The Direct Air Support Center (DASC) is the principal United States Marine Corps aviation command and control system and the air control agency responsible for the direction of air operations directly supporting ground forces. It functions in a decentralized mode of operation, but is directly supervised by the Marine Tactical Air Command Center (TACC) or the Navy Tactical Air Control Center (NTACC). During amphibious or expeditionary operations, the DASC is normally the first Marine Air Command and Control System (MACCS) agency ashore and is usually categorized as the Ground Combat Element's (GCE's) senior Fire Support Coordination Center (FSCC). The DASC's parent unit is the Marine Air Support Squadron (MASS) of the Marine Air Control Group (MACG).
Marine Air Support Squadron 3 (MASS-3), is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit that provides the Direct Air Support Center (DASC) for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. They are based out of the 32 Area on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 38 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, in San Diego, California and provides the aviation combat element for I Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is made up of a headquarters squadron, four flying groups, an aviation command and control group and an aviation engineering group.
Marine Aircraft Group 11 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of two F-35C squadrons, one F-35B squadron, two F/A-18C squadrons, one fleet replacement squadron, one KC-130J tactical aerial refueling squadron, a maintenance and logistics squadron, and a wing support squadron. They fall under the command of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and the I Marine Expeditionary Force.
In the United States Marine Corps, a Marine Air–Ground Task Force is 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:
A Marine air–ground task force with separate air ground headquarters is normally formed for combat operations and training exercises in which substantial combat forces of both Marine aviation and Marine ground units are included in the task organization of participating Marine forces.
Marine Air Support Squadron 1 (MASS-1) is a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit that provides the Direct Air Support Center to coordinate close air support for the II Marine Expeditionary Force. Callsign "Chieftain," the squadron is based out of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, and falls under the command of Marine Air Control Group 28 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 274 (MWSS-274) is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are based out of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. The squadron falls under the command of Marine Wing Support Group 27 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are based out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. The squadron is part of Marine Aircraft Group 11 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 374 was an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. They were based out of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. The squadron was part of Marine Wing Support Group 37 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. MWSS-374 was officially deactivated, 31 March 2022, at Marine Corp Air Ground Combat Center,(MCAGCC) 29 Palms,Ca. during a Sunset Ceremony.
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 Wing Headquarters Squadron 3 is the headquarters element of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and is located at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California.
Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 29 (MALS-29) is an aviation logistics support unit of the United States Marine Corps. Known as the "Wolverines", they fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 29 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and are currently based at Marine Corps Air Station New River. MALS 29 supports multiple types of aircraft and provides detachments to aviation combat elements operating globally in support the United States National Defense Strategy.
The 1st Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion is an air defense unit of the United States Marine Corps. It is part of Marine Air Control Group 18 (MACG-18) and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and is based at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. The battery was decommissioned on September 28, 2007 and reactivated on August 31, 2023.
Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18 (MWCS-18) is a United States Marine Corps communications squadron. The squadron provides expeditionary communications for the aviation combat element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. They are based at MCB Camp Foster and fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 18 and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. Although a subordinate squadron of MACG-18, MWCS-18 is considered a 1st MAW asset and therefore serves to augment the entire 1st Marine Air Wing with communications support.
Marine Wing Communications Squadron 28 (MWCS-28) is a United States Marine Corps communications squadron. The squadron provides expeditionary communications for the aviation combat element of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 28 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Tactical Air Command Squadron 38 (MTACS-38) was a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control unit that provided the Tactical Air Command Center (TACC) for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. The TACC is the senior agency in the Marine Air Command and Control System (MACCS) and serves as the operational command post for the commander of the aviation combat element and their staff. The squadron was based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and fell under the command of Marine Air Control Group 38 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Wing Communications Squadron 38 (MWCS-38) is a United States Marine Corps communications squadron. The squadron provides expeditionary communications for the aviation combat element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, and fall under the command of Marine Air Control Group 38 and the 3rd 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.
