilities were built to rework the station's planes, a facility that in ensuing years would be renamed Naval Air Rework Facility Jacksonville (NARF Jax). More than 700 buildings sprung to life on

1325-515: The area was inhabited by the Mocama , a Timucuan -speaking group who lived throughout the coastal areas of northern Florida. At the time Europeans arrived, much of what is now Duval County was controlled by the Saturiwa , one of the region's most powerful tribes. The area that became Duval County was home to the 16th-century French colony of Fort Caroline , and saw increased European settlement in

1378-508: The base before V-J Day (Victory over Japan), including an 80-acre (320,000 m) hospital and a POW camp which housed more than 1,500 German prisoners of war. Archbishop (later Cardinal) Francis J. Spellman dedicated the Catholic Chapel (St. Edward's) at its Birmingham Avenue location on January 17, 1943. The chapel and other buildings constructed during the war years, intended for a life of only 20 years, are still in use. During

1431-532: The base, bringing with it Patrol Squadron THREE (VP-3) from NAS Coco Solo, Panama and Patrol Squadron FIVE (VP-5) from NAS San Juan, Puerto Rico. The now famous U.S. Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels , who had called NAS Jacksonville home but later moved to NAS Corpus Christi in the late 1940s, performed a last air show at the station on April 29, 1950, before forming the nucleus of an operational fighter squadron, VF-191 (Satan's Kittens), which

1484-446: The closing MCAS Miami , along with the associated Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment (MARTD). VMA-142 would remain at NAS Jax until its relocation to nearby NAS Cecil Field in 1978. On July 1, 1957, The United States Air Force Air Defense Command established a Phase III Mobile Radar station at NAS Jacksonville with the 679th Aircraft Warning and Control Squadron operating AN/FPS-3 , AN/FPS-8 , and AN/MPS-14 radars as part of

1537-490: The county in his first bid in 2000, and Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham carried the county in all three of their respective bids. In 2022, Ron DeSantis won the county in his reelection bid by 12 points. Duval County Public Schools operates public schools in the county. Duval County is served by the Jacksonville Public Library . 2020 Census population Public transportation is provided by

1590-525: The county reverted back to the GOP and Trump won it by less than 2 points. In 2018, Andrew Gillum , despite losing the election, won Duval by four points, the first time a Democrat had won the county in a gubernatorial election since Steve Pajcic 's losing bid in 1986. Four years later, however, Duval rebounded to vote for Ron DeSantis by over 10 points. In the Senate elections, Bill Nelson only failed to carry

1643-418: The county was 65.80% White (63.6% were Non-Hispanic White ,) 27.83% African American or Black, 0.33% Native American, 2.71% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.31% from other races, and 1.96% from two or more races. 4.10% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 303,747 households 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.50% were married couples living together, 15.60% had

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1696-593: The end of 1999, the squadron relocated to Naval Air Station Atlanta , approximately 25 miles (40 km) North of Atlanta in Marietta, Georgia . It was the second F/A-18 squadron to be transferred to NAS Atlanta, having been preceded by the Naval Air Reserve 's Strike Fighter Squadron TWO ZERO THREE (VFA-203), which was also previously based at NAS Cecil Field. VMFA-142 became part of the Department of

1749-459: The government of the city of Jacksonville . The Duval County cities of Atlantic Beach , Jacksonville Beach , and Neptune Beach , and the town of Baldwin are not included in the corporate limits of Jacksonville and maintain their own municipal governments. The city of Jacksonville provides all services that a county government would normally provide. The Mayor of Jacksonville serves as the chief administrator over all of Duval County. According to

1802-493: The integrated ADC radar network. It was designated as ADC site M-114 . In 1962 AN/FPS-66 radar and a pair of AN/FPS-6 heightfinder radars were added. During 1962 M-114 joined the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) system, and the squadron was re-designated as the 679th Radar Squadron (SAGE) on 1 October 1962. On 31 July 1963, the site was redesignated as NORAD ID Z-114 . In addition to

