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 Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 (HMLA-267) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and Bell UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. Nicknamed the "Stingers", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Aircraft Group 16 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of five V-22 Osprey squadrons, four CH-53 Super Stallion squadrons, one Personnel Support Detachment, an aviation logistics squadron, and a wing support squadron. The group falls under the command of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and the I Marine Expeditionary Force.
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 (HMH-461) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters. The squadron, known as "Ironhorse", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 29 (MAG-29) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. With its lineage starting in 1944, HMH-461 is the oldest active Heavy Lift Helicopter Squadron in the Marine Corps.
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466 (HMH-466) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion transport helicopters. The squadron, known as the "Wolfpack", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 273 (MWSS-273) is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are based out of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. The squadron falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. The squadron falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 272 is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are based out of Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. The squadron, nicknamed "The Untouchables," falls under the command of Marine Wing Support Group 27 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.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are based out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. The squadron is part of Marine Aircraft Group 13 and the 3rd 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 is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are based out of Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California. The squadron is part of Marine Wing Support Group 37 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. Known as the "Diamondbacks", they are based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The squadron falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 (MWSS-171) is an aviation ground support unit of the United States Marine Corps. Known as "The Sentinels", they are based out of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The squadron is part of Marine Aircraft Group 12 and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Aircraft Group 41 (MAG-41) is a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation unit based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas that is currently composed of one F/A-18A+ squadron, one KC-130T squadron, an aviation logistics squadron, as well as detachments from wing support and air control squadrons. Following decommissioning of Marine Aircraft Group 46 in 2009, MAG-41 also assumed command responsibility for the geographically separated Northrop F-5F aggressor squadron based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and a Boeing Vertol CH-46 squadron HMM-764 based at Edwards Air Force Base, California. HMM-764 transitioned to the MV-22B in 2013 and relocated to MCAS Miramar.
Marine Wing Support Group 27 (MWSG-27) is a United States Marine Corps aviation combat service support unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. It is composed of four squadrons, which provide the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing and II Marine Expeditionary Force with complete airfield operation services, engineer and transportation support, medical assistance, food services, security support, and other direct combat and combat service support to aviation combat elements.
Marine Aircraft Group 49 is a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation unit based at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, New Jersey that is currently composed of: MV-22B, CH-53E, AH-1W /UH-1Y, AH-1Z, KC-130, UC-35C/D and UC-12W and a Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron.
Marine Wing Support Group 47 (MWSG-47) was a United States Marine Corps aviation combat service support unit based at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan that is currently composed of 3 squadrons, that provide the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and Marine Forces Reserve with complete airfield operation services, engineer and transportation support, medical assistance, food services, security support, and other direct combat service support to aviation combat elements.
United States Marine Corps Aviation is the aircraft arm of the United States Marine Corps. Marine Corps aviation units have a very different mission and operation than their ground counterparts and thus have their own history, traditions, terms, and procedures. Aviation units within the Marine Corps are assigned to support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, as the aviation combat element, by providing six functions: assault support, antiair warfare, close air support, electronic warfare, control of aircraft and missiles, and aerial reconnaissance. The Corps operates both rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft mainly to provide transport and close air support to its ground forces. Other aircraft types are also used in a variety of support and special-purpose roles. All Marine Corps aviation falls under the influence of the Deputy Commandant for Aviation, whose job is to advise the Commandant of the Marine Corps in all matters relating to aviation, especially acquisition of new assets, conversions of current aircraft, maintenance, operation, and command.
Twentynine Palms Strategic Expeditionary Landing Field or Twentynine Palms SELF is a military use airfield located nine nautical miles (17 km) northwest of the central business district of Twentynine Palms, a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The SELF is the largest expeditionary airfield (EAF) operated by the United States Marine Corps. It is also known as the Twentynine Palms EAF and is located at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) Twentynine Palms.
