Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue

34°41′26″N 077°01′47″W﻿ / ﻿34.69056°N 77.02972°W﻿ / 34.69056; -77.02972

Airport in Bogue Sound / Emerald Isle, North Carolina

MCALF Bogue

unofficial Bogue Field logo

* IATA: none
* ICAO: KNJM
* FAA LID: NJM

Summary
Airport type| Military
Owner| United States Department of the Navy
Operator| United States Marine Corps
Location| Bogue Sound / Emerald Isle, North Carolina
Built| 1942
In use| 1942–Present (Intermittently)
Occupants| 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing/MWSS-271
Elevation AMSL| 21 ft / 6 m
Runways
| Direction | Length  | Surface

|
|

ft  | m
5/23  | 4,010  | 1,218  | AM-2 Aluminum Matting (non-skid coated)

Source: Federal Aviation Administration[1]

Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue (ICAO: KNJM, FAA LID: NJM), also known as Bogue Field, is an 875-acre (3.54 km2) landing field located on Bogue Sound (North Carolina) that serves as a Marine Corps’ East Coast site for Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP). It is a sub facility of MCAS Cherry Point in Havelock in Craven County and one of three USMC facilities in Carteret County. The others include Atlantic Airfield, a Cherry Point sub installation which is sparsely manned and Radio Island shipping terminal, between Morehead City and Beaufort, which falls under control of Camp Lejeune, though it is only manned during active military operations. Another USMC facility, Oak Grove Airfield, near Pollocksville in Jones County, in also controlled by Cherry Point and in rarely manned unless training is conducted there. By Bogue Field being available for performing many of these landings at night, pilots simulate landing on an aircraft carrier or an amphibious assault ship, which provides the force with the means to forward deploy its aviation assets in order to have a more readily accessible aviation punch for the Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) commander on the battlefield.

## History

[edit]

When the United States Navy purchased 573 acres (2.32 km2) of land in 1942 for an auxiliary airfield, three 4,000-foot (1,200 m) runways were built for the use of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina. Facilities were also constructed to support two squadrons with a combined total of 45 aircraft and accommodations for 1,050 personnel.

### World War II

[edit]

During World War II, Bogue was used almost exclusively by the United States Marine Corps for VMSB dive-bomber squadron training. Equipped with the SBD Dauntless, the first squadron, VMSB-331, moved to Bogue from MCAS New River in 1943 followed by Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33) later that year.[2]

Specialized training facilities were established in the surrounding area to support the training of the resident dive-bombing squadrons. Dive-bombing circle targets were constructed on nearby islands, and vertical targets were built for low-level bombing practice. A maneuvering target boat was also used on the Neuse River to practice attacks on shipping.

MAG-33 transferred to MCAS Eagle Mountain Lake, Texas in 1944, and MAG-93 was commissioned at Oak Grove in the same year. By that point, Marine Corps dive-bombing squadrons were transitioning to the SB2C Helldiver.

A J2F Duck amphibian was assigned to Bogue for the rescue of downed flyers, but proved unsuitable for open-sea landings.

### Post-war operation

[edit]

Bogue was decommissioned on 15 June 1947 and became an Outlying Field of Cherry Point. The Marines' first Short Airfield for Tactical Support (SATS) system was installed at Bogue in 1958. It was a deployable catapult & arresting system, intended to permit jet aircraft to operate from short expeditionary airfields.

### Vietnam Era

[edit]

A VMA-231 AV-8A taking off from Bogue, in 1978.

The Marine Corps reopened Bogue (sometime between 1965 and 1976) as a satellite airfield for aircraft & helicopters from MCAS New River & MCAS Cherry Point due to the Vietnam War.

As of 2003, Bogue is still actively used as a satellite airfield with one active runway, along with the painted outline of the deck of an LHA amphibious assault ship, used for carrier landing practice.

MCALF Bogue Field is the primary location for AV-8B Harrier practice operations. It is also used by other locally based USMC aircraft. It supports about 3500 FCLPs[when?] (Field Carrier Landing Practice) per training year.[citation needed] Training squadron aircraft take priority over normal traffic while exercises take priority over all other users, including training.

Bogue Field consists of a runway constructed of aluminum panels which can be disassembled and reconstructed anywhere in the world in a matter of days by a specialty construction battalion.[3] The remains of two other runways still exist. The Airport Facility Directory includes the remark, "Runway 18 utilized for catapults only."

Although Bogue Field has no aircraft permanently assigned, it serves as a training facility primarily for AV-8 Harriers from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. However, it is also used for practice approaches by KC-130 Hercules transports from MCAS Cherry Point, F/A-18 Hornet fighters from MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina and helicopters from MCAS New River, North Carolina.

## Bogue Field Committee

[edit]

MCAS Cherry Point has enjoyed a comfortable relationship with the nearby communities of Emerald Isle and Bogue, although area residents have formed a committee to evaluate the impact that MCALF Bogue has on their community. The obvious noise impact on the community is considered by some to be offensive to the citizens living too close to normal flight patterns. In January 2001, a group of residents from Emerald Isle, Swansboro, Cape Carteret, Bogue and Morehead City that have concerns about safety issues of the Harrier noise, quality of life, and accident potential zones, have formed the Bogue Field Committee in an effort to have the federal government properly fund the AV-8 Harrier program so that safety is no longer an issue for the pilots. Since most committee members feel that this is not likely, their goals are now to have the USMC to stop flying the plane over highly populated areas.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for NJM PDF, effective 20 December 2007
2. ^ Shettle Jr., Melvin L. (2001). United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II. Bowersville, Georgia: Schaertel Publishing, Inc. p. 15\. ISBN 978-0-9643388-2-1. OCLC 51012704.
3. ^ Payne, LCpl Doug (10 January 2008). "Marines give Bogue facelift" (PDF). USMC MCAS Cherry Point PAO. USMC (Windsock). pp. A3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2008.