1855-655: The late 1940s, the jet age was dawning and in 1948 the Navy's first jet carrier air groups and squadrons came to NAS Jacksonville. By April 1949, NAS Jacksonville was the East Coast's aircraft capital, with more naval aircraft stationed here than at any other naval base from Nova Scotia to the Caribbean – 60 percent of the Fleet's air striking force in the Atlantic area from pole to pole. Fleet Air Wing Eleven made its move to

1908-607: The most requested duty station for sailors and officers in Naval Aviation throughout the Navy. A piece of history and Navy and Marine Corps tradition was lost in 1986 when the last unit of Marines left NAS Jacksonville. Marine Barracks Jacksonville had been one of the first groups to arrive at the base in 1940, but left due to mission realignments and a reduction in Marines authorized for Marine Corps Security Force duties at U.S. Naval installations. Force reductions continued in

1961-617: The next ten months they flew in support of operations on Guadalcanal and did not lose one pilot in combat over that time. The squadron was equipped with the Douglas SBD Dauntless . During World War II, VMFA-142 participated in the following Campaigns: The squadron relocated in August 1943 to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro , California, and was reassigned to Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group 41 . It relocated during April 1944 to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa , Hawaii , and

2014-432: The population considered themselves to be of only " American " ancestry (regardless of race or ethnicity.) Of the 342,450 households 28.68% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.92% were married couples living together, 16.74% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.27% were non-families. 24.85% of households were one person and 8.05% (2.29% male and 5.76% female) had someone living alone who

2067-456: The population spoke French Creole (mostly Haitian Creole ) as their mother language . In total, 12.64% of the population spoke languages other than English as their primary language . According to the Secretary of State's office, Democrats comprise a plurality of registered voters in Duval County. Duval County is somewhat conservative for an urban county, and it began moving away from

2120-553: The remaining reserve squadrons joined by Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron SEVENTY-FIVE (HS-75) in 1985 following its relocation from NAS Willow Grove , Pennsylvania. In 1973, with the assignment of Helicopter Antisubmarine Wing One, the station's primary mission became antisubmarine warfare. Accompanying the wing were five helicopter squadrons which are still based here today. With the new wings and squadrons, opportunities grew for both sea duty and shore duty assignment to NAS Jacksonville. The station's popularity grew and it became one of

2173-984: The site at NAS Jacksonville, the 679th operated several "Gap Filler" remote sites to extend its radar coverage at Bunnell, FL and Blythe Island, GA. In 1963 M-114 became a joint-use facility with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It performed routine general radar surveillance until 30 September 1981 when the site was inactivated. In 1970, a major reorganization of the Naval Reserve resulted in three separate Naval Air Reserve flying squadrons, identical to their active duty Regular Navy counterparts, being activated at NAS Jacksonville. These squadrons consisted of Attack Squadron TWO ZERO THREE (VA-203), Patrol Squadron SIXTY-TWO (VP-62) and Fleet Logistics Support Squadron FIFTY-EIGHT (VR-58). VA-203 would later relocate to NAS Cecil Field in 1977, with

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2226-513: The squadron was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 42 Detachment, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force and, a year later in January 1980, reassigned again to Marine Aircraft Group 42, Detachment A, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force. During the early 70's the squadron flew the J-65 powered A-4L before transitioning to the newer J52-P-408 powered A-4F. The last A-4L departed in

2279-578: The summer of 1976. As active duty A-4 units transitioned to the AV-8B during the 80's, their A-4M's replaced reserve unit A-4F's. The squadron converted from the A-4M Skyhawk II to the F/A-18A Hornet and was formally redesignated on 21 December 1990 as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 142 (VMFA-142) . In August 1997, due to the pending BRAC 93 -mandated closure of NAS Cecil Field by

