Marine Corps Air Station Futenma or MCAS Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan, Okinawa, Japan, 5 NM northeast of Naha, on the island of Okinawa. It is home to approximately 3,000 Marines of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and other units, and has been a U.S. military airbase since the defeat of the Japanese Imperial Army in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. Marine Corps pilots and aircrew are assigned to the base for training and providing air support to other land and sea-based Marines in Okinawa and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. MCAS Futenma is part of the Marine Corps Installations Pacific command.
Kadena Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific". Kadena Air Base is home to the USAF's 18th Wing, the 353d Special Operations Group, reconnaissance units, 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery, and a variety of associated units. Over 20,000 American servicemembers, family members, and Japanese employees live or work aboard Kadena Air Base. It is the largest and most active US Air Force base in the Far East.
A naval air station is a military air base, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of a navy. These bases are typically populated by squadrons, groups or wings, their various support commands, and other tenant commands.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323) is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. The squadron is equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet and is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, United States. It falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing but deploys with the U.S. Navy's Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17).
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa, Japan. Activated in 1940, the wing has seen heavy combat operations during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing is the major east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered in Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. They provide the aviation combat element for the II Marine Expeditionary Force.
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 36 (MALS-36) is an aviation logistics support unit of the United States Marine Corps. Nicknamed Bladerunner, they are currently based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 36 (MAG-36) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) is a United States Marine Corps Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II squadron. The squadron, known as the "Black Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. Their tail code is VW.
Marine Air-Ground Task Force is a term used by the United States Marine Corps to describe the principal organization for all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are a balanced air-ground, combined arms task organization of Marine Corps forces under a single commander that is structured to accomplish a specific mission. The MAGTF was formalized by the publishing of Marine Corps Order 3120.3 in December 1963 "The Marine Corps in the National Defense, MCDP 1-0". It stated:
Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 4 (VMAQ-4) was a United States Marine Corps electronic warfare squadron consisting of EA-6B Prowler jets. The squadron was last based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron was decommissioned on June 2, 2017 as the Marine Corps sundowns the EA-6B Prowler.
Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) is a United States Marine Corps aviation group based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina that is currently composed of two F/A-18C Hornet squadrons, one F/A-18A++ Hornet squadron, two F/A-18D Hornet squadrons, one F-35B Lightning II training squadron, an aviation logistics squadron, and a wing support squadron. It falls under the command of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 (VMFA-312) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet squadron. Also known as the "Checkerboards", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The Radio Callsign is "Check."
Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 533 is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Also known as the "Hawks", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Air Control Squadron 1 (MACS-1) is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron. The squadron provides aerial surveillance, air traffic control, ground-controlled intercept, and aviation data-link connectivity for the I Marine Expeditionary Force. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and fall under Marine Air Control Group 38 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 31 (MALS-31) is an aviation logistics support unit of the United States Marine Corps. Known as the "Stingers", they fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and are currently based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort.
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 39 (MALS-39) is an aviation logistics support unit of the United States Marine Corps. Known as the "Hellhounds", they fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and are currently based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California..
The United States Marine Corps is organized within the Department of the Navy, which is led by the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV). The most senior Marine commissioned officer is the Commandant of the Marine Corps, responsible for organizing, recruiting, training, and equipping the Marine Corps so that it is ready for operation under the command of the unified combatant commanders. The Marine Corps is organized into four principal subdivisions: Headquarters Marine Corps, the Operating Forces, the Supporting Establishment, and the Marine Forces Reserve.
Marine Aviation and Training Support Group 33 (MATSG-33) is a United States Marine Corps aviation training group that was originally established during World War II as Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33). Fighter squadrons from MAG-33 fought most notably during the Battle of Okinawa and also as the first Marine aviation units to support the Korean War when they arrived as part of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade. They helped stabilize the United Nations positions during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter and fought in Korea for the remainder of the war. At some point in the 1960s, the group was deactivated and was not reactivated until 2000, when Marine Aviation Training Support Group at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia was renamed MATSG-33.
Yontan Airfield is a former military airfield on Okinawa, located Yomitan, Okinawa Village on the Okinawa western coast. It was closed in July 1996 and turned over to the Japanese government in December 2006. Today it is home to the Yomitan Village Office and community complex, including baseball fields, running tracks, and community facilities.
Operation Tomodachi was a United States Armed Forces assistance operation to support Japan in disaster relief following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The operation took place from 12 March to 4 May 2011; involved 24,000 U.S. servicemembers, 189 aircraft, 24 naval ships; and cost $90 million.
