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.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) is a United States Marine Corps 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, but deploys with the US Navy's Carrier Air Wing Nine (NG).
Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina that is currently composed of two AV-8B Harrier squadrons, one F-35B squadron, one UAV training squadron, one KC-130 squadron, and an aviation logistics squadron.
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. It was the first air warning squadron commissioned as part of the Marine Corps' new air warning program and is the second oldest aviation command and control unit in the Marine Corps. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and falls under Marine Air Control Group 38 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Air Control Group 28 (MACG-28) is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point that is currently composed of four command and control squadrons and a low altitude air defense battalion that provide the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing with airspace coordination, air control, immediate air support, fires integration, air traffic control (ATC), radar surveillance, aviation combat element (ACE) communications support, and an integrated ACE command post in support of the II Marine Expeditionary Force.
Marine Air Control Squadron 4 (MACS-4) is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron that provides aerial surveillance, Ground-controlled interception, and air traffic control for the III Marine Expeditionary Force. Originally formed in World War II, the squadron's most notable combat operations occurred during the Vietnam War when it was the first unit to ever use the Marine Tactical Data System. They are currently based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 18 and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 18 (MTACS-18) was a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. The squadron provided the 1st Marine Aircraft Wings tactical headquarters and command post while deployed. MTACS-18 fell under the command of Marine Air Control Group 18 (MACG-18) and 1st MAW. The squadron was decommissioned on 9 June 2021 as part of the service's Force Design 2030. Responsibility for establishing 1st MAW's TACC now resides with the MACG-18 headquarters.
Marine Aircraft Group 93 (MAG-93) was a United States Marine Corps aviation group established during World War II. MAG-93, a dive bombing training group, was commissioned on 1 April 1944 and was initially headquartered at Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield Bogue, North Carolina. Their mission was to train pilots to fly the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. The group was decommissioned in October 1945 as part of the post-war drawdown of forces and has been inactive since.
Marine Attack Squadron 217 (VMA-217) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was activated and fought during World War II. Known as "Max’s Wild Hares", they fought in many areas of the Pacific War including the Battle of Iwo Jima. Following the surrender of Japan, the squadron was deactivated on 10 March 1946. They were briefly reactivated as part of the Reserves but were again deactivated in 1964 and remain in an inactive status today.
Marine Fighting Squadron 413 (VMF-413) was a fighter squadron of the Marine Forces Reserve during the Cold War. It descended from bombing squadron VMB-413, which was the Marine Corps' first medium bomber squadron and had fought during World War II. Best known as "Night Hecklers" and the "Shamrocks", the squadron fought in many areas of the Pacific War.
Marine Fighting Squadron 511 (VMF-511) was a fighter squadron of the Marine Corps and Marine Forces Reserve during World War II and the Cold War which flew aircraft types such as the F6F Hellcat, F4U Corsair, and the F-8 Crusader. They were originally activated during World War II and fought during the Battle of Okinawa and the Battle of Balikpapan (1945). They specialized in close air support and during the course of the war were credited with only one plane shot down.
Marine Observation Squadron 2 (VMO-2) was an observation squadron of the United States Marine Corps which saw extensive action during World War II and the Vietnam War. They were based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Japan and Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California and saw their final combat in support of Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The squadron was decommissioned on 23 May 1993.
Marine Attack Squadron 543 (VMA-543) was an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. The squadron, also known as the "Night Hawks", were part of the Marine Forces Reserve and were based at Naval Air Station Glenview, Illinois until their deactivation on 1 April 1974. Originally activated during World War II, they fought in the Battle of Okinawa as part of the Tactical Air Force. The squadron was credited with downing 15 Japanese aircraft during the war. Following the surrender of Japan, the squadron was deactivated only to be later reactivated as part of the Reserves. They were again deactivated in 1974 and remain in an inactive status today.
Marine Air Control Squadron 5 (MACS-5) was a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron. The squadron provided aerial surveillance and early warning while it was active from 1944 through 1993. They were last based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and fell under the command of Marine Air Control Group 28 (MACG-28) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Air Control Squadron 7 (MACS-7) was a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron. The squadron provided aerial surveillance and ground-controlled interception and saw action most notably during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II and the Vietnam War. They were last based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and fell under the command of Marine Air Control Group 38 (MACG-38) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Air Control Squadron 6 (MACS-6) was a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron. The squadron provided aerial surveillance and early warning while operational from 1944 through 1998. They were last based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and fell under the command of Marine Air Control Group 28 (MACG-28) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Air Control Squadron 8 (MACS-8) was a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron. The squadron provided aerial surveillance and ground-controlled interception (GCI). Originally formed in World War II as Air Warning Squadron 18 (AWS-18), the squadron served as a training and replacement unit until it was decommissioned in April 1947 as part of the post war drawdown of forces. Reactivated in 1952 during the Korean War the squadron took part in numerous Far East deployments during the 1960s. Transferred to Japan in 1969, the squadron was decommissioned in 1971 as the last Marine Corps units were departing South Vietnam. They were last based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan and fell under the command of Marine Air Control Group 18 (MACG-18) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Aircraft Group 43 (MAG-43) was a fixed wing aviation group in the United States Marine Corps Reserve based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, Pennsylvania.
Marine Photographic Squadron 254 (VMP-254) was a United States Marine Corps photographic reconnaissance squadron that was originally commissioned during World War II as a replacement training unit. In 1944 the squadron transitioned to the Fleet Marine Force and eventually deployed overseas in August 1945. During the war, the squadron flew the F6F-3P Hellcat and later transitioned to the Grumman F7F Tigercat. VMP-254 was decommissioned on November 30, 1949. Since that date, no other Marine Corps squadron has carried the lineage and honors of VMP-254.