2332-529: Was $ 40,703 and the median family income was $ 47,689. Males had a median income of $ 32,954 versus $ 26,015 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 20,753. 11.90% of the population and 9.20% of families were below the poverty line , including 16.40% of those under the age of 18 and 11.60% of those age 65 or older. As of 2010, 87.36% of all residents spoke English as their first language , while 5.74% spoke Spanish , 1.18% Tagalog , 0.53% Arabic , 0.48% Serbo-Croatian , 0.47% Vietnamese , and 0.46% of

2385-989: Was $ 49,463 and the median family income was $ 60,114. Males had a median income of $ 42,752 versus $ 34,512 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 25,854. About 10.4% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 20.3% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those aged 65 or over. In 2010, 9.0% of the county's population was foreign born , with 49.5% being naturalized American citizens . Of foreign-born residents, 38.2% were born in Latin America , 35.6% born in Asia , 17.9% were born in Europe , 5.8% born in Africa , 2.0% in North America , and 0.5% were born in Oceania . The racial makeup of

2438-401: Was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.04. The age distribution was 23.5% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% 65 or older. The median age was 35.8 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males. The median household income

2491-552: Was assigned to combat in Korea. The "Blues" would not return to the station for more than two years. In the early 1950s, Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) Jacksonville was also reactivated and included nine different schools. In the mid-1950s, an air traffic control center for joint use by the Navy, Air Force, and Civil Aeronautics Administration was approved and completed at a cost of $ 325,000. Major changes also occurred as parking ramps were added shore-based aircraft hangars and

2544-507: Was first activated on 1 March 1942 at Camp Kearny , California as Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 142 (VMSB-142) , Marine Aircraft Group 14 , 1st Marine Aircraft Wing , Fleet Marine Force . It was assigned during August 1942 to Marine Aircraft Group 12 , 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing before being reassigned during September 1942 to Marine Aircraft Group 11 . The squadron was deployed from October to November 1942 to Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides , and reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11. During

2597-576: Was officially commissioned, and became the first part of the Jacksonville Navy complex. On the same date, Captain Charles P. Mason , USN, raised his command pennant as the station's first commanding officer. Prior to the commissioning, on September 7, Commander Jimmy Grant became the first pilot to land on the still unfinished runway in his N3N-3 biplane. More than 10,000 pilots and 11,000 airmen followed their lead to earn their "wings of gold" at

2650-422: Was originally founded as Naval Air Rework Facility (NARF) Jacksonville. With the growth of NAS Jacksonville into a major military aviation hub, the facility underwent a major change to keep up with the growth, thus being renamed to Naval Aviation Depot (NADEP) Jacksonville. Around the 1990s, NAVAIR underwent a major reorganization, converting all of its naval air depots into Fleet Readiness Centers, now directed under

2703-640: Was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 32 . The squadron was deactivated 21 September 1945 and reactivated 1 July 1946 at Naval Air Station Miami , Florida, as Marine Fighting Squadron 142 (VMF-142) and assigned to Marine Air Detachment, Naval Air Reserve Training Unit, Naval Air Station, Miami, Florida. The "Flying Gators" were reassigned in December 1946 to the Marine Air Reserve Training Command, Naval Air Reserve Training Unit, Naval Air Station, Miami, Florida. The squadron

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2756-550: Was redesignated 1 April 1949 as Marine Fighter Squadron 142, Marine Air Reserve Training Command, Naval Air Station Miami , Florida, later itself redesignated in February 1952 as Marine Corps Air Station Miami , Florida. The squadron was redesignated in September 1953 as Marine Fighter Squadron 142, Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment, Marine Air Reserve Training Command, Marine Corps Air Station Miami, Florida. The squadron

2809-412: Was yet again redesignated on 15 May 1958 as Marine Attack Squadron 142 (VMA-142) and relocated during March 1959 to Naval Air Station Jacksonville , Florida. The squadron was reassigned during January 1971 to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing , Fleet Marine Force before relocating during December 1978 from NAS Jacksonville to nearby Naval Air Station Cecil Field , Florida. Soon thereafter, in January 1979,

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