## See also

[edit]

* United States Marine Corps Aviation
* List of United States Marine Corps installations

## References

[edit]

### Books

[edit]

* Shettle, M. L. (2001). United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II. Bowersville, Georgia: Schaertel Publishing Company. ISBN 0-9643388-2-3.

### Web

[edit]

* Freeman, Paul. "Bogue Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field (NJM)". Abandoned & Little Known Airfields. Retrieved 7 June 2007.
* Pike, John E. "Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field [MCALF] Bogue Field". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 7 June 2007.
* "Bogue Field Marine Corps Auxiliary Field". AirNav.com. Retrieved 7 June 2007.
* "Bogue Field Committee, Inc". Archived from the original on 10 May 2005. Retrieved 8 June 2007.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue.

* Resources for this U.S. military airport:
* FAA airport information for NJM
* AirNav airport information for KNJM
* NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
* SkyVector aeronautical chart for KNJM

* v
* t
* e

Current military installations in North Carolina

Department of Defense|

| Activity|

* Harvey Point

|

Army|

| Fort|

* Fort Liberty

|

Port|

* Sunny Point

Air fields|

* Mackall
* Pope
* Simmons

Range|

* Camp Mackall

Research|

* Army Research Office

Army National Guard|

* Camp Butner

Marines|

| Air stations|

* Cherry Point
* New River

|

Camp|

* Camp Geiger
* Camp Johnson
* Camp Lejeune
* Courthouse Bay

Range|

* Greater Sandy Run
* Piney Island
* Stone Bay

Landing fields|

* Atlantic
* Bogue Field
* Davis
* Oak Grove

Navy|

| Military Sealift Command|

* Morehead City
* Wilmington

|

Range|

* Brant Island
* Dare County
* Piney Island
* Stumpy Point

Air Force|

| Air force bases|

* Seymour Johnson

|

Other|

Air Force Combat Climatology Center

Air National Guard|

* Charlotte ANGB
* Stanly County ANGS

Coast Guard|

| Air station|

* Elizabeth City

|

Sectors|

* Cape Hatteras
* Fort Macon

Stations|

* Elizabeth City
* Emerald Isle
* Fort Macon
* Hatteras Inlet
* Hobucken
* Oak Island
* Ocracoke
* Oregon Inlet
* Wrightsville Beach

Support center|

Elizabeth City

* v
* t
* e

United States Marine Corps

Leadership|

* Secretary of the Navy
* Under Secretary of the Navy
* Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
* Military Secretary to the Commandant of the Marine Corps
* Marine Corps four-star generals
* Marine Corps three-star generals
* 1942–1959
* 2000–2009
* 2010–present

| US Congress|

* House Armed Services Committee
* Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee
* Senate Armed Services Committee
* Seapower subcommittee

|

Major
commands|

* Organization of the Marine Corps
* Headquarters Marine Corps
* Marine Forces Command
* II Marine Expeditionary Force
* Marine Forces Pacific
* I Marine Expeditionary Force
* III Marine Expeditionary Force
* Marine Forces Reserve
* Fleet Marine Force
* Atlantic
* Pacific
* Marine Corps Combat Development Command
* Training & Education Command (TECOM)
* United States Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory
* Marine Corps Systems Command

Auxiliary|

* Marine Corps Cyber Auxiliary

Structure|

* Marine Air-Ground Task Force
* Bases
* Battalions
* Regiments
* Brigades
* Divisions
* MEF/Corps
* Marine aviation
* Marine expeditionary unit
* Marine Security Guard
* Special Operations
* Marine Raiders
* Marine Raider Regiment
* Recon
* Force
* Division

Personnel
and training|

| Personnel|

Rank insignia
MOS
Notable Marines
Historical Marines
Marine Astronauts
Criminal Investigation Division
Judge Advocate Division
Chaplain of the Marine Corps
Associated organizations

|

Training|

Recruit Training
School of Infantry
Officer Candidates School
The Basic School
Martial Arts Program

Uniforms
and equipment|

* Uniforms
* Awards
* Badges
* Weapons
* Vehicles and aircraft
* Individual equipment

History
and traditions|

* History
* Culture
* Acronyms and terms
* Birthday
* Color Sergeant of the Marine Corps
* Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
* Flag
* Marine Band
* Drum and Bugle Corps
* Horse Marines
* Marine One
* Color Guard
* Silent Drill Platoon
* White House Sentries
* Service Numbers
* Marine Corps War Memorial
* Marine Detachments
* "Marines' Hymn"
* Oorah
* National Museum
* Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
* Rifleman's Creed
* Semper Fidelis
* march
* History of Hispanics in the USMC
* History of women in the USMC
* Women's Reserve
* Honorary Marine
* Toys for Tots
* Gung ho

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